Customize gestures on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: from classic buttons to full-screen swipes

Introduction: Why gestures are more important than they seem

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is still popular years later thanks to its balanced features and flexible MIUI firmware. But many users still do not suspect that navigation gestures on this device can be customized much deeper than the standard menu offers. The choice between classic buttons and full-screen swipes depends not only on convenience, but also on the speed of the phone.

In this article, we’ll break down all the gesture changes available on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, including hidden settings. MIUI, You'll learn how to return the old Back-Home-Recent buttons, adjust swipe sensitivity, and what to do if gestures fail — MIUI 12, 13 and 14 have their own nuances.

Before you start setting up, check your firmware version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This will help avoid confusion, as Location of some menu items is different.

Gesture types on Redmi Note 8 Pro: comparison and selection

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro has three main navigation types, each suitable for different use cases. Let’s compare their pros and cons in the table:

It's important to understand that MIUI gestures and Android full-screen gestures are different systems: the former are designed by Xiaomi and work only in the MIUI shell, the latter are standard Android functionality that can conflict with the branded chips of a smartphone. For example, in some games, a swipe from the bottom up (call the menu of recent ones) can work as a game action.

To understand which option is right for you, try each one for at least a day, and you can switch between navigation types at any time without losing data.

Step-by-step: how to change gestures in settings

Now, to get into practice, to change the navigation type on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the home screen or in the application menu).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen Mode (in some versions of MIUI, it may be called Navigation buttons or Navigation Type).
4. So here you'll see three options: Buttons, MIUI gestures, and Full-screen gestures. Choose the one you want.
5. If you have chosen gestures, the system will offer a short training - you can skip it, but we recommend that beginners familiarize themselves with it.
6. Click Ready and restart the phone (not necessarily, but helps avoid glitches).

After changing the navigation type, check the gestures in several apps, for example, in YouTube or Chrome, swipes can conflict with the browser’s internal gestures (for example, back-up).

If some apps start to behave strangely after changing gestures (for example, they don’t respond to swipes), try:

• 🔄 Restart the application.
• 📱 Reboot the phone.
• ⚙️ In the application settings, find the item "Full screen mode" and disable it.

Hidden gesture settings: what MIUI doesn't show

Xiaomi hides some of the gesture settings to avoid confusing users, but they can be activated through a developer menu or special commands.

• 🔍 Swipe sensitivity: regulates how much you need to swipe to make a gesture work, useful if the gestures are triggered accidentally or, conversely, are not recognized.
• ⏱️ Delayed Back gesture: allows you to set the time after which the swipe from right to left will be perceived as a return.
• 🎯 Operation zone: changes the area of the screen where gestures are recognized (for example, you can narrow the lower band for swipes).
• 🔄 Transition animation: speeds up or slows down visuals when changing apps.

To access these settings:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Go back to the main settings menu and find a new section for developers.
3. Scroll down to the Input block and find items related to gestures (Swipe Sensitivity, Sign Area, etc.).

Caution: changing these settings can lead to unstable interfaces. If gestures start to work worse after settings, reset the developer's settings to factory ones.

Problem Solving: Gestures don’t work or don’t work properly

Even after you set up the gestures correctly, the Redmi Note 8 Pro may not behave properly, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

⚠️ Warning: If the screen becomes unavailable after changing gestures (for example, does not respond to swipes), connect the phone to your computer and use it to make a switch. ADB Adb shell settings put global settings force_fsg_nav_bar 1 This will force you to turn on classic navigation buttons.

Problem 1: Gestures are not recognized in some applications

• 🛠️ Update the application to the latest version.
• 📵 In the application settings, turn off full screen mode.
• 🔄 Reinstall the app.

Problem 2: Accidental Signal Operations

• 🎯 Reduce the sensitivity of swipes in the developer settings.
• 👆 Try holding your phone so that your palm doesn’t touch the bottom edge of the screen.
• 🔄 Switch to classic buttons if the problem persists.

Problem 3: The Back gesture works like Home

This is a common mistake when using full-screen gestures from Android.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode.
2. Choose MIUI Gestures instead of Full-screen gestures.
3. If you want to leave full-screen gestures, disable the option "Animation of transitions" in the developer settings.

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your phone to factory settings (be sure to back it up!) and 90% of the time, this solves your gesture problems.

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Before resetting, check the gestures in safe mode, if they're working properly, the problem is in one of the apps installed, and uninstall the newly installed programs one at a time to find the culprit.

Alternative management methods: third-party launchers and applications

If standard MIUI gestures don't suit you, you can use third-party solutions, which offer more flexibility, but require additional permissions and can affect performance.

The most popular options are:

• 📱 Nova Launcher + TeslaUnread plugin: allows you to customize gestures on your desktop (for example, swipe up to start the camera).
• ⚡ Fluid Navigation Gestures: Replaces standard gestures with custom gestures, with animation support.
• 🔄 Edge Gestures: Adds gestures at the edges of the screen (e.g. swipe from the right edge to return back).
• 🎛️ Tasker: for advanced users, allows you to create complex management scenarios.

Installing third-party launchers or gesture apps requires:

1. Special Features Permits (to intercept gestures)
2. Disable battery optimization for these applications.
3. In some cases, root rights (not recommended for beginners).

Before installing, check the compatibility reviews with the Redmi Note 8 Pro and your firmware version.Some apps may not work on MIUI 14 due to security policy changes.

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The side of the gesture app may conflict with standard MIUI features. If lags or overheating appear after installation, uninstall the program and return to standard settings.

Comparison of gestures on different versions of MIUI: what has changed

Xiaomi updates its shell regularly, and with each new version of MIUI, navigation gestures change. If you updated the firmware, some settings may have reset or changed. Here are the key differences:

If you are updating your firmware from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14, be prepared to:

• 🔄 Standard gestures can be reset to factory settings.
• 🎨 Animations will get smoother, but there may be delays.
• 🔧 Some hidden settings from developer mode will disappear or move to other sections.

After a major update, we recommend:

1. Check the work of gestures in key applications (messengers, browser, camera).
2. Update all installed programs from Google Play.
3. Reset the system cache to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Gesture Questions on the Redmi Note 8 Pro