How to change the buttons of seat management on the smartphone Xiaomi: all the ways

On Xiaomi’s MIUI-enabled smartphones, the navigation buttons (back, home, recent) are the defaults in the classic left-to-right order. However, many users are more comfortable with an alternative arrangement, like on iPhones or older versions of Android, where the Back button is on the right. Fortunately, Xiaomi provides several ways to change the order of the buttons, and in newer versions of MIUI 13/14 even allows you to completely disable the virtual bar in favor of gestures.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods for reassigning control buttons on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from standard settings to hidden functions for power users.

• 🔄 Change the “Back” and “Recent” buttons through the settings menu
• 📱 Switch to gesture control and back
• 🔧 Use it. ADB For advanced settings (for advanced ones)
• ⚙️ Return the standard location if something goes wrong

Important: instructions may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI and the model of the smartphone. If your device runs on Android One (for example, Mi A1/A2), some menu items will be called differently, we will mention this too.

1. Standard method: changing the order of buttons in the MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in shell options, which works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices with MIUI 10 and later.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Screen section (or Additional settings → Full-screen display on older versions).
3. Select Full-screen gestures or Navigation buttons (name depends on the version of MIUI).
4. Slip the button order option (may be called button location).
5. Choose the right option: 🔘 Standard (Back) → Home. → Recent) 🔘 Reverse (Recent) → Home. → Back up)

Confirm the changes – the buttons will change places.

On some models (e.g., POCO F3 or Redmi Note 11), the path may look like this: Settings → System → Gestures → Navigation buttons. If you don’t find “Order of the buttons”, then your firmware does not support this feature, move to the next section.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Battery charge of at least 30%

Close all background applications

Take a screenshot of the current settings (in case of rollbacks)-->

Alternative method: activation of gesture control

If your model supports full-screen gestures (most MIUI 12+ devices), you can completely remove virtual buttons and swipe, which not only frees up space on the screen, but also allows you to adjust the user-friendly controls.

Go to Settings → Screen → Full-screen gestures and select one of the options:

• 👆 Gestures MIUI — swipe up to return to the main screen, swipe sideways to return back.
• 📱 Android gestures – swipe from the bottom edge to the center for the home screen, swipe diagonally for recent.
• ⬅️ Side buttons – buttons appear when swiping from the edge (rarely found on new models).

Once gestures are activated, the virtual bar will disappear, but you can always return it back to the same menu. Note: on some devices (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro), MIUI gestures may conflict with some games, in which case it is better to use the Android variant.

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If the bottom buttons in games are missing after the gestures are turned on (for example, in PUBG Mobile), return the standard navigation bar or use the floating menu in gamer mode (called by swipe on both sides).

3. Advanced customization via ADB (for power users)

If your device does not support changing the order of buttons through the menu (for example, on Xiaomi with Android One or custom firmware), you can use the device. ADB-This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with Android Debug Bridge.

Note: improper use of ADB may cause system failures. Follow the instructions carefully and back up your data via Mi Cloud or locally before starting.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with unlocked bootloader (bootloader) commands ADB If after the instructions have been executed, the buttons have disappeared or stopped responding, reset the settings via Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings.

Steps to change the order of buttons through ADB:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").

USB debugging

Settings → Additional → For Developers

Xiaomi

cmd

PowerShell

adb devices

The serial number of your device should appear.

adb shell settings put global sysui_nav_bar "space,back;home;recent,space"

For the reverse order:

adb shell settings put global sysui_nav_bar "space,recent;home;back,space"

adb reboot

If the buttons have not changed after the reboot, try the alternative command:

adb shell settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,back;home;recent,space"

4. Features on different Xiaomi models

Depending on the series and version of MIUI, the process of changing buttons may vary, and the table below shows the key differences for popular devices:

On Android One devices (such as Mi A1/A2/A3), Xiaomi’s standard methods don’t work.

• 🔄 Use it. ADB (described in the preceding section).
• 📱 Install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) that supports gesture settings.
• ⚙️ Enable Google System Navigation in gesture settings.

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On Android One (Mi A-series) devices, standard MIUI settings are not available – use ADB or third-party apps to change buttons.

5 Problems and Solutions: What to Do When the Buttons Don't Change

Sometimes, after changing the settings, the buttons stay in place or stop working, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: There is no “Order of buttons” option in the menu.

• 🔹 Make sure you have the latest version installed. MIUI (Update to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🔹 On some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) this option is hidden – try changing the region to India in the settings.
• 🔹 Use it. ADB (Section 3) or third-party applications such as Button Mapper.

Problem 2: Buttons have changed but are not working properly (for example, Back opens recent ones).

• 🔹 Reset the launcher settings: Click on the main screen → Home screen settings → Reset.
• 🔹 Restart the device – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
• 🔹 Check if the installed launcher conflicts with the settings (for example, HyperOS Launcher).

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the buttons reset.

• 🔹 Repeat manual settings – updates often reset custom settings.
• 🔹 If you use ADB, re-run the command.
• 🔹 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Settings.

⚠️ Note: On devices with root rights (root) change the system files responsible for navigation (systemui.apk), This can lead to bootloop. Do not edit files manually without a backup!

6. Third-party applications for button management

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities, which allow you not only to change the order of the buttons, but also to assign additional actions (for example, double-click for a screenshot).-3 tested applications:

• 📌 Button Mapper (Google Play): Allows you to reassign any hardware and virtual buttons. Works without root, but requires permission ADB Supports the creation of user gestures.
• 🎛️ NavStar (Google Play): Specializes in setting up the navigation bar. Can hide standard buttons and replace them with their own. There is a "Night Mode" feature for buttons (change transparency).
• 🔄 Fluid Navigation Gestures (Google Play): Replaces buttons with gestures with wide customization options. Supports MIUI 12-14, But it can conflict with system gestures. There is a plugin for working with Xiaomi and Redmi.

Before installing third-party applications:

1. Check reviews – some utilities may not work on the latest versions of MIUI.
2. Give all necessary permissions (including Special Access in the security settings).
3. Create a restore point in Settings → About Phone → Backup.

Button Mapper is the most versatile solution, but you will need to perform it for full operation. ADB-team:

adb -d shell pm grant flar2.homebutton android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

7. How to return the standard button location

If you want to return the original order of the buttons after the experiments, do the following:

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Full-screen gestures (or a similar path for your model).
2. Select the Navigation buttons (if you use gestures, go back to the buttons first).
3. Slip the order of the buttons and select Standard.
4. Reset the device.

Method 2: Resetting the launcher settings

If the buttons "curled" after installing a third-party launcher:

1. Click the empty space on the main screen.
2. Select Home Screen Settings (or Launcher Settings).
3. Find the option Reset Settings or Restore by default.

Method 3: Recoil through ADB

If you have changed buttons through ADB, follow the command:

adb shell settings delete global sysui_nav_bar

Or to reset all user navigation settings:

adb shell cmd overlay reset com.android.internal.systemui.navbar

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) reset via ADB This could cause the navigation bar to disappear, in which case return the standard launcher (MIUI Launcher) or reset settings through Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings → Resetting interface settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the control buttons on Xiaomi