Why users want to remove the bottom buttons on Xiaomi β and whether itβs worth it
The bottom panel with the Back, Home and Recent buttons on Xiaomi smartphones takes up precious screen space, especially on devices with a small diagonal or camera notches. Many owners of the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Black Shark 5 are looking to remove these elements to expand the workspace or switch to gesture control - like on the iPhone or Google Pixel.
However, before you hide the navigation bar, note that not all applications are optimized for gesture control. For example, some games or older versions of messengers may have conflicts with system swipes. In addition, budget models (for example, Redmi A2), after turning off the buttons, sometimes the vibration response disappears when you press the screen.
In this article, we will discuss three official ways to remove the bottom buttons (including hidden settings). MIUI 14/15), And we'll also look at alternative methods for advanced users, and all of the instructions are tested on current firmware. 2026 year-end.
Method 1: Switch to full-screen gestures in MIUI settings
The easiest and safest method is to activate gesture control through the standard menu, which works on all Xiaomi, POCO and Black Shark smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, including Android 13/14 models.
To remove the buttons:
- Open the Settings β Display.
- Select Full-screen mode (on some firmware β Navigation buttons).
- Slip the option of full-screen gestures (or MIUI gestures).
- Confirm the choice and wait for the interface to restart (usually takes 5-10 seconds).
After activation, the bottom panel will disappear, and the management will be carried out by swipes:
- π Back - swipe from right to left at the edge of the screen.
- π Home - swipe up from the bottom edge.
- π Recent - swipe up with pause or diagonal swipe to the right.
βοΈ What to check after switching to gestures
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β οΈ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) When you turn on your gestures, the charging indicator may disappear in the status bar. β Battery β Charging indicator and turn on percentage display.
Method 2: Hiding buttons through developer modes (for experienced)
If you donβt like standard gestures, you can remove the bottom bar completely through developer mode, a technique that is suitable for users who want to use ADB or third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher).
First, activate the developer mode:
- Go to Settings. β The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified βYou became a developerβ).
- Return to the main settings menu and open Additional β for developers.
There are two options:
Option A: Disable the panel via ADB (no root)
Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:
adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1After the reboot, the bottom panel will disappear, but it will become more difficult to control the phone β you will have to use Android 10+ gestures (swipe from the bottom edge to go back, swipe up for the house, etc.).
Option B: Configure the panel transparency
In the menu for developers, find:
- π Miniature navigation bar mode β reduces the size of the buttons.
- π¨ Transparency of the navigation bar β makes the buttons semi-transparent (the value of β0β will hide them completely, but they will remain active!).
What to do after ADB-team missing touchscreen?
β οΈ Attention: POCO F5 Xiaomi 13T after the panel is removed through ADB The Game Turbo function may stop working. To return it, turn back the standard buttons in the display settings.
Method 3: Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Apex, Microsoft Launcher)
If you don't like MIUI system gestures, you can install an alternative launcher that supports your own gesture settings.
- π Nova Launcher β allows you to hide the navigation bar and configure swipes for any action.
- π― Apex Launcher β supports gestures on the desktop and in the application menu.
- π₯οΈ Microsoft Launcher β optimized for gestures (especially convenient for owners of Xiaomi with a connected PC).
To hide the buttons through Nova Launcher:
- Install the launcher from Google Play and make it the main one.
- Go to the launcher settings (Long tap on the desktop β Settings).
- Select Gestures and Inputs β System Navigation.
- Activate Hide the navigation bar (requires permission to change system settings).
β οΈ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 15 Some launchers may conflict with system animation. If you have lags after installing Nova Launcher, turn off in the settings MIUI Animation of the transition between windows (Settings) β Special facilities β Animation).
Table: Compatibility of methods with popular Xiaomi models
| Model | MIUI gestures | ADB-team | Third-party launchers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | β Yes. | β Yes. | β Yes. | MIUI 14 may lose vibration after ADB |
| POCO X5 Pro | β Yes. | β οΈ Partially. | β Yes. | ADB only works on firmware with Android 13 |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | β Yes. | β Yes. | β No. | Launchers conflict with the corporate shell HyperOS |
| Black Shark 5 | β No. | β Yes. | β Yes. | Manual gestures required in Shark Space |
| Redmi A2 | β Yes. | β No. | β οΈ Limited. | Third-party launchers work with lags |
What to do if the buttons are missing and the gestures donβt work
Sometimes, when you turn off the bottom panel, the screen stops responding to swipes, or the system gets stuck in the MIUI screensaver.
- Gesture reset: Go to Settings β System β Settings reset β Reset gesture settings (data will not be deleted).
- Recovery via ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and execute: adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.gestural
- Safe Mode: Press the power button, then tap and hold "Stop" β select "Safe Mode." In it, the buttons will return, and you can change the settings.
If nothing works, the only reliable way is to reset to factory settings via Recovery.
- Turn off the phone.
- Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
- Select Wipe Data β Wipe All Data (delete all files!)
π‘
Before resetting, save a list of installed applications using App Cloner or adb shell pm list packages β this will speed up recovery after reset.
Alternative methods: Magisk, Xposed and custom firmware
For advanced users willing to risk the stability of the system, there are radical ways to remove the buttons:
- π§ Magisk + Hide Nav Bar Module: Requires root rights and can break MIUI post-update.
- π οΈ Xposed Framework: Allows you to fine-tune the navigation bar, but is incompatible with Android 12+.
- π± LineageOS (Pixel Experience): Completely replaced MIUI, It also has features and guarantees like Game Turbo.
β οΈ Attention: On Xiaomi 12T And the new installation of custom firmware blocks data encryption (FBE), This is why some banking applications (such as SberBank Online) stop working. XDA Developers.
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Using Magisk or custom firmware voids Xiaomi warranty. If the phone is warranty, it is better to use standard methods (MIUI or ADB gestures).