Modern smartphones, including Xiaomi devices, have long since moved to bezel-free displays, where the physical home button is a thing of the past. However, to make the most of the usable screen area, the user needs to understand how software navigation and full-screen mode work, not just the absence of bezels, but a complex system of gestures and display content that requires the right setup for comfortable use.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how full-screen mode differs from classic navigation, how to turn it on different versions of the MIUI and HyperOS shell, and what to do if applications are displayed incorrectly, you will learn how to hide the bottom navigation bar so that it does not overlap the content, and how to adjust gesture sensitivity.
Many users confuse the concept, believing that full-screen mode is just hiding the bangs or the camera cutout. In fact, it is a complex interface configuration that affects the operation of the entire system. The right configuration allows you to increase the workspace and make one-handed control of the device more convenient and ergonomic.
What is Full Screen Mode and How It Differs From Buttons
Full-screen mode in the context of Android and Xiaomi shells is a swipe-based navigation method, not a button-pressed one. In classic mode, there is always a three-button bar at the bottom of the screen: Back, Home, and App Menu. This bar occupies a certain part of the display that could be used to display content.
When you switch to gesture control, the bottom panel disappears, freeing up precious pixels, and instead, the user can control the smartphone by swiping his finger around the edges of the screen, creating a sense of complete immersion in content, whether it's watching videos, reading books or playing games, and the system intelligently responds to the direction and length of the swipe, executing different commands.
⚠️ Attention: It may take several days to get used to muscle memory when switching to gestures for the first time.
In addition, full-screen mode often involves correctly displaying applications that are not optimized for modern elongated screens. The system can automatically add black fields at the top and bottom, or stretch the image to fill the entire display area, especially for older games and programs that were created for the 16:9 standard.
- 📱 Complete absence of navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
- 🖐️ Control is carried out by swipes from the edges of the display.
- 🎨 Maximum use of the useful area of the matrix.
- ⚙️ Ability to fine tune sensitivity and speed.
How to turn on full screen mode on Xiaomi
The process of activating full-screen mode on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is quite simple, but the path to settings can vary slightly depending on the Android version and shell. In most cases, you need to go to the Settings menu, then select the Desktop or Additional where the desired switch is hidden.
On the latest versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14, the logic is: open Settings, search Desktop and click System Navigation. Here you will be asked to choose between Buttons and Gestures. If you choose the second option, you will activate full screen mode. If you do not find this option right away, search by settings, enter the "navigation" query.
Once the system is turned on, you'll be asked to take a short training video showing the basic gestures, and it's recommended that you don't skip this step, because visualization helps you remember the combinations faster, for example, a swipe from the bottom up the center returns to the desktop, and a swipe from the bottom corner is a "back" action.
☑️ Post-initiation verification
It is important to note that some global versions of firmware may have different paths, and sometimes the option you want to use is hidden under the "Additional Settings -> Full-screen mode" section. If standard search doesn't work, check if your system has updated, as the menu structure often changes with new versions of the software.
Setting up the concealment of the navigation strip
Even after you turn on your gestures, many users notice a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, which is an indicator that tells you where to make a swipe to return to the home screen, and for many, it's an extra distraction, especially in dark topics or when watching videos, and fortunately, it can be hidden.
To remove this bar, go to the same Settings -> Desktop -> System Navigation menu, where you'll see a "Hide Gesture" switch or similar wording. Once activated, the bottom line will disappear and the screen will become truly full-screen, but remember that without a visual landmark, it may be more difficult for beginners to navigate.
| Parameter | With the tip on. | With the tip off. |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | You can see a thin line down there. | The bottom of the screen is completely clean. |
| Beginner's convenience | High (there's a landmark) | Low (must remember gestures) |
| Aesthetics | Less attractive. | Clean as possible. |
| Impact on the battery | Minor. | Absent. |
It’s worth considering that in some applications, especially video players and games, the strip can be hidden automatically when content is launched, regardless of the overall system settings. This behavior depends on the optimization of the application itself and its interaction with the Android API.
Why does the strip appear in some applications?
Managing application windows in full screen mode
One of the main problems with frameless screens is that older apps don't show up properly. Instead of stretching out to the full screen, they can open in a small window with black fields on the sides. Xiaomi's system allows you to force these apps to run in full screen mode, stretching the image.
To set this setting, go to Settings -> Desktop -> Full Screen Mode (or "Full Screen Apps"). Here you'll see a list of all the programs installed. There's a switch opposite each application. If you turn it on, the application will stretch to the full screen, cropping off the extra parts of the image or zooming it.
But be careful: stretching can cause the proportions to be distorted. Round objects can become oval and characters' faces can stretch out. So you have to experiment with each application. If you see the interface floating or buttons going off the screen, you better turn off this mode for a particular program.
- 🔍 Find the problem app in the settings list.
- 🔄 Switch the switch to change the display mode.
- 👁️ Check if the important interface is being cut off.
- ✅ Leave it on only for optimized programs.
⚠️ Attention: Forced stretching of applications that are not adapted to modern screens can lead to incorrect operation of control buttons or hiding important interface elements behind the edges of the display.
Special attention should be paid to games. They often release separate updates with support for high resolutions. If the game is not displayed correctly, check for updates in Google Play or GetApps before changing the zoom settings.
Advanced gesture and sensitivity settings
The MIUI and HyperOS shells offer not just gestures, but also fine-tuning their behavior, which is especially true for users who are used to the logic of iOS or, conversely, standard Android. You can change the direction of the gesture "Back" - from left to right or right to left.
The System Navigation menu often has the option "Edge Sensitivity." If you notice that swipes don't always work the first time or, conversely, the system reacts too often to random touches, try changing this setting. High sensitivity requires less accurate hitting the edge of the screen, but can lead to false positives.
Settings -> Desktop -> System Navigation -> SensitivityYou can also adjust the speed of transition animation. Although this is not a direct gesture parameter, the visual experience of full-screen mode depends on the smoothness of the animations. In the section For developers (which you need to activate a separate tap according to the build version), you can find Animation scales, reducing the values of which will speed up the response of the interface.
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If the Back swipe conflicts with the menu inside the app (for example, in games or readers), try starting the swipe a little higher from the bottom corner of the screen or changing the sensitivity in the settings.
Solving and resolving problems
Despite the system’s fine-tuning, users may encounter problems, such as gestures that may stop working after updating the system or installing a particular application, in which case the first thing to do is check whether One Hand or Pocket Mode mode is on, which can block the edges of the screen.
Another common problem is the “dead zones” at the edges of the screen where swipes are not recognized, which can be due to damage to the touchscreen, the presence of thick protective glass or a software bug. Rebooting the device often helps to reset temporary errors of the touchscreen drivers.
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Most gesture problems are solved by simply restarting your smartphone or resetting your navigation settings to standard values.
If the problem is only in one particular application, it's probably because of optimization. Try to clear the cache of that application or reinstall it. In rare cases, resetting all system settings helps, but this method should only be resorted to as a last resort, saving important data beforehand.