Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face the desire to remove the classic navigation bar, which occupies useful screen space. The standard three buttons at the bottom of the display are a familiar, but not always convenient element of the MIUI interface or the new HyperOS. The transition to gesture control frees up a significant part of the usable area, making using the gadget with one hand much more comfortable.
However, the process of disconnection can seem confusing due to the constant changes in the structure of the menu of the Chinese manufacturer. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to completely hide the bottom buttons, replacing them with intuitive swipes. We will touch on standard customization methods, features of different versions of firmware and solutions for advanced users who want to customize the appearance of the system.
Before making changes, it’s worth noting that giving up buttons takes some time to get used to.Gestural navigation works differently than physical or on-screen keys, and has its own nuances in different applications. Understanding these features will help you avoid random actions and make the most of your smartphone’s capabilities.
Benefits of switching to gesture management
The main reason users are looking for a way to turn off the bottom buttons on Xiaomi is because of ergonomics: By removing the static control unit, you free up 50 to 100 pixels of usable space at the bottom of the screen, which is especially noticeable on devices with a diagonal of less than 6 inches, where every millimeter of display area makes a difference for comfortable viewing content.
In addition to visual extension, swipe management offers faster interface interaction speeds. Instead of reaching for a specific home or back button, you just need to make a light movement in the right area of the screen. The MIUI shell animations look smoother and more modern when using gestures, creating a sense of integrity of the interface.
It is also worth mentioning the reduction of the risk of burnout matrix on the AMOLED-Static interface elements, such as navigation buttons, can leave a subtle trace when displayed at maximum brightness for long periods of time. Dynamic control is devoid of this disadvantage, since active zones are constantly changing.
Standard way to disable through system settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the buttons is to use the built-in features of the system, which is suitable for the vast majority of users and does not require additional software installation or superuser rights. The algorithm of actions may vary slightly depending on the version of Android and the shell.
To start, you need to go to the main settings menu of your device, find the section responsible for screen operation and system navigation, which in modern versions of firmware is often hidden inside the subsection “Additional” or “Extended settings”, which sometimes causes difficulties for beginners.
☑️ Check before changing the settings
Once you log in to the menu, you'll be asked to choose between two or three controls, select Full-screen display or gesture control, and the system will immediately apply the changes, and the bottom panel will disappear, and if you accidentally choose the wrong option, don't worry, the change will take effect instantly and reversibly.
⚠️ Attention: When you switch to gestures, the back button may move. In some regions, the default is left-handed, in others, right-handed. Be careful when you use it for the first time, so you don't have to move too much.
Adjustment of the position and sensitivity of gestures
Once you have managed to disable the bottom buttons on Xiaomi, it is recommended that you adjust the sensitivity of the swipes. The default activation zone of the Back gesture can be too narrow or too wide, leading to random returns in applications.
In the gesture settings menu, you can choose the position of the return area. You can place the left, right or both sides of the screen. For users who often hold the phone with one hand, the optimal side is the opposite of the work hand, so that the thumb can easily reach the edge.
Also worth paying attention to the speed of animations. Although there is no direct swipe speed setting in the standard menu, changing the overall animation speed in the For Developers section can make transitions between screens more responsive, creating the illusion of faster system operation.
| Action. | Gesture. | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Home. | Swipe from bottom up (short) | Transition to the desktop |
| Appendix menu | Swipe from bottom up (long) | Opening of the list of all programs |
| Back up. | Swipe from left or right edge | Back a step. |
| Recent | Swipe up and down. | Opening the menu of running tasks |
Secret Sensitivity Adjustment
Use of launcher applications for customization
If standard system tools don’t work, or you want to add unique controls, third-party launchers come to the rescue. Apps like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or specialized navigation utilities allow you to completely redraw the bottom of the screen.
Some users prefer not to hide the buttons completely, but to replace them with a translucent panel or a floating element, and for this purpose, in Play Market or GetApps, there are applications that create a virtual navigation bar on top of any interface, which allows you to keep the appearance of the buttons as usual, but change their size, transparency and location.
Optimizing the MIUI system sometimes aggressively ends third-party shell processes, so you may need to manually disable autostart and memory cleanup for the selected launcher in the battery settings.
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When installing a third-party launcher, be sure to provide him with all the requested permits, including access to storage and phone, otherwise he may not earn correctly or constantly fly out.
Hiding the panel through developer mode and ADB
For advanced users who want to achieve maximum minimalism, there is a method of hiding the navigation bar through debugging commands, which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and having an installed ADB (Android Debug Bridge) package, which allows you to interfere with system settings that are not available through the usual interface.
Before starting the procedures, you need to activate the developer mode. → On the phone and press quickly 7-10 once by “Version” MIUI» or "Version" OS». After the message about the successful activation appears, a new section “Additional” or “Extended settings” will appear in the settings menu, where you need to turn on “Debugging by USB».
Connect your phone to your PC, select File Transfer mode, and confirm the debugging request on your smartphone screen. Then, through the command line on your computer, type a command to hide the navigation bar. Note that commands may differ from one version of Android, and this method can lead to the loss of control if you don’t know how to get it back.
adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*This command puts the system into full immersion mode, hiding all the system panels. To return the buttons, you need to enter a similar command with a value of null. Using ADB gives full control, but requires caution: an error in the syntax of the command can lead to unstable interface operation.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB To change the system navigation settings may result in you not being able to return to the menu.Study the command to reset the settings in advance or keep the keyboard and mouse handy (via a keyboard and mouse) OTG), If the touchscreen stops responding.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
After switching to gesture control, users sometimes encounter conflicts in applications. Some programs, especially old or poorly optimized ones, may misinterpret swipes as part of the gameplay or application interface, in which case the system may itself suggest disabling gestures for a particular application.
Another common problem is random tapping, and if you're used to holding your phone tightly, the edges of your palm can touch sensitive areas of the screen, causing you to go back, and the solution might be to use a black-framed protective glass that physically limits your touch area, or to adjust your sensitivity if that option is available in your firmware version.
In rare cases, after updating the firmware, navigation settings may get lost. The system can return to standard buttons. In this case, you do not need to panic: just repeat the setup procedure through the menu. Saving a backup of the settings in the Mi Cloud cloud or Google account will help you quickly restore the usual configuration.
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If the phone is slowing down after you turn on your gestures, try restarting the device, and often the system needs one reboot cycle to properly reallocate resources to a new type of navigation.