How to change the position of the buttons on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the urge to personalize their devices to suit their habits. One of the most sought-after changes is adjusting the operation and location of the control buttons, both virtual navigation on the screen and physical keys on the body of the gadget. Standard settings of the MIUI shell or HyperOS offer limited functionality, but there are proven ways to expand these capabilities.

It should be understood that by “button position” users often mean things from the banal movement of the “Back” and “Menu” buttons to the complete reassignment of the functions of the physical power button. In this article, we will discuss all available methods in detail, you will learn how to change the order of navigation without third-party software and what applications will help turn side keys into a universal tool.

Modifying the interface is the first step to making a really user-friendly smartphone, and tweaking the ergonomics correctly saves time and reduces random taps, and then we'll look at the specific steps for different firmware versions and device models.

Change the order of navigation buttons in MIUI and HyperOS

The most common request is to change the position of the Back and Menu buttons (or Home in three-button mode). In European and global versions of Xiaomi firmware, this feature is built in by default. However, in Chinese versions or older builds, it can be hidden or called differently. First, you need to go to the system settings menu.

Open Settings, then select Additional (or Advanced Settings) to find Full Screen Mode or System Navigation, and that's where the switch that changes buttons is hidden. If you use gestures, changing the order of the buttons in three-button mode won't affect the swipe area, but it will help those who prefer classic control.

In some cases, especially on older models like the Redmi Note 8 or Xiaomi Mi 9, the interface may be different. If you don't find the switch, try searching for the settings by typing the phrase "button order" in the system itself will redirect you to the desired section.

⚠️ Note: On some devices with Chinese firmware (CN ROM) The button ordering function may not be available in the standard menu, which requires region setting or third-party launchers.

Once you change the settings, the changes take effect instantly. You don't have to reboot the device. This allows you to quickly adapt the smartphone if you've just switched from a device of another brand, like Samsung or Huawei, where the default button order is different.

Reassigning physical volume and power buttons

The physical buttons on Xiaomi’s body are not just a sound regulator and a switch. The MIUI shell allows you to use them for additional actions, which is especially convenient when controlling one hand. The standard function is to start the camera. To activate it, go to Settings → Additional → Buttons.

Here you'll see the "Run Camera" option, which you can set the behavior of the power button or the volume button, and you can do it by double pressing, long pressing, or pressing when the screen is off, so you can take a snapshot instantly without unlocking the phone.

However, standard functionality is limited. To make the buttons really useful, for example, to turn on a flashlight or start a voice recorder, additional tools will be required. In newer versions of HyperOS, it is possible to assign actions to a long press of the power button, but the choice of applications is still limited to the system.

• 📱 Double pressing down the volume button – quick camera start (standard feature).
• 🔦 Long press of the power button – start Google Assistant or shutdown menu (configures).
• 🎵 Switching tracks – when the screen is turned off in some versions MIUI.
• 📸 Volume button combination – can be used as a shutter button in camera mode.

You will not be able to assign to the volume button the action "answer the call" or "reset the call" by standard means.

Use the Button Mapper app for flexible customization

If standard features aren’t enough, Button Mapper is one of the most reliable tools for customizing physical buttons on Android, allowing you to reassign a single, double and long press of any button (volume, power, even the Google Assistant button, if you have one).

To get started, download the app from Google Play. Once installed, launch it and grant the necessary permissions. The app will ask for access to Accessibility, a must-have, because it is through this service that Android allows you to intercept button clicks and redirect them to the desired actions.

In the Button Mapper interface, select the button you want to change. For example, select Volume Down button. Activate the Set Up switch. Now you can choose the action for single tap, double tap or long tap, and you can start apps, shortcuts, system actions (screenshot, flashlight) and even macros.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications for reassigning buttons, a small battery consumption is possible, since the service constantly monitors the state of the keys in the background.

The thing about Button Mapper is that it runs on top of the system without requiring root rights for the underlying functions. However, some advanced activities, such as emulating the Home button on devices without it, may require superuser rights. For most users, standard functionality will be more than enough.

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Use the macros in Button Mapper to launch a chain of actions with the click of a button, such as: turn on Wi-Fi, open maps and start navigation to your home.

Setting up the sidebar and additional functions

In modern Xiaomi smartphones, there is a concept of a “Sidebar” (Sidebar). Although this is not quite about physical buttons, it is an important element of navigation, which is often confused with button management.

You can customize the contents of the sidebar in Settings → Additional → Sidebar. Here you can add frequently used apps, tools (calculator, screenshot, voice recorder) or even mini-boxes of messengers. This creates an “additional button” effect in any application.

Also worth mentioning is the floating windows feature, where you can drag and drop an app into a sidebar as a small window on top of other programs, which turns your smartphone into a multitasking workstation, like watching YouTube videos in a floating window while you're texting to Telegram.

Hidden opportunities through ADB-team

For advanced users who are not afraid of the command line, there is a way to change the behavior of the system at a deeper level. Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to make changes that are not available in the usual menu.

The first step is to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and press the MIUI build number 7 times. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on “Debugging by USB.” Connect the phone to your PC and enter a command to check the connection.

adb devices

With ADB, you can, for example, turn off the standard behavior of the Google Assistant button if it interferes with you, or change the sensitivity of a long press. However, be careful: improper use of commands can lead to unstable system operation.

This method is suitable for those who want to fine-tune the system and understand the risks. For the average user who wants to just swap the buttons, the methods described in the first sections of the article are enough.

Solution: If the buttons stopped responding

Sometimes the problem isn't with settings, but with hardware or software failure. If the buttons on the screen don't respond to presses or physical keys get stuck, just changing the position won't help. First, try rebooting the device.

If the problem persists, check to see if Pocket Mode is on or if the protective film is covering the touch area. In the case of physical buttons, dust or moisture is a common cause. A careful brushing can restore tactile response.

In rare cases, you need to reset to factory settings. Make sure to back up the data before you do that. Reset will return all the buttons and their location to the original factory state, removing all your customizations.

• 🧹 Clear the cache of the System Navigation application in the application settings.
• 🔄 Check for system updates, as button bugs are often patched.
• 🛡️ Make sure that third-party themes do not conflict with system controls.

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If the software methods of changing buttons don't help, the problem may be hardware. Check the phone at the service center, especially if the warranty is still valid.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)