[GUIDE] Enable Multi-Window Mode on Android 6.0 Marshmallow

[Quinny899]

There's a hidden feature in Android 6.0, multi window. It has its warnings:

So decide if this is actually for you before following these steps

It's not shown in user builds, so we have to do some messing. You'll either need root or a custom recovery to do this, but as not everyone wants root, here's how you do it with TWRP, a USB cable, and a PC with ADB:

1. Boot your device into recovery
2. Mount your system by going to Mounts > Tick System
3. On your PC open a command line, somewhere like your desktop is useful
4. Type the following command:

adb pull /system/build.prop

5. Open the build.prop file with your favourite (decent) editor, I recommend using Notepad++ on Windows
6. Find the "ro.build.type" line
7. Change the text after = to "userdebug" from "user"
BONUS: If you want a nicer DPI here, change the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" to your preferred DPI
8. Save the file
9. Go back to the command line and enter the following command:

adb push build.prop /system/

10. Now open a shell doing:

adb shell

11. Now a adb shell will open, enter these commands:

cd system
chmod 644 build.prop

12. Reboot the device as normal
13. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
14. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
15. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

If you're rooted...
1. Download "Build.prop editor"

2. Find "ro.build.type"

3. Edit it to have the value "userdebug" from "user"

4. Reboot when prompted
5. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
7. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

 

[F4uzan]

Worked ! Thanks

Such a shame the Keynote didn't introduce such feature, it's stable enough. Just think of the use of the feature on a 10" tablet.

 

[castaway1]

works perfect thank you !

 

[Chahk]

How do you use it after enabling?

 

[bradputt]

How do you use it after enabling?

Go recent menu, on the apps beside the x there's a button to choose the top half or second half.

Multirom users can go /data/media/multirom/roms/ and edit the build prop directly there, no need to use adb. I did it without using a PC

 

[prwnd]

I flashed the latest hammerhead twrp with fastboot command, it was successful, but when I reboot bootloader and choose recovery, it keeps loads forever and sometimes the screen flashes black. I tried CWM after that, it said root needed. How do you guys got recovery on M?

 

[elreydenj]

How do you use it after enabling?

I get how to use it, but how do you consistently pick the two apps that you want to appear?

---------- Post added at 11:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:26 AM ----------

I get how to use it, but how do you consistently pick the two apps that you want to appear?

It seems to be all over the place. I cant figure out how to always get the two apps that i want in multiwindow to show....

 

[hsay]

I flashed the latest hammerhead twrp with fastboot command, it was successful, but when I reboot bootloader and choose recovery, it keeps loads forever and sometimes the screen flashes black. I tried CWM after that, it said root needed. How do you guys got recovery on M?

This is the wrong place to ask this question . Check your pm i have given you the solution and please ask your questions in the right thread next time onwards

 

[p4rot]

is it possible to do that with Wugfresh Nexus Root Toolkit?

 

[drgonzo712]

is it possible to do that with Wugfresh Nexus Root Toolkit?

Nope. I tried doing the "push/pull files" and it didn't work. You can install custom Recovery with WugFresh then follow these instructions.

 

[p4rot]

Nope. I tried doing the "push/pull files" and it didn't work. You can install custom Recovery with WugFresh then follow these instructions.

I tried also ,,and it doesn't work.

 

[Adr990]

I got this message from ADB:

failed to copy 'build.prop' to '/system//build.prop': Read-only file system

Anything?

Edit:
I tried flashed TWRP as recovery via adb, then in TWRP I pushed the build.prop back. (And did the chmod, following the tutorial from OP)
It doesn't work. (Doesn't seem to change/push the build.prop that way at all, the DPI hasn't changed either.)

 

[CrazyWinner]

I got this message from ADB:



Anything?

Open terminal, type

su
cd system
chmod 644 build.prop
exit

and do stages again

 

[Adr990]

Open terminal, type

su
cd system
chmod 644 build.prop
exit

and do stages again

When I do that, in adb shell:

[email protected]:/ $ su
su
/system/bin/sh: su: not found

 

[CrazyWinner]

When I do that, in adb shell:

Ow, i forgot ,my mistake sorry can you try this ?
cd system
chmod 777 build.prop
exit

 

[Adr990]

Ow, i forgot ,my mistake sorry can you try this ?
cd system
chmod 777 build.prop
exit

I actually tried that too, but I got this:

[email protected]:/system $ chmod 777 build.prop
chmod 777 build.prop
chmod: chmod 'build.prop' to 100777: Read-only file system

Too bad.

 

[kidhudi]

damn.. is there a way to do it if it is a secondary rom on multiboot?

 

[Adr990]

Oh and I also tried this:

1|[email protected]:/ $ mount -o rw,remount /system
mount -o rw,remount /system
mount: Permission denied

Kinda wierd how it is not working for some, while we all flashed according to Google's adb flashing method.

 

[CrazyWinner]

Oh and I also tried this:



Kinda wierd how it is not working for some, while we all flashed according to Google's adb flashing method.

Can you send your build.prop to me via pm. I can make a flashable zip for you

 

[Adr990]

Can you send your build.prop to me via pm. I can flashable zip for you

Ah yes! Thanks man.

I can do this myself, luckily. I just totally forgot about that for a sec.

Here I share my flash-able zip. (At own risk, of course. But it works for me.)
It contains a 430 DPI Mod, adblocking hosts file (10 fed 2015, more info see my Personal Settings site in my sig), & of course the userdebug Mod. (Also, I removed the commented lines from the build.prop to make it smaller)

Edit:
Also made one to revert back to the Stock stuff. (Unmodified Android M build.prop/hosts)

Edit2:
The Multi window feature works fine so far. Really cool! Thanks OP.