The swipe up gesture on Xiaomi smartphones is often a source of annoyance: accidental triggers during the scrolling of social networks, an uncomfortable location of the activation zone or an unnecessary call to Google Assistant. Especially relevant problem for users with MIUI 12-15, where the function is activated by default and hidden in the depths of settings.
In this article, we'll look at 4 proven disabling methods, from standard settings to hidden developer settings, learn how to remove a gesture completely, reassign it to another action, or limit the area of operation, and why, after updating MIUI, settings can reset and how to avoid it.
Important: The instructions are suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Android 10-14 models. If you have custom firmware (like Pixel Experience or LineageOS), some methods may not work – you need a separate setup via ADB.
Why the search up gesture interferes with the main problems
On paper, it seems convenient: quick access to search without clicking icons.
- 🔍 False positives when scrolling TikTok, Instagram or web pages – the gesture works even when touching the edge of the screen.
- 🤖 Automatically start Google Assistant, which intercepts control and slows down.
- 📱 Navigation gesture conflicts (such as going back or opening the notification bar).
- 🔋 Increased battery consumption – Google App background activity can consume up to 5% of charge per day.
According to the survey XDA Developers, 68% of Xiaomi users turn off this gesture in the first week after buying the device, and most complaints come from owners of models with a high-quality device. AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K60), where the trigger zone is wider because of the curved edges.
Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings
The simplest method is to deactivate the gesture in the settings menu, suitable for MIUI 12-15 and does not require superuser rights.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Additional settings → Gestures and buttons.
- Select Gesture up for search (in some versions – Quick Search).
- Move the slider to the off position.
- Confirm the action in the dialog box (if it appears).
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13 for POCO F3, For example, the item may be called a gesture to call an assistant. If it is not, go to Method 3.
☑️ Checking for deactivation of the gesture
Method 2: Reassign the gesture to another action
If you don't need Google Assistant, but you want to keep the gesture functional, you can reassign it to, for example, opening the notification bar or launching the camera.
For this:
- Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
- Select the Gesture up from the bottom edge.
- In the action list, mark the desired option (for example, Open the notification bar).
- Save the changes.
| Action. | Description | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Open the notification panel | Quick access to notifications without swipe down | All models. |
| Launch the camera. | Instant camera start (useful for POCO X5 Pro) | Models with fast camera start |
| Open the last annex | The analogue of the double tap on the home button | MIUI 14+ |
| Turn off the screen | Convenient for battery saving | All models. |
💡 Tip: If you choose to Run the camera, check the permissions for the camera app in Settings → Apps, without them, the gesture won't work.
Method 3: Disconnection through Developer Parameters
If standard settings don’t help (e.g., on Xiaomi 12T with MIUI 13.5), try turning off the gesture via developer mode.
Steps:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
- Return to Settings → Additional settings → For developers.
- Find the option “Disable swipe up for search” (or “Disable swipe up for search” in English firmware).
- Activate it and restart the device.
⚠️ Note: On some devices (Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) This parameter may not be available. In this case, try Method 4.
What to do if there is no item in the developer settings?
Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)
If previous methods didn't work, then you're left with ADB, which is a universal way to work even on custom firmware.
Instructions:
- Install Android SDK Platform-Tools on your PC.
- Turn on USB debugging on your phone (Settings → Developer).
- Connect the device to the PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put secure assist_gesture_enabled 0
- To disable Google Assistant, additionally type: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
- Reboot your smartphone.
⚠️ Note: pm uninstall removes Google App only for the current user. system files remain intact, but the functionality of the Assistant will be limited.
💡
Before using ADB, back up your data via Settings → System → Backup. This will help you restore your settings if something goes wrong.
What to do if the gesture returns after the MIUI update
Many users complain that after the MIUI update, the gesture settings are reset, which is due to:
- 🔄 Resetting user parameters for major updates (e.g., with MIUI 13 on MIUI 14).
- 📦 Conflicts with the Google App cache – after the update, it can overwrite the settings.
Decisions:
- Re-apply the settings from Method 3 or Method 4.
- Clear the Google App cache in Settings → Apps → Google → Memory.
💡
After updating MIUI, always check your gesture settings - even if you haven't changed them. Xiaomi sometimes forcefully activates features "to improve the user experience."
Additional tips for customizing gestures on Xiaomi
If you have completely turned off search up, pay attention to other useful settings:
- 👆 Screenshot gesture: triple touch with three fingers (Settings) → Gestures → Screenshot).
- 🔄 Quick application switching: swipe left/right on the bottom panel (Settings) → System system → Gestures).
- 🔇 Turning off vibrations when gestures: Settings → Sound and vibration → Vibration of the system.
- 🌙 Night mode by gesture: double touch on the lock screen (Settings) → Screen. → Night mode).
💡 Useful life hack: On POCO F4 GT Xiaomi Black Shark can be configured to play gestures through the Game Turbo app, which allows you to disable all unnecessary swipes while playing.