How to swipe up on Xiaomi MIUI 12: a guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners who upgrade to MIUI 12 are often tempted to change the standard interface management, and many users prefer to hide the bottom navigation buttons by replacing them with more modern and convenient swipe gestures, which not only frees up useful screen space, but also makes using the device with one hand much more comfortable.

However, standard system settings sometimes offer limited functionality that doesn’t always meet the expectations of advanced users. In this article, we’ll detail how to activate full gesture mode, remove unnecessary interface elements and adjust the sensitivity of swipes to suit yourself.

Standard navigation settings in MIUI 12

The first step to changing the way you manage it is learning the basic features of the shell. Xiaomi has two default modes: classic buttons and simplified gestures. To navigate the settings menu, you need to open the Settings app and scroll through the list to the desktop section, and that's where the switch changes the logic of the bottom of the screen.

When you select Gesture mode, the system will offer you a training video or an interactive demo, which is important because the logic of the work may be different from the usual one. For example, a swipe from the bottom up now acts as a home button, and a swipe with a delay opens the menu of running applications. The navigation buttons disappear, giving way to a thin bar indicator.

⚠️ Warning: When switching to gestures, some system elements, such as notification curtain or control panel, may change location.

It’s worth noting that the standard gesture mode in MIUI 12 sometimes doesn’t work properly on third-party launchers or games. If you notice swipes are no longer recognized in certain applications, you may need to have a deeper setup through the engineering menu or third-party utilities.

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Before changing the navigation system settings, take a screenshot of the current configuration to quickly return to the original state if necessary.

Activation of the hidden navigation menu

For those who lack the standard menu, there is access to hidden features. Android 10 and above, which is the basis of MIUI 12, is buried a special mode that allows you to use Google gestures without unnecessary stripes and indicators.

First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7-10 times on the MIUI Version. After the notification of successful activation, go back to the main settings menu and find the Additional Settings section. Here you are interested in the Developer Item.

• 📱 Find the listing for “Hidden Navigation” or “Navigation Mode".
• 🔧 Select the option "Full screen gestures" instead of buttons.
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.

After doing this, the lower bar may disappear, making the interface as clean as possible. However, be careful: some system applications may not display correctly without a visible navigation marker. System navigation in this mode relies entirely on your finger movements.

Using third-party applications to change swipe

If the built-in methods seem too complicated or do not work, Google Play apps come to the rescue. There are many utilities that block standard navigation with their own control layer. One of the most popular solutions is the Navigation Bar app, which allows you to flexibly customize the behavior of swipes.

Installation of such software requires special permissions. Once you download the application, you will need to give permission to "Overlap Other Windows" and access to "Special Features." This is necessary so that the program can intercept your touches of the screen and replace them with the right commands. Third-party launchers may also have built-in modules to change navigation.

Using third-party software has its pros and cons. On the one hand, you get a huge amount of functionality and the ability to fine-tune the sensitivity. On the other hand, such applications can consume battery and RAM resources. Background navigation processes must be optimized to avoid causing delays in the system.

⚠️ Warning: When installing applications from unknown sources, make sure they are safe to avoid infecting your device with malware.

Setting up sensitivity and swipe zones

Once you’ve switched to gesture control, you may have a problem with hit accuracy. MIUI 12 allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the edges of the screen, which is especially true for devices with curved displays. To adjust these settings, go to Settings → Additional settings → Special features.

Here you'll find a section that's designed to prevent accidental taps, and by adjusting sliders, you can narrow or expand the active areas on the sides of the screen, and this will help you avoid the situation where trying to hold the phone in your hand leads to an unintended return to the home screen, and touchscreen sensitivity is a key parameter for comfortable use.

You also need to look at the speed of animation. You can find parameters in the developer menu for window animation scale, transition and animator duration. By setting 0.5x, you can make the system respond to swipes faster and sharper, and that gives you a sense of better performance.

Solving Problems with Gesture Recognition

Users often experience swipes that stop working or work after a time, most often due to a conflict of running applications or a temporary failure of the system process SystemUI. The first thing you should try is to simply restart your smartphone, which solves 90% of these problems.

If the reboot didn't work, check if Handbooks or In-Pack modes are on. These features can lock part of the screen or reduce sensitivity in certain areas. Turn them off in special features settings and check navigation again. Program conflict is a common cause of failures.

In some cases, cleaning the cache of the Settings and Security app helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the right app and select Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with clearing data, or your personal system settings will reset.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions