How to change the location of the buttons on Xiaomi Redmi 9A: all ways

Xiaomi Redmi 9A, with its minimalist design and MIUI functionality, has become one of the most popular budget devices. However, the standard layout of touch-sensitive navigation buttons (or their absence in newer versions of firmware) does not always suit users, some are used to the classic Back-Home-Recent order, and some are more convenient for mirroring or completely abandoning buttons in favor of gestures.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can change the location of the buttons on the Redmi 9A, from basic MIUI settings to deep modifications through ADB and third-party utilities. We’ll focus on the nuances of Android 10/11 firmware, because it’s the ones that are installed on most of the devices on this model. If you want to not just swap the buttons, but completely reflash the phone or even physically reassign the hardware keys, here’s the answers.

Why do users want to change buttons to Redmi 9A?

The reasons for changing the location of navigation buttons can be very different, from habit to ergonomics.

• 🔄 Switching from another smartphone: Users used to buttons on Samsung or Huawei are often lost in the standard layout MIUI, where the back button is located on the right.
• 👆 Left-handed people are more comfortable with the back button on the left, which reduces the strain on the thumb.
• 📱 Update to firmware, after upgrade to new version MIUI Sometimes the navigation settings are reset and the buttons are returned to the factory location.
• 🎮 Game Mode: Gamers often turn off touch buttons to avoid accidental taps while playing.

In addition, Redmi 9A (especially Android 10 Go Edition versions) sometimes encounter bugs when navigation buttons are missing or duplicated, and in such cases, reconfiguration can be a temporary solution until the system is completely reset.

Method 1: Change button location through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI shell options. It is suitable for most Redmi 9A firmware versions (including MIUI 12/12.5 based on Android 10/11).

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen mode (in some versions – Navigation buttons).
4. Slip on the option of button location.
5. Choose one of the options: 🔄 Standard (Back in the middle, Home on the left, Recent on the right). 🔀 Back to left, Home in the middle, Recent to right).

If you don't have button location on your menu, your version of MIUI uses default gesture control, so you'll have to turn on the button display first.

1. In the same Full-screen Mode section, select Navigation buttons instead of Gestures.
2. After that, you will be able to change their location.
3. Turn on USB Debugging: Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate the USB Debugging Switch.

Redmi 9A

Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

This command will disable all system navigation buttons. To return them back, use:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

To fine-tune things (such as changing the order of buttons) you will need additional commands, such as swapping “Back” and “Recent” places, you can use:

adb shell settings put secure sysui_nav_bar "space,back;home;recent,space"

Critical nuance: on some versions MIUI for Redmi 9A team ADB To avoid this, after applying the settings, follow the command adb shell settings put global. policy_control immersive.confirm=*.

Method 3: Third-party applications for button customization

If you don’t want to mess with ADB, you can use specialized utilities from Google Play, which allow you not only to change the location of the buttons, but also to customize their appearance, add new features (for example, swipe up to run Google Assistant), and even emulate hardware keys.

The best applications for this task:

Most of these applications will need to be given special permissions through ADB. For example, Fluid Navigation Gestures requires:

adb shell pm grant com.fb.fluid android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

After that, the application will be able to manage system settings without root rights.

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If after installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) the navigation buttons are gone, check the gesture settings in the launcher itself.

Method 4: Physical reconfiguration of hardware buttons (for advanced ones)

On the Redmi 9A, hardware buttons (volume, power) are not designed to be reassigned through standard means, but with Root rights and the Button Mapper app (or its analogues), you can change their functionality, for example, make it so that:

• 🔊 The volume button opened the camera.
• 🔇 The volume button was started by Google Assistant.
• 🔄 Double pressing of the power button included a flashlight.

For this:

1. Get Root rights (for example, through Magisk).
2. Install Button Mapper from Google Play.
3. In the application, select the desired button and assign it a new action.
4. Save the settings and restart the phone.

Warning: Incorrectly reassigning hardware buttons may make it impossible to turn off or unlock the phone.Always leave at least one button with the original function (for example, holding the power button to turn off).

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Physically reconfiguring hardware buttons is the riskiest method. Without Root rights, it's impossible, and with Root rights, you lose warranty and increase the risk of bricking the device.

Problems and errors when changing buttons on Redmi 9A

Even when following instructions, users often encounter difficulties, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If neither method worked, the problem might be the firmware itself, and it might help:

• 🔄 Resetting settings (but save data!).
• 📥 Update MIUI last-minute.
• 🛠️ Flashing through the Mi Flash Tool (only for experienced users!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about buttons on Redmi 9A

If your question isn’t covered in the FAQ, check out official Xiaomi forums (such as Mi Community) or MIUI-specific resources like Xiaomi.EU.