Modern Xiaomi smartphones feature large-screens that dictate their ergonomics. Classic three-button navigation at the bottom of the display takes up useful space that can be used for content. Many users prefer to hide these controls by switching to gesture control to get a more immersive experience and visually increase the display area.
The button-off process has become standard in the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, but the settings can change. In this article, we will look in detail at how to activate full-screen mode, what alternative methods exist for hiding navigation elements, and what to do if standard methods do not work.
Not only does gesture control free up space, it also speeds up interaction with the device. Instead of reaching for the bottom of the screen, you can swipe anywhere on the display, and this is especially true for narrow-frame models, where physical clicking on virtual buttons sometimes leads to random triggers.
The main ways to activate the full-screen mode
The easiest and most reliable way to remove the buttons is to use standard system settings. In recent Xiaomi firmware versions, this feature is prominently displayed so that users can quickly adapt the interface to their habits.
You need to get to the settings menu first, you can do this through the notification curtain or through the Settings app on your desktop, and the interface may vary slightly depending on the Android version, but the logic remains the same, and the main thing is to find the partition responsible for system navigation.
Here is a step-by-step algorithm of actions that is relevant for most current models:
- 📱 Open the settings of your smartphone.
- 🔍 In the search by settings, enter the word “navigation” or follow the path Additional settings.
- 🖱️ Select the item System Navigation.
- ✅ Switch the switch to the "Full screen" mode».
⚠️ Attention: Once you switch, the buttons disappear instantly. If you're used to their location, the first few days are possible random swipes instead of pressing. Give yourself time to adapt your muscle memory.
Once you activate gesture control, the system will offer a brief learning, and a swipe from the bottom up in the center of the screen returns to the desktop, and a late swipe opens the multitasking menu. Don't ignore this prompt, because the logic of the work is different from the button.
Setting up a hidden navigation strip
Not all users like the complete lack of visual landmarks, some are afraid of getting confused in gestures or simply prefer to see a thin line at the bottom of the screen, in which case MIUI allows you to turn on a special bar-indicator that replaces bulky buttons.
This bar is minimally spaced, and often hidden in applications where every pixel counts, such as watching videos or playing games, and serves as a visual reminder of where to swipe from.
To activate or configure this element, follow the following steps:
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → Additional settings → System navigation.
- 📏 Find the switch Hide the strip or Show the strip».
- 🎨 In some versions, color or transparency settings are available.
The use of a strip is particularly useful on AMOLED devices, where the black color of the indicator merges with the frame, making it almost invisible in the dark, a compromise between minimalist aesthetics and functionality.
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If the strip interferes with games, turn on Game Turbo – there is often a separate option to forcefully hide any navigation elements during the game.
Use of one-handed mode
Another way to temporarily remove buttons or reduce their impact on ergonomics is to use one-handed mode, which was originally designed to reduce the size of the interface on large screens, but also modifies the behavior of the bottom of the display.
When activated, the screen shrinks and navigation elements (whether buttons or gestures) become accessible to the thumb without intercepting the phone with the other hand.
Activation is carried out through special gestures:
- 👆 Swipe down the central home button (if the buttons are still on).
- 🖐️ Swipe down from the bottom edge of the screen to the keyboard area (depending on settings).
- ⚙️ Configure through Settings → Additional settings → One-handed mode.
Importantly, in this mode, buttons don’t disappear completely, but their functionality is limited to a smaller area of the screen, which is more a temporary solution for comfortable typing or watching social media with one hand.
☑️ Checking the navigation settings
Navigation Methods Comparison: buttons vs. gestures
Choosing between buttons and gestures is a matter of personal preference, but each method has its own technicalities, and understanding these differences will help you decide whether to abandon the buttons altogether or leave the hybrid option.
Buttons provide clear haptic and visual feedback. You can always see where the back or home button is, but they take up about 40-50 pixels of usable screen height, which can be palpable on a 20:9 aspect ratio smartphone.
Gestures, in turn, require learning and getting used to, and they allow you to use the entire display area, and gestures often work faster, because swiping from the edge of the screen is faster than aiming at a small button.
| Characteristics | Buttons | Gestures |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied seat | They're taking a lane down. | No seats. |
| Speed of operation | Medium | Tall. |
| Learning capacity | Intuitively understandable | It takes getting used to. |
| Compatibility | Works everywhere. | There may be conflicts in games |
For users who often use a smartphone with gloves, the buttons may prove more reliable, as the capacitive screen sometimes responds less to complex swipes through fabric.However, modern Xiaomi screens have high sensitivity, minimizing this problem.
Hiding elements in apps and games
Sometimes, buttons only interfere with external applications, such as in emulators or older games, where the bottom of the screen is an active gaming area, in which cases, completely turning off navigation can be uncomfortable for the rest of the system.
The solution is Screen Pinning, which allows you to block the navigation interface and leave the user in only one application, and only a special combination of actions can exit it.
How to do this:
- Enable the function in Settings → Password and Security → App fastener.
- Open the application you want.
- Open the menu of running applications (swipe from the bottom with a delay).
- Click on the app icon and select Secure.
⚠️ Attention: To exit the fixed application, it usually requires simultaneously pressing the volume and power buttons (or a latency swipe if configured.
Also, some third-party launchers, such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, have their own navigation bar hideout settings that can override MIUI system settings. Check your launcher settings if standard methods fail.
Secret Codes and ADB
Solution: if the buttons do not disappear or glitch
There are times when, after switching to gestures, the lower bar remains, partially disappears, or behaves unpredictably, which may be due to errors in a particular launcher or conflicting Android versions.
The first thing to try is to restart the device. A banal restart often clears temporary interface cache files and fixes minor software glitches. If that doesn't work, check for system updates.
If the problem persists, try resetting the launcher settings:
- 🛠️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
- 🔍 Find the System Launcher (System Launcher).
- 🗑️ Press Clear Clear. → Clean everything (this will return the location of the icons to the factory).
In rare cases, a hanging process can block navigation changes, using memory cleanup apps or simply restarting in safe mode will help diagnose whether a third-party application is the cause.
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If standard settings don’t work, the problem often lies in the system launcher’s cache – cleaning it solves 90% of the interface problems.