How to set up navigation buttons on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from classic buttons to gestures

Xiaomi Redmi 9 offers users flexible interface options, including navigation button management. The standard three buttons ("Back", "Home", "Recent") are not always convenient - someone prefers gestures, someone needs additional features, and some want to completely hide the panel to increase the usable screen area. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods of customization, from basic change of buttons to switching to full-screen gestures and solving typical problems (for example, when the buttons disappear after an update).

It’s important to understand that the settings may vary depending on the version of MIUI (Xiaomi shell). Redmi 9 out of the box installs MIUI 12/13 based on Android 10/11, but after the updates, the interface may change. We’ll look at the current options for all versions, including the hidden mode of the developer, which opens up additional options. If you just bought a phone or updated firmware, this guide will help you return to familiar control or learn new gestures.

1. Where to find navigation button settings on Redmi 9

To change the look or behavior of navigation buttons, you need to go to the system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general scheme is as follows:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full Screen Mode or Navigation buttons (older versions of MIUI 11 and below).

In newer versions of MIUI 14+, the path can be: Settings → Additional settings → Full-screen display → Navigation style. If you don’t find the right partition, search the top of the settings menu for “navigation” or “buttons.”

In this menu you will see three main options:

• 📱 Navigation buttons – the classic three buttons at the bottom of the screen.
• 👆 Gestures MIUI — swipes from the bottom edge for control.
• 🖥️ Full-screen gestures – a hidden panel activated by swipes (similar to Android 10)+).

2. How to change the order of the navigation buttons

By default, Redmi 9 buttons are in the order of: "Recent" (square) → "Home" (circle) → "Back" (triangle), which can be reversed (as in older versions of Android), if you're familiar with it.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode.
2. Select the style of the navigation button.
3. Activate the Reverse Order of the Buttons switch (or Change the Back and Recent buttons in older versions).

If you don’t have that option, then your version MIUI It doesn't support it. You can use developer mode (which we'll talk about below) or third-party apps like NavBar Apps or Button Mapper, but they require that you do. ROOT-right ADB-team.

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If the buttons are too small after changing order, check the navigation bar size setting in the same menu. Sometimes resetting to standard values solves the problem.

3. Switching to gestures: pros and cons

Gestures instead of buttons have been a trend in recent years, and Xiaomi has two options for implementing them. Let's look at both, and their features.

MIUI gestures (swipes from the bottom edge)

• 🔹 Swipe up – return to the main screen (analogue of the home button»).
• 🔹 Swipe up and hold – Opening Google Assistant or menus of recent apps (depending on settings).
• 🔹 Swipe from right to left – back (analogue of the button “Back»).

Full-screen gestures (hidden panel)

• 🔸 Swipe up from the bottom edge - return to the main screen.
• 🔸 Swipe up and pause - opening recent apps.
• 🔸 Swipe from left or right edge - back.

Benefits of gestures:

• ✅ More screen space (no permanent panel at the bottom).
• ✅ Quick one-handed operation.
• ✅ Modern interface.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It takes 2-3 days to get used to (especially if you’ve used buttons before).
• ❌ In some games or applications, gestures may conflict with control.
• ❌ No visual clue (you need to remember swipe zones).

4. Hidden functions of the navigation buttons through the developer mode

If standard settings are not enough, you can activate the developer mode and access additional settings.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row.
3. You will receive a notification saying, “You are a developer!”

Now, a new section for developers will appear in the main settings menu.

• 🛠️ Disable button animation (Developer settings) → Animation. → Scale of animation = Off.).
• 🔧 Change the sensitivity of gestures (useful if swipes are too easy or hard to fire).
• 📏 Set up the size of the navigation bar (in pixels).

Caution: not all options in this menu are safe. For example, changing the minimum width/height of the panel can cause the buttons to become invisible or non-clickable. If this happens, reset the settings to standard or execute a command via ADB:

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

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Developer mode allows you to fine-tune gestures, but you only need to change the settings if you understand their meaning. Incorrect settings can lead to interface failures.

5. Navigation button problems and their solutions

Sometimes the navigation buttons on Redmi 9 stop working, disappear, or behave incorrectly.

If the navigation buttons are completely gone and not returned through the settings, try:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.tridental
2. Reset the interface settings to standard (Settings → System → Resetting → Reset interface settings).

⚠️ Note: If you have been manipulated by ADB The buttons never appeared, check if the SystemUI system process is disabled. In extreme cases, resetting the phone to factory settings will help (but this will delete all data!).

6. Third-party applications for button customization

If built-in capabilities MIUI Not enough, you can use third-party utilities. ROOT-right ADB-access that could compromise the device’s warranty and security.

Popular applications:

• 📲 NavBar Apps – allows you to add additional buttons (for example, for quick application launches).
• 🎛️ Button Mapper – Reassigns actions for buttons (including hardware).
• 🖱️ Fling – Alternative gestures with advanced settings.

An example of setting up Button Mapper to add a screenshot button:

1. Open the application and grant ADB permissions (instructions will appear on the screen).
2. Select the Navigation Panel → Add a button.
3. Set the action to take a screenshot.
4. Save the settings and restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: Button reassignment apps may conflict with Xiaomi’s system processes. Back up your data before using it and be prepared for possible bugs (such as accidental reboots or interface freezes).

7 Optimizing navigation for one hand

The Redmi 9 has a large screen (6.53 inches), and one-handed control can be uncomfortable.

• 👋 Reduce the size of the navigation bar in Settings → Display. → Full screen mode → Panel size.
• 🔄 Activate the mode for one hand (Settings) → Additional settings → One-hand mode. The screen will shrink, and all elements will be more accessible.
• 🎯 Use gestures. MIUI — They are optimized for thumb control.

If you drop your phone frequently when you try to reach the top edge of the screen, turn on the Double Touch to wake up (Settings → Display → Screen Lock and Password → Double Touch to wake up) feature, which will allow you to quickly unlock the device without reaching for the power button.

Reduce the size of the navigation panel|Activate the mode for one hand|Set up the sensitivity of gestures|Add the Home button to the lock screen (via Settings) → Screen locking → Additional settings)-->

8. Reset navigation settings to factory

If you've been experimenting with the settings, you can get the interface back to the original state.

1. Open Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset UI Settings (not to be confused with a full phone reset!).
3. Confirm the action. The phone will reboot, and all the button, gesture and so on settings will return to standard.

If this option is not available, try resetting the settings of a particular SystemUI application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Show all applications.
2. Find SystemUI (may be called System Interface).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the SystemUI data will reset not only the navigation settings, but also other interface parameters (wallpaper, icons, animations.

If none of these methods worked, the last option is to completely reset your phone (Settings → About Phone → Reset → Delete All Data) before you save important data to your computer or to the Mi Cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions about button settings on Redmi 9