Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones offer users the flexibility to personalize the interface, and one of the most noticeable changes is navigation management. Many device owners are used to the classic three buttons at the bottom of the screen that allow you to quickly switch between applications, go back or go to the desktop. However, mobile industry trends dictate their rules, shifting the focus towards full-screen gestures that free up precious display space and make interaction with the gadget more intuitive.
Changing the way you navigate is not just a fashion, but a matter of personal comfort. Some people prefer the tactile response of virtual buttons, and some like to swipe around the edges of the screen to perform actions. In the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS, the process of switching between these modes is as simple as possible, but often hidden in non-obvious menus or requires activation of special functions to fully unleash the potential. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to change touch buttons, disable them, adjust the behavior of the sidebar and solve typical navigation problems.
It’s worth noting that the options available may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and the specific model of your smartphone. For example, on the Redmi budget series, some animations can be simplified, while flagship Xiaomi offers advanced sensitivity settings. Regardless of the model, the basic principles remain similar, allowing each user to adapt the interface to their habits.
Classical Navigation: Three Buttons and Their Functions
The traditional navigation interface on Xiaomi smartphones includes three virtual keys located at the bottom of the screen. On the left, there is usually the App Menu or Recent button, in the center there is a round Home button, and on the right there is a Back arrow. This arrangement is the de facto standard for Android and is familiar to most users who are switching from other devices. For many, it is the most reliable way to control, since it eliminates random swipes and gives a clear visual understanding of the available actions.
One of the key features of classic MIUI navigation is the ability to change the order of the buttons, which is especially true for those who are moving from iPhone devices or other brands where the Back button can be located on the other side. The button inversion allows you to mirror the navigation bar by placing the return button on the left or right depending on your dominant hand. This is a trifle, but it significantly affects the ergonomics when using a smartphone with one hand.
In addition, classic buttons often allow you to perform additional actions with prolonged pressing. For example, holding the center button Home for a long time can trigger the voice assistant Google Assistant or Xiao AI, while swiping up from the same button opens the panel of recent applications. This versatility makes three-button navigation a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced user who values the predictability of the system.
- 📱 The Menu button opens a list of running applications and allows you to quickly switch between them or clear RAM.
- 🏠 The Home button instantly returns to the main screen, and with a long press activates voice control.
- 🔙 The Back button cancels the last action, closes the open menus, or moves to the previous level in the application hierarchy.
Transition to gesture control: full immersion
Gesture control is a modern standard that completely removes visible navigation elements from the screen, freeing up space for content. Instead of buttons, you use a thin strip at the bottom of the screen or swipes from the edges. On Xiaomi smartphones, this mode is called Full-screen control and activates in the same settings where the type of buttons is selected. Switching to gestures takes some time to get used to, but after that, you often do not want to go back to the buttons.
The basic principle of gestures is based on intuitive finger movements. Swipe up from the bottom strip replaces the home button, returning you to the desktop. If you swipe and hold your finger at the top of the screen, you open a multitasking menu where you can see all the running applications. Swipe back from the left or right edge of the screen to the center. This allows you to hold the smartphone with either hand without reaching your finger across the entire display.
Importantly, gesture mode adds an additional edge sensitivity setting. If you use side menus frequently in games or reading apps, the standard Back swipe zone may interfere. Xiaomi’s settings can reduce the trigger area or change its priority to avoid conflicts with the application interface, making gesture navigation more flexible and adaptable to specific use cases.
☑️ Transition to gestures
Hiding touch buttons and setting up the interface
Many users want to know how to remove touch buttons on Xiaomi so that they do not take up space, but do not switch completely to gestures. In some versions of the firmware, there is an option to hide the buttons, which makes them transparent, leaving only functionality when you click on certain areas of the screen. However, most often, “hiding” means switching to gesture mode, where the buttons are physically absent.
If you want to have a clean screen, gesture mode is the only effective solution, and in this mode, the lower bar can also be hidden in some apps or when watching videos, creating a full immersion effect. It's worth remembering that you can't completely turn off navigation, because it's an Android system element, but minimizing its visual presence is quite possible.
For those who use older models or specific launchers, a floating tree or sidebar feature may be available, an alternative to the classic buttons, which is a floating icon that drops down a menu with the main commands when pressed, an option often used by people with disabilities or on devices with a damaged touchscreen at the bottom.
⚠️ Warning: Completely hiding navigation elements without switching to gestures can cause you to accidentally close an important app or get lost in the menu.Make sure you memorize the basic swipe combinations before relying entirely on blind control.
The table below compares the main navigation modes available on Xiaomi devices:
| Regime. | Visual style | Management | Who's right for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Three keys visible | Pressing | Conservative users who are used to the classics |
| Gestures | Thin strip or without elements | Swipe. | Lovers of minimalism and big screens |
| Floating menu | One icon in the corner. | Clicking on the icon | Users with damaged screens or specific needs |
Sidebar and additional navigation tools
In addition to the basic controls, Xiaomi offers a Sidebar (or Floating Windows) feature that is a great addition to navigation, which allows you to quickly open select apps in a floating window on top of your current task, for example, you can watch YouTube videos and chat to Telegram at the same time without switching between apps completely, which expands the concept of navigation, making it multitasking.
Sidebar activation is usually done by swiping from a special marker on the side of the screen. You can choose which apps it will appear in and which shortcuts it will place there. This is especially useful on Xiaomi Pad tablets or large-screen smartphones, where space allows you to comfortably place multiple windows at once. Multitasking becomes a key advantage of using these tools.
In addition, the Special Opportunities section contains a special feature menu, a virtual button that appears on the screen and duplicates the physical navigation buttons, and allows you to take screenshots, lock the screen and adjust volume, a complete replacement for touch buttons for those who, for whatever reason, cannot use the standard areas of the screen.
How to activate the special features menu?
Problem Solving: When buttons disappear or glitches
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where touch buttons on Xiaomi stop responding, disappear or work incorrectly, most often this is a software failure of the SystemUI shell, which is responsible for displaying the interface. The first step in solving the problem should be to simply restart the device, which cleans the RAM and restarts system processes, which in 90% of cases brings the buttons back to life.
If the reboot didn't work, check to see if Do Not Disturb or Game mode is on, which can hide navigation elements to prevent accidental clicks, and the problem may be in a particular app that covers the bottom of the screen. Try going to the desktop and check the buttons on different menus. If the buttons are missing everywhere, the theme settings may have gone wrong.
In more complex cases, when buttons are present but do not respond to touch, it may be necessary to reset the interface settings, this can be done through the recovery menu or reset the launcher settings. However, before doing this, make sure that there is no protective film on the screen that has shifted and overlaps the touch layer at the bottom, or that the screen is not contaminated.
⚠️ Warning: If touch buttons stop working after a system update or installing a questionable app, don't rush to reset your phone before factory settings. try uninstall the latest installed programs or roll back updates in Safe Mode.
Setting sensitivity and response speed
For users who feel a delay in interface response, Xiaomi offers hidden options for adjusting animation speed. Although a direct slider “button speed” is rare, the overall response of the system can be accelerated through the “Developers” menu. Activate this mode (click on "Version" seven times). MIUI» In About Phone, you will get access to the animation scale settings.
Changing the scale of the animation of the windows, transition and duration of the animator from 1x to 0.5x visually speeds up the smartphone. The buttons will be pressed instantly, and the transitions between the screens will become sharper. This creates a sense of a more responsive touchscreen and improves the subjective perception of the speed of the device. However, be careful: too low values can make the interface twitchy and unpleasant to the eyes.
Some models also offer sensor calibration via an engineering menu, but only for advanced users, and standard means of adjusting the sensitivity of the edge of the screen for back gestures, as we discussed earlier, allows you to achieve the perfect balance between random taps and easy control.
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Reducing the scale of animation in the developer menu is the most effective way to make the response of buttons and interfaces instantaneous without losing the quality of the image.