How to Turn Off Gestures on Xiaomi and Return Classic Buttons

Guest management on Xiaomi’s MIUI-enclosed smartphones has become standard with the release of MIUI 10 and later. the manufacturer is actively promoting this way of navigation as more modern and ergonomic, but many users still prefer the classic virtual buttons “Back”, “Home” and “Recent”, especially for owners of devices with physical buttons (for example, Redmi Note 8 Pro or POCO F1), where gesture control can conflict with the usual actions.

In this article, we’ll break down all possible ways to disable gestures on Xiaomi, including hidden settings for old and new versions. MIUI, You will learn how to return three buttons at the bottom of the screen, adjust alternative gestures (for example, swipe on the side), and what to do if the settings have reset after the system update. A3), where the process is different.

Why Users Want to Turn Off Gestures on Xiaomi

Despite Xiaomi’s claims about the benefits of gesture control, this approach has a number of drawbacks that make users look for ways to return to the classic buttons:

• 🔄 For years, users have been used to three buttons at the bottom of the screen, and do not want to relearn, especially the elderly or those who often transplant between devices of different brands.
• 🎯 Discomfort in games: Gestures can accidentally trigger during gameplay, especially in shooters or strategies where swipes on the edges of the screen are part of the control.
• 🔧 Shell conflict: On some models (e.g, POCO X3 NFC) Gestures don’t go well with alternative launchers like Nova Launcher.
• ⚡ Speed: On weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A) gesture animations can slow down, while buttons work instantly.
• 👆 Ergonomics: On large smartphones (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) to reach the gesture area at the bottom of the screen with one hand is uncomfortable.

In addition, new gesture types (such as swipe up and hold to call Google Assistant) have appeared in MIUI 14, which can interfere with normal use, and it is often impossible to disable them separately from the main gestures, so the only way out is to return the classic buttons.

Method 1: Disable gestures through standard MIUI settings

On most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12-14, you can turn off gestures through the settings menu. The instructions are suitable for the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5, Xiaomi 11/12/13 and other modern smartphones. Importantly, on some firmware, menu items may be called differently or in another section.

Steps to shut down:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen display or Navigation buttons (name depends on the version of MIUI).
4. In the menu that opens, you will see three options: Gesture control (default) Navigation buttons (classic 3 buttons) Gestures + Back button (hybrid mode)

Navigation buttons

Then, at the bottom of the screen, you'll see the familiar Back, Home and Recent buttons, and if that doesn't work, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Using a Hidden Menu for Older MIUI Versions

On devices with MIUI 10–11 (e.g. Redmi Note 7, Mi 9) or some custom firmware, the standard path to navigation settings may not be available, in which case the hidden developer menu or an alternative path through Special features will help.

Instructions for MIUI 10/11:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open the Additional (or Advanced Settings) section.
4. Choose Developer's.
5. Scroll down and look for Full-screen display or Navigation Type.
6. Select the navigation buttons (3 buttons).

If this method does not work, try an alternative way:

Settings → Special features → System settings → Type of navigation

On some firmware (e.g., POCO F1 with MIUI 12), this item may be called the Navigation Panel.

Method 3: Disable gestures via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, on Xiaomi with Android One or custom firmware), you can resort to ADB commands. This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with the command line.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 7 times). Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.

adb.exe

adb devices

The serial number of your device should appear.

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1

adb reboot

After the reboot, you should have the classic buttons, and if you want to return gestures, use the command:

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 0

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If ADB does not recognize the device, try installing Xiaomi drivers from the official website or using the Mi PC Suite program.

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If none of the above methods worked, you can use third-party apps that emulate navigation buttons, which is suitable for devices with MIUI or Android One, where standard settings are limited.

The best apps for button returns:

• 📱 Nacho Notch — adds virtual buttons on top of any interface, supports transparency and location settings.
• 🔄 Fluid Navigation Gestures – allows you to customize gestures or completely disable them in favor of buttons.
• 🎛️ Edge Gestures – Flexible gesture and button settings, including the ability to hide the system navigation bar.

Example of settings via Nacho Notch:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Run it and give permission to display over other windows.
3. Select the button style (e.g. 3-button navigation bar).
4. Set up position, size and transparency.
5. Activate the service in the notification panel.

The disadvantage of this method is the constant display of the notification panel about the application and the possible increase in battery consumption.

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The side of the application may conflict with system gestures. Before using, turn off the standard navigation bar in the MIUI settings.

Problem Solving: What to Do When No buttons Appear

Sometimes, after changing the settings, the navigation buttons do not appear or work incorrectly.

If none of the solutions worked, try resetting your phone to factory settings. Before you do that, be sure to back up your data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

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On some models (such as the Redmi Note 9 Pro) it may be necessary to re-activate the developer mode after the reset.

Features for Android One devices (Mi A1/A2/A3)

Xiaomi smartphones on the Android One platform (for example, Mi A1, Mi A2, Mi A3) use “pure” Android without the MIUI shell. Here the process of disabling gestures is different:

Instructions for Android One:

1. Open Settings → System → Gestures → System navigation.
2. Choose 3-button navigation.
3. Confirm the change.

Some versions of Android (such as Android 10 on the Mi A3) may require an additional step:

Settings → Display → Full-screen applications → Disable full-screen mode for system applications

If the buttons never show up, try upgrading your device to the latest version of Android via Settings → System → System Update.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)