Gestures on Xiaomi Redmi 9: how to enable, configure and eliminate bugs

Why are gestures better than navigation buttons on Redmi 9?

Xiaomi Redmi 9, with factory-fabricated settings, uses the classic three navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen: Back, Home and Recent. However, after upgrading to MIUI 12 and newer, the manufacturer is actively promoting gesture control — and for good reason. Studies show that switching to gestures saves up to 15 percent of the screen space and speeds up interaction with the device by 20-30%. But how do you adjust them correctly so that you don't lose the usual functionality?

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to activate gestures on Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A/9C/9T models), compare full-screen gestures of MIUI with alternatives, and explain how to return buttons if the new interface seems inconvenient, and pay special attention to typical problems, for example, when gestures do not work in games or after a firmware update.

Types of gestures on Xiaomi Redmi 9: which one to choose?

MIUI has three main types of gesture control, each with its own pros and cons depending on the use cases:

• 🔹 Full-screen gestures MIUI — The most modern version with a wire at the bottom of the screen, suitable for owners who want to make the most of the display area.
• 🔹 Guidance gestures are a hybrid mode where the "tips" are visually displayed as a thin strip at the bottom.
• 🔹 The gestures are like the iPhone, an alternative scheme with swipes from the bottom edge. addictive, but loved by Apple fans.

Important: Redmi 9 with MIUI 13/14 also has One-handed mode, which allows you to compress the screen for easy access to the top elements, and it can be combined with any type of gesture.

Step-by-step: how to turn on gestures on Redmi 9

Activation of gesture control takes less than a minute. Follow this algorithm:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen Display (some versions of MIUI call Navigation buttons).
4. Slip by Navigation Type and select one of three gesture options.
5. To save the changes, click Ready or Apply.

If the gestures don't work properly after activation (e.g., a back-up fails), reboot the device, which solves the problem 90% of the time.

⚠️ Note: On Redmi 9 with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the path to gesture settings may be different. → Gestures.

Hidden gestures on MIUI: what can your Redmi 9

Few people know, but MIUI has additional gesture commands that are not activated by default.

• 🔄 Quick switch between applications: swipe right on the bottom panel (only works in full screen mode).
• 📱 Google Assistant Call: Keep the Swipe Up from the Lower Edge (Settings in Settings) → Annexes → Google Assistant → Gestures).
• 🔍 Search by device: swipe down the main screen (similar to Spotlight on iPhone).
• 🎵 Music control: double tap on the lock screen (included in Settings) → Lock screen → Additionally).

To activate hidden gestures, go to Settings → Additional Features → Gestures and Movements. Here you can configure, for example, shaking to open a flashlight or turning to turn off an alarm clock.

Gesture problems on Redmi 9: causes and solutions

Even when properly set up, gestures can malfunction, and let's look at typical situations and ways to fix them:

If none of these things worked, reset your settings through Settings → About Phone → Reset → Reset the interface settings. This will bring all display and gesture settings back to factory settings, but will not affect personal data.

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Before resetting, write down the current gesture scheme on paper or take a screenshot of the screen with the settings - this will save time when reconfiguring.

Game Gestures: How to Avoid Losing Control on Redmi 9

Many mobile games (such as PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) conflict with MIUI system gestures. Game developers often block swipes around the edges of the screen to avoid accidental exits from the application.

1. Turn off full screen mode for the game: Start the game. Swipe from top to bottom to open the notification bar. Tap the notification Game Turbo (or Game Turbo). Select Turn off full screen gestures.
2. Use floating buttons: Enable them in Settings → Additional features → Floating buttons. This will add virtual keys on top of the game.
3. Set up exceptions in MIUI: Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → [select the game] → Full-screen display → Turn off the gestures.

For advanced users, there is another way to disable gestures via ADB. This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and executing a command:

adb shell settings put global force_fullscreen_gestures 0

After that, the gestures will be turned off globally, but you can return them through standard settings.

Comparison of gestures on Redmi 9 and other Xiaomi smartphones

If you’ve used other Xiaomi devices before (like the Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3), you might have noticed differences in gesture implementation.

• 📱 Redmi 9 (MIUI 12-14): Supports all three gesture types, but there is no separate sensitivity setting for each gesture.
• 📱 POCO F3 (MIUI for POCO): Additional regime POCO Launcher Gestures with unique swipes to call menus.
• 📱 Xiaomi 11T (MIUI 13+): Swipe animations and gesture support on a locked screen.
• 📱 Redmi 9A (Go Edition: Trimmed functionality – only gestures with hints are available.

Fun fact: Redmi 9 with MIUI 14 has an experimental Smart Gestures feature that allows you to create custom gestures to trigger any action. For example, you can set a triple touch on the back to open the camera. This is activated in Settings → Additional Features → Smart gestures.

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On Redmi 9 with MIUI 14, gestures work smoother thanks to optimizing touchscreen drivers. If your device hasn't yet updated, check for updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about gestures on Xiaomi Redmi 9