What you need to know about Dual Apps in MIUI 8

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One of the headlining feature additions in MIUI 8 is Dual Apps, which allows you to run two instances of an app at the same time. The feature is especially handy if you have two social media accounts and are looking to access them from the same device.

And yes, with Dual Apps, you can run two WhatsApp accounts on the same phone. The feature is pretty straightforward: head into the phone's settings to toggle dual app functionality for the app you're looking to clone, following which you'll see a separate icon for the app on your home screen.

Each instance of the app is siloed and runs independently of the other. Here's how you can set up and start using Dual Apps in MIUI 8.

How to enable Dual Apps in MIUI 8

  1. Open Settings from the home screen.
  2. Navigate to Dual apps.
  3. Toggle the app you want to clone.

That's it! Once you clone an app, you'll see two icons for that specific app on your home screen, with the cloned version featuring an indent that indicates that it is the secondary app.

Each instance has its own data and settings, but uninstalling the original app will result in the cloned app being deleted as well. The corollary isn't true: if you want to revert to a single instance, you can delete the cloned version without it affecting the default app in any way.

With the feature enabled, I was able to run two WhatsApp accounts on the Mi Note 2. I use a single WhatsApp account (which in itself is tedious), but if you rely on two accounts regularly, Dual Apps is a nifty addition.

What do you guys use Dual Apps for?

Harish Jonnalagadda
Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.