Modern smartphones, including popular Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, are moving away from the classic three-button navigation system at the bottom of the screen. The trend toward full-screen interfaces and gesture control is becoming the industry standard, allowing you to increase the usable display area and make interaction with the device more intuitive. Many users who are used to physical or on-screen buttons are initially uncomfortable, but quickly appreciate the convenience of swipes.
Disabling the bottom buttons on Xiaomi is not just a cosmetic change, but a transition to a more advanced level of management of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. This allows you to free up space for content, make one-handed use more comfortable and remove visual noise at the bottom of the display. The setup process takes only a couple of minutes, but requires understanding the logic of the new gestures.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to switch to gesture control, what alternative methods exist for hiding buttons, and what to do if standard settings don’t work. You will learn about the intricacies of sensitivity calibration and understand why some applications may require special attention when using full-screen mode. It is important to note that a complete disabling of the navigation bar is only possible when the gesture mode is activated in the system settings.
Benefits of switching to gesture management
The switch from buttons to gestures gives the user some significant benefits that become apparent in the early days of use. First, it is ergonomics: the thumb naturally swipes from the edges of the screen rather than reaching for fixed areas at the bottom, which is especially true for owners of devices with a diagonal of more than 6.5 inches.
Second, the disappearance of the buttons frees up valuable pixel space, and in applications that don't support full-screen mode correctly, or in games, the lower bar with the buttons can overlap the interface elements, and by removing them, you get a clean screen without unnecessary distractions.
In addition, gesture management in Android and MIUI often works smoother, as the system optimizes the animations of transitions between applications for this type of input.
- 🚀 Increased screen usable area by disappearing the bottom panel.
- 🖐️ More convenient use of the smartphone with one hand thanks to swipes from the edges.
- ⚡ Accelerated navigation between applications thanks to thoughtful animation.
- 🎨 Modern and aesthetic appearance of the interface without visual noise.
Basic setting: switching in the system menu
The easiest and safest way to disable the bottom buttons is to use the built-in operating system. In current versions of Xiaomi firmware, this option is not hidden deeply, but the path to it may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS. You do not need superuser rights or a connection to a computer.
To start, open the Settings app on your device. Find a section that is usually called “Additional Settings” or simply “Desktop.” In newer versions of the shell, the menu logic has been revised, and navigation settings are often moved to a separate subsection for easy access.
Inside the menu, find System Navigation, and that's where you switch between the two main modes, Buttons and Gestures, and if you select Gestures, you instantly turn off the bottom buttons, and the system can offer a short tutorial tour that shows you the basic finger movements.
☑️ Pre-switch check
Once you activate the gesture mode, the lower bar will disappear. If you are used to a certain order of buttons (for example, "Back" on the right, as in iOS, or on the left, as in classic Android), you can often change their placement in the same menu, although in gesture mode this only affects visual clues when learning.
Alternative methods and hidden opportunities
Sometimes the standard menu may not be available or work properly due to firmware errors, and in such cases you can use the advanced settings available through the developer menu or special codes, but be careful: changing system parameters without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable interface operation.
One method is to use launcher applications or customization tools like Navbar Apps or Button Mapper, which not only hide the standard navigation bar, but also create your own floating buttons or customize complex macros, which gives you flexibility but requires additional software.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party navigation management apps can cause conflicts with system processes MIUI, Especially after you update your operating system. Always check that the utility is compatible with your version of Android.
It is also possible to hide buttons through the engineering menu by entering a special code in the dialer (the Phone app). Codes can vary depending on the processor model (Snapdragon or MediaTek). For example, for some models, code ##6484# opens the engineering menu, where you can find hidden interface tests in the Version or Component Info section, but direct disabling of buttons there is rare and depends on the specific software build.
Can I remove the navigation bar completely through ADB?
Solution: buttons don't disappear or crash
There are times when the user switched to gestures, but the bottom buttons stayed hanging or behaved strangely, often because the system activated the full-screen display mode for specific applications, which conflicts with global navigation settings, in which case the system forcibly shows the buttons for compatibility.
Another common reason is the enabled mode of "Advanced memory" or work in the developer mode with the enabled debugging of the interface. Some options in the menu "Developers", such as "Show touch" or "Limit background processes", can visually affect the display of system elements.
If the buttons are gone but the gestures are not working (the screen does not respond to swipes from the edges), it is possible that the screen digitizer in the edge areas is damaged or the protective glass is too thick or with incorrect cutouts is pasted, in which case the software shutting down the buttons will not help until the physical or hardware cause is eliminated.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Buttons don't disappear. | No settings applied | Reboot the device after changing mode |
| Gestures don't work. | Protective glass/film | Remove protection or recalibrate screen |
| Random taps | High sensitivity | Turn off "Preventing Accidental Pressing" |
| No animation. | Energy savings included | Turn off the power saving mode |
💡
If the screen becomes less responsive after the gestures are turned on, try increasing the speed of the pointer in the Developer For settings or re-gluing the protective glass if it closes the edges of the display.
Features of navigation in different versions of MIUI and HyperOS
The MIUI shell has undergone many changes over the years: In earlier versions (MIUI 10, 11), the transition to gestures was less polished, and users often complained about lags. In newer versions, such as MIUI 13, 14 and the new HyperOS, the processing algorithms (touch) were rewritten, making gestures smoother and more predictable.
In HyperOS, Xiaomi has unified control logic to make it as similar as iOS and pure Android, and has the ability to fine-tune the sensitivity of the edges of the screen, and in new versions, improved work with the notch under the camera (bangs), so that the controls do not overlap with the hardware parts of the matrix.
Global ROMs may look different than China ROMs, and Chinese versions often have more customization options, including changing the transparency of gesture strips or hiding them completely in certain scenarios, which may require Chinese language skills or the use of a translator.
- 📱 MIUI 12-13: Basic implementation of gestures, small animation bugs are possible.
- 🌟 MIUI 14: Improved optimization, better memory allocation.
- 🚀 HyperOS: Deep ecosystem integration, smooth transitions, unified style.
- 🇨🇳 China ROM: Advanced navigation settings hidden from global users.
💡
The transition to HyperOS brings the most improvements to the navigation gestures, making them virtually indistinguishable from native Android 14.
Sensitivity setting and error prevention
Once you have turned off the buttons, it is important to adjust the touch sensitivity so that the smartphone does not react to accidental palm touches when holding. The display settings menu often includes a “Mode in your pocket” or “Prevent accidental switching”, which is worth activating.
Also in the "Advanced" or "Special" section, you can find the screen calibration. If the swipes to return back (from the side faces) are too tight or too easy, try changing the thickness of the protective case or checking the sensitivity settings in the engineering menu (if your model allows it).
⚠️ Warning: Do not use the screen sensitivity mode unnecessarily if your device does not have protective glass.This can lead to "phantom" presses and false gestures.
For users who often play games, it is useful to know about the Game Turbo feature, which allows you to configure the area to ignore touches at the edges of the screen so that during active actions in shooters or races, there is no accidental exit from the application or return to the desktop.
The impact of third-party launchers on navigation
Installing an alternative launcher, such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher, can change the behavior of the bottom panel.Some launchers have their own dock panel settings that can visually conflict with or complement system gestures.
When using third-party envelopes, make sure that the app’s resolutions tick “Display on top of other windows.” Without this right, the launcher will not be able to handle swipes at the bottom of the screen correctly, and you may need to return to the standard launcher to perform some system actions.
In addition, some of the themes from the Xiaomi theme store can force you to change the style of the navigation bar or add your buttons on top of the system. If after installing the theme buttons are no longer hidden, try resetting the theme to the standard ("Classic" or "Basic") in the Themes app.