How to change navigation buttons on Xiaomi phone: 3 working ways

Have you become accustomed to a certain location of navigation buttons on Android, but after buying a smartphone Xiaomi found that they are “wrong”? or accidentally lost the settings after the MIUI update? Relax: move the places of the buttons “Back”, “Home” and “Recent Apps” on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO or Black Shark in a couple of minutes – no root rights, no complex manipulations and even without rebooting the device.

In this article, you will find 3 proven ways to swap buttons, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for advanced users. We will also discuss why buttons can be reset once the system is updated, how to return the classic location (as on “pure” Android) and what to do if the desired option is Suddenly disappeared from the settings. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 and work on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Before you start, make sure your device is switching on the navigation button mode (not gesture control). You can check this in Settings → Display → Navigation Bar. If you have gestures activated, switch to the buttons first, otherwise the methods described below will not work.

Method 1: Standard setting in MIUI (the easiest)

Most Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 12 and later allow you to swap buttons directly in the settings of the system. This method takes less than a minute and does not require additional knowledge.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select the Navigation Bar (in some versions of MIUI, it may be called Navigation Bar or Navigation Buttons).
4. Activate the navigation button option if it is disabled.
5. Click on the button location (or button order).
6. Choose one of the proposed options: 🔄 Standard (left to right: “Back» → «Home» → «Recent») 🔀 Reverse (left to right: “Recently» → «Home» → «Back up») 🎯 Home in the middle (classic location, like on Pixel or Samsung)

Once you've selected the buttons, they'll swap places. No reboot is required! If you don't have the right option on the list, move on to the next one.

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X3 Pro option The location of the buttons may not be on the menu. This is due to customized firmware. In this case, use Method 2 or Method 3.

Method 2: Using a hidden developer menu (for experienced)

If you can’t change buttons in standard settings, you can activate the hidden developer menu and make changes through it, which works on 90% of Xiaomi devices, including those where the option is hidden by the manufacturer.

First, you need to turn on the developer mode:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row, and the notification will appear "You became a developer!".
3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new Developer section (usually at the bottom of the list).

Now we move on to the button settings:

1. In the Developer Menu, find the option Full-screen gestures or Navigation Bar (depending on the version of MIUI).
2. Select the location of the navigation buttons (may be called the Order of the buttons or Force full-screen display in English firmware).
3. Get the order you need: 📱 Left-handed mode – buttons mirrored (convenient for left-handed people) 🔄 Reverse layout – reverse order (Recent» → «Home» → «Back up») 🎯 Default with Home in Center – Home in the Middle

If the developer menu does not have the right option, try searching for settings (the magnifier in the upper right corner) for “button location” or “navigation bar.”

Method 3: Change buttons through ADB (for advanced users)

If the first two methods didn’t work, the one-size-fits-all solution is ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer, but it works on all Xiaomi devices, including the Black Shark and customized firmware models.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original)
• 🔧 Installed Xiaomi drivers (you can download from the official website)
• 🛠️ Tool. ADB (Download Platform Tools from Google)

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tap 7 times to become a developer. Go back to Settings → For Developers and activate USB Debugging.
2. Connect your phone to your computer and select File Transfer Mode (not Charge).
3. Unpack the downloaded Platform Tools and open the command prompt (cmd) in this folder: On Windows: press Shift + right mouse button → Open the PowerShell window here. On macOS/Linux: open the Terminal and go to the folder with the adb command cd /path / to / folder.

adb devices

Your device name should appear. If it's not, check the drivers and USB-cable.

adb reboot

If the buttons have not changed after the reboot, repeat the command and check if the debugging settings over USB have reset (sometimes MIUI blocks ADB after the reboot).

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Before using ADB, back up your settings through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. In rare cases, incorrect commands can cause the interface to crash.

Why do buttons reset after MIUI update?

Many Xiaomi users are faced with the fact that after updating the firmware navigation buttons return to the standard location. MIUI:

• 🔄 Resetting user settings: With major updates (for example, with MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) the system resets some interface parameters “to factory».
• 📦 Conflict of topics: If you use a custom theme from a Theme, it can override the location of the buttons.
• 🔧 Performance optimization: Xiaomi sometimes “cleanses” the cache of system applications, which leads to a reset of visual settings.
• 🛠️ ADB-Commands: The settings applied through ADB, They may be removed if the new version MIUI System parameters have changed.

To avoid permanent discharges:

1. After updating the firmware, do not click “Clear Data” in the Settings menu → About Phone → System Update.
2. Use a standard theme (or a proven custom theme without navigation bar modifications).
3. If you have used ADB, repeat the command after the update.

How to return the classic button location (like on Samsung or Pixel)?

Many users are used to the button layout, as on “pure” Android: “Back” on the left, “Home” in the middle, “Recent” on the right. Xiaomi defaults to a different order, but you can return the classic version:

If you have MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the Settings → Display → Navigation panel.
2. Select the location of the buttons → Home in the middle.
3. If there is no such option, use it. ADB-Adb shell settings put global sysui_nav_bar "back,home,recent"

For POCO owners with POCO Launcher firmware:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Full-screen display.
• 🎯 Select the navigation buttons → Classical style.
• 🔄 If you do not have an option, upgrade to the latest version or use it. ADB.

Important: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13.0.6), the classic layout may not work correctly – the Home button will be shifted to the left, in which case only manual editing through ADB or installing an alternative launcher (e.g., Nova Launcher) will help.

What to do if the buttons don’t change?

If none of these methods worked, check the following points:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: On very old firmware (below) MIUI 10) there may be no option to change the buttons.
• 🔒 Manufacturer restrictions: Some regional versions of Xiaomi (e.g. China) block this feature.Try switching to global firmware.
• 🛠️ Application conflict: Programs like Button Mapper or NavStar can override settings. Turn them off.
• 🔧 System failure: If after application ADB-Commands nothing changed, reset the interface settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home Attention: This will reset all widgets and wallpaper on the home screen!

⚠️ Note: On devices with HyperOS (new shell from Xiaomi, which came to replace the new model) MIUI In 2026, the button settings menu may be located elsewhere: → Screen. → Navigation system → Button bar. If you have HyperOS and you don't have an option, wait for the update or use it. ADB.

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If the buttons don’t change even through ADB, chances are your Xiaomi model has hardware limitations (like Black Shark with gaming firmware), in which case only installing custom firmware or using gestures instead of buttons will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about navigation buttons on Xiaomi