[HOW-TO] Enable MultiWindow on EMUI 4.1 / Android 6 (like EMUI 5)

[#Henkate]

Hello!

This morning i was just looking in build.prop when ive seen a line regarding multi-window.
On EMUI 5 / Android 7, we can enable MultiWindow by pressing for few seconds the multitasking/recents icon in the navigation bar.

This feature is available on EMUI 4.1 as well.


REQUIREMENTS:

- EMUI 4.1
- Unlocked bootloader
- Rooted phone
- a file manager with root support ( im using the good old version of ES File Explorer)

[HOW-TO] Huawei Nova:

1) Grant root access to the file manager.
2) Go to /system and open build.prop.
3) Search for ro.huawei.multiwindow and change it from false to true.

ro.huawei.multiwindow=false becomes ro.huawei.multiwindow=true.

4) Save and reboot. After reboot, you can use MultiWindow by pressing for few seconds the multitasking / recents icon from navigation bar.

[HOW-TO] Other Huawei phones:

If you have followed the instructions for Huawei Nova and it didnt work, then check if you have HwMwLauncher folder in /system/app or /system/priv-app.

If it is missing, then check this post. People reported that MultiWindow is working after they got HwMwLauncher.



CONFIRMED DEVICES:

- Huawei Honor 8

If your phone isnt on this list, then it doesnt mean that it doesnt work. Just try and report back. I think it should work on all Huawei phones which are running EMUI 4.1.

EDIT: I just seen that you can use MultiWindow by swiping up two fingers on navigation bar too.

 

[millo1978]

When you are in Multiwindow with 2 apps open, press HOME button.

I have a big bug!
The Home is in half screen.

VNS-L21C432B170
Emui 4.1.2

Inviato dal mio HUAWEI VNS-L21 utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[#Henkate]

When you are in Multiwindow with 2 apps open, press HOME button.

I have a big bug!
The Home is in half screen.

VNS-L21C432B170
Emui 4.1.2

Inviato dal mio HUAWEI VNS-L21 utilizzando Tapatalk

I have no issues. When I press home button it just disable MultiWindow.

Nova CAN-L11 running EMUI 4.1 CANC432B100.

 

[millo1978]

Maybe this is my firmware problem... I don't know.

But only with home button.
With back button all is ok.

Screenshot:
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/58ff90231cc85/Screenshot_2017-04-25-20-02-43.png?


Inviato dal mio HUAWEI VNS-L21 utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[RobboW]

I enabled this on my mate 7 with emui 4 marshmallow quite a while ago. If I try to use it I just get a pop up message saying this application does not support dual windows. Haven't found a practical use for it yet.

 

[#Henkate]

I enabled this on my mate 7 with emui 4 marshmallow quite a while ago. If I try to use it I just get a pop up message saying this application does not support dual windows. Haven't found a practical use for it yet.

It's same for me.
When you press the "+" on homescreen after you enable MultiWindow I think it shows only the apps which support it.

Personally, I'm not using MultiWindow. I just wanted to share the small trick I've found.

 

[stooby]

Strange - it doesn't seem to have any effect on my rooted Honor 8 (still on MM with EMUI 4.1).

I used BuildProp Editor to set ro.huawei.multiwindow=true and rebooted. Holding the "recents" button does nothing apart from a quick burst of haptic feedback after about half a second or so.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[carmeloamg]

Strange - it doesn't seem to have any effect on my rooted Honor 8 (still on MM with EMUI 4.1).

I used BuildProp Editor to set ro.huawei.multiwindow=true and rebooted. Holding the "recents" button does nothing apart from a quick burst of haptic feedback after about half a second or so.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Exactly the same phone and software here but it shows the toasts messages and the MultiWindow interface but doesn't work. I think EMUI 4.1 is simply Nougat ready and that is the reason why it has the option to enable or disable MultiWindow but the system (MM) has not this function and that is why it doesn't work. So the result is only the GUI of MultiWindow being shown but is only EMUI trying to do something as layer that system in fact isn't capable.

I was wrong follow @#Henkate instructions here here

 

[#Henkate]

Strange - it doesn't seem to have any effect on my rooted Honor 8 (still on MM with EMUI 4.1).

I used BuildProp Editor to set ro.huawei.multiwindow=true and rebooted. Holding the "recents" button does nothing apart from a quick burst of haptic feedback after about half a second or so.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Exactly the same phone and software here but it shows the toasts messages and the MultiWindow interface but doesn't work.

1) Do you have HwMwLauncher.apk in /system/app/HwMwLauncher or /system/priv-app/HwMwLauncher ? I don't think it matter if it is in app or priv-app, but it must exist. I have it in /system/app.

2) After you enable MultiWindow, do you see the process named HwDualWindowLauncher at Settings > Developer Options > Running services (check also cached processes there)?

3) In build.prop I have the following line: ro.config.hw_multiscreen=true. I think it might be related to MultiWindow as well, but I'm not sure. I didn't try yet to set it to false and see what happens.

I think EMUI 4.1 is simply Nougat ready and that is the reason why it has the option to enable or disable MultiWindow but the system (MM) has not this function and that is why it doesn't work. So the result is only the GUI of MultiWindow being shown but is only EMUI trying to do something as layer that system in fact isn't capable.

Well, it works for me on Nova CAN-L11 running EMUI 4.1

MultiWindow has been introduced in Android 6. Why Huawei hid this option in EMUI 4.1 (Android 6) and introduced it as a new feature in EMUI 5 (Android 7)? That's what I'm asking too.

 

[stooby]

1) Do you have HwMwLauncher.apk in /system/app/HwMwLauncher or /system/priv-app/HwMwLauncher ? I don't think it matter if it is in app or priv-app, but it must exist. I have it in /system/app.

2) After you enable MultiWindow, do you see the process named HwDualWindowLauncher at Settings > Developer Options > Running services (check also cached processes there)?

3) In build.prop I have the following line: ro.config.hw_multiscreen=true. I think it might be related to MultiWindow as well, but I'm not sure. I didn't try yet to set it to false and see what happens.

1). I don't have HwMwLauncher.apk in either location (or anywhere, in fact).

2). No, I don't see the HwDualWindowLauncher process running.

3). I tried that, but it doesn't appear to have any affect.

Thanks anyway.
I'm not too bothered whether this works or not, but if it can be enabled, I will just for the fun of it!

 

[#Henkate]

1). I don't have HwMwLauncher.apk in either location (or anywhere, in fact).

2). No, I don't see the HwDualWindowLauncher process running.

3). I tried that, but it doesn't appear to have any affect.

Thanks anyway.
I'm not too bothered whether this works or not, but if it can be enabled, I will just for the fun of it!

The missing HwMwLauncher could be the problem since it is related to MultiWindow.

I've uploaded HwMwLauncher folder from my Huawei Nova.

1) Download HwMwLauncher.zip from HERE and extract it.

2) Copy HwMwLauncher folder to system/app.

3) Set the correct permissions for folders and files (.apk and .odex). I've attached screenshots with the permissions as well. The permissions of oat and arm64 folders must be same as the one for HwMwLauncher folder. And the permission of .odex file must be same as .apk one.

4) Reboot. Now I'd say that it should work. Make sure that ro.huawei.multiwindow=true in build.prop, but also ro.config.hw_multiscreen=true (just in case, I still don't know the purpose of this line as I didn't try to set it to false yet).


@carmeloamg :

If you don't have HwMwLauncher neither, then follow the same steps I've wrote in this post and report if it works.

 

[stooby]

The missing HwMwLauncher could be the problem since it is related to MultiWindow.

I've uploaded HwMwLauncher folder from my Huawei Nova.

1) Download HwMwLauncher.zip from HERE and extract it.

2) Copy HwMwLauncher folder to system/app.

3) Set the correct permissions for folders and files (.apk and .odex). I've attached screenshots with the permissions as well. The permissions of oat and arm64 folders must be same as the one for HwMwLauncher folder. And the permission of .odex file must be same as .apk one.

4) Reboot. Now I'd say that it should work. Make sure that ro.huawei.multiwindow=true in build.prop, but also ro.config.hw_multiscreen=true (just in case, I still don't know the purpose of this line as I didn't try to set it to false yet).

That's fixed it!
Thanks for your help.

 

[carmeloamg]

The missing HwMwLauncher could be the problem since it is related to MultiWindow.

I've uploaded HwMwLauncher folder from my Huawei Nova.

1) Download HwMwLauncher.zip from HERE and extract it.

2) Copy HwMwLauncher folder to system/app.

3) Set the correct permissions for folders and files (.apk and .odex). I've attached screenshots with the permissions as well. The permissions of oat and arm64 folders must be same as the one for HwMwLauncher folder. And the permission of .odex file must be same as .apk one.

4) Reboot. Now I'd say that it should work. Make sure that ro.huawei.multiwindow=true in build.prop, but also ro.config.hw_multiscreen=true (just in case, I still don't know the purpose of this line as I didn't try to set it to false yet).


@carmeloamg :

If you don't have HwMwLauncher neither, then follow the same steps I've wrote in this post and report if it works.

I didn't have it. Placed and fixed but it only allows to use three system apps as second window even having some other multi window ready apps. For instance I've got WhatsApp and Telegram I can use multi window each one separately with gallery, files and videos but not both together. Snapshot attached. Same for you @stooby ?

Thanks @#Henkate !

 

[daitalos]

very easy and smart! working very well without problems ...thanks

 

[stooby]

I didn't have it. Placed and fixed but it only allows to use three system apps as second window even having some other multi window ready apps. For instance I've got WhatsApp and Telegram I can use multi window each one separately with gallery, files and videos but not both together. Snapshot attached. Same for you @stooby ?

Thanks @#Henkate !

Yes, same for me. When I had my Note 4, there was an Xposed module that enabled all apps for multi window use. Unfortunately, it's not working on these devices. I'll keep investigating.

 

[carmeloamg]

Yes, same for me. When I had my Note 4, there was an Xposed module that enabled all apps for multi window use. Unfortunately, it's not working on these devices. I'll keep investigating.

HONOR 8: Installing this version of HwMwLauncher makes the multi window natively supported apps to be selectable and the multiwindow_whitelist_apps.xml file placed in /cust/hw/normal/xml make it usable from many other apps that before says not compatible. Only two issues, sometimes launcher (nova launcher) gets stuck on half of it size buy as it comes it goes. The other issue is that you can not use two apps that not appear in HwMwLauncher, just able to open one that is not and then launch another that is on it. See screenshots (example using chrome and instagram).

 

[millo1978]

The missing HwMwLauncher could be the problem since it is related to MultiWindow.

I've uploaded HwMwLauncher folder from my Huawei Nova.

...

VNS-L21C432B170 Emui 4.1.2 (P9 lite)

I tried now again...

and now it works good!

tested in Portrait and Landscape.

No issues at the moment!

Thanks a lot

 

[virusdunil]

working here to

wishing for a fix for Knuckle Sense too...ive searched for that app everywhere with root explorer and just cant find it...

Knuckle sense is renamed branded Qeexo Finger Sense... double knock for screenshot/draw a letter to open an App. ect.
its activated in Intelligence Assistant but not working ...
looks like its disabled by root

---------- Post added at 04:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:55 PM ----------

I have found in /system...
knuckle_gesture.bin...
but cant open it