How to Turn Off Navigation Buttons on Xiaomi: A Complete Picture Guide

The navigation buttons on Xiaomi smartphones are the three classic buttons at the bottom of the screen: Back, Home, and Recent. Over time, many users are switching to gesture control to free up additional display space, but not everyone knows that these buttons can not only be hidden, but also completely disable, replacing them with more modern alternatives.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to deactivate navigation buttons on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark devices running MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS. You will learn how to do this through standard settings, with ADB, and what to do if the buttons disappear after an update or reset.

Before you start, make sure your device is updated to the latest firmware. Some methods (such as disabling through ADB) may not work on older versions of MIUI or require additional rights. Also remember: if you use gesture control, the navigation buttons are automatically hidden, but not always turned off completely.

1. disable navigation buttons via MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the built-in system options, which is suitable for most Xiaomi devices on MIUI 12-15 and HyperOS, including the Redmi 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T and others.

To remove the navigation buttons:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select Full-screen Mode (or Navigation buttons in older versions).
3. Slip by Navigation Type and select Gesture Control (or Full-screen gestures in English firmware).
4. Confirm the choice – the navigation buttons will disappear, and swipe gestures will appear instead.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) When you switch to gestures, the buttons don't turn off completely, they just hide. ADB (see section 3).

If you don’t have Full Screen Mode on your menu, try an alternative path:

• 🔍 Settings → Additional settings → Buttons and gestures → Navigation buttons
• 📱 On some firmware, the option is hidden in Settings → System system → Gestures

2. Difference between Hiding and Shutting Down the Buttons

Many users confuse hiding and disabling navigation buttons.

On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), completely disabling buttons via ADB can lead to gesture display bugs, in which case it is recommended to use only standard settings.

If you want to temporarily remove buttons (for example, for a screenshot or video), use the Hide navigation bar in Settings → Display → Full-screen mode → Hide the navigation bar. The buttons will disappear, but will return after swiping up from the bottom edge.

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On some firmware for POCO You can turn off the navigation buttons through the developer menu. Activate it by clicking. 7 once-on MIUI In the phone settings, then find the option force_fullscreen or disable_navbar.

3. Completely disabling navigation buttons via ADB

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., on the Redmi Note 11 or POCO X3 Pro), you can use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) method, which is suitable for advanced users and requires connecting the phone to a computer.

Before you start, make sure that:

Installed drivers Xiaomi on PC|Developer Mode Enabled (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI)|Debugging activated USB (Settings → Additionally. → For developers)|Downloaded and unpacked ADB Tools|Phone connected to PC via cable (not via Wi-Fi)-->

Instructions for unsetting:

1. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
3. Use the command to disable the navigation bar: adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*
4. Reboot your phone. The navigation buttons will disappear.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for Redmi 10) this command can cause bugs with the display of the keyboard or system dialogues. If after the reboot the screen began to behave incorrectly, return the settings with the command:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

For devices with HyperOS (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), an alternative command may be required:

adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.gestural

4. Features for different Xiaomi models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones respond equally to switching off navigation buttons, and here are the key nuances for the popular series:

• 📱 Xiaomi 12/13/14: Supporting gestures MIUI Android (AOSP). Complete shutdown through ADB It works stable but may conflict with branded gestures (e.g., calling Google Assistant).

On devices with screen cutouts (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T) And when you turn off the buttons, you might have a black bar at the bottom, which is not a bug, but a backup gesture space. ADB team:

adb shell wm overscan 0,0,0,-20

(You can change the -20 to your screen.)

5. How to return navigation buttons if they are missing

If the navigation buttons have disappeared after updating, resetting, or experimenting with ADB, use these methods:

1. Reset gesture settings: adb shell cmd overlay disable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.gestural After you perform, restart your phone.
2. Restoration via Safe Mode: Press the power button → Hold Off → Select Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, buttons should appear. Return settings to Display → Full-screen mode.
3. Manual Reset via Recovery: If the phone doesn't respond to touch, boot to Recovery (Power button + Volume up) and select Wipe & Reset → Reset settings. This won't delete data, but will return the default system settings.

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader (bootloader) incorrect commands ADB This can lead to soft-brick (phone turns on but does not boot), if the screen has turned black or stuck on the logo after manipulation. MI, You will need to re-flash through Fastboot.

If the buttons are missing after upgrading to HyperOS, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone manually (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Reset screen settings: Settings → Display. → Resetting display settings.
• 🔧 Install the patch through MIUI Optimization (available in Settings) → The phone. → Additionally. → MIUI Optimization).

6. Alternative control methods without buttons

If you’ve finally given up navigation buttons, consider these alternatives:

• 👆 Gestures MIUI: Swipe up for return to home screen, swipe sideways for return, hold for multitasking.
• 🤖 Android gestures (AOSP): More versatile, but addictive. Included in Settings → System system → Gestures → System navigation.
• ⚙️ Third-party launchers: Nova Launcher or Lawnchair let you customize your own gestures (e.g. double-touch for returns).
• 🎮 Gaming triggers: on Black Shark or POCO F can be assigned physical buttons (such as shoulder triggers) to navigate.

For customization enthusiasts, there is an app called Fluid Navigation Gestures (requires root) that allows you to customize gestures across the screen, including:

• 🔄 Swipe from the edge for return.
• 🏠 Double touch to go to the main screen.
• 📱 Retention to call Google Assistant.

⚠️ Note: Apps for customization of gestures may conflict with branded features MIUI, For example, Super Wallpapers or Always-on Display, back up your settings in Settings before installing. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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On HyperOS devices, third-party launchers may not support MIUI gestures. In this case, only use built-in Android options or gestures (AOSP).

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you turn off navigation buttons, users often face typical problems, and here's how to prevent them:

If screenshots or quick settings stop working after the buttons are turned off, check if this conflicts with the One-handed mode function. Turn it off in Settings → Additional → Special Features → One-Hand Mode.

On infrared sensor devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), disabling the navigation buttons can affect the IR Blaster. If the remote control stops working, return the standard navigation settings.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions