Xiaomi’s current smartphones, including the popular Redmi Note 8T, use gesture control by default, which allows you to increase the useful area of the display by removing unnecessary elements of the interface. However, many users who have switched from other devices or are accustomed to the classics are looking for a way to return the usual visual landmark – the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
In the MIUI operating system that you have on your device, you can use a strip to mean two completely different elements: first, a classic three-button or a thin indicator line that replaces physical keys; second, a button-to-pen that allows you to control your phone with one hand, and understanding the difference between these features is critical to getting the interface right.
In this guide, we will discuss how to activate the controls you need, we will look at standard methods for enabling navigation, and we will also touch on the hidden features of the system that often go unnoticed, you can adapt the interface to your personal preferences, making use of the gadget as comfortable as possible.
Differences between gestures and buttons in MIUI
Before you make any changes to your settings, you need to be clear about what navigation options MIUI offers. Standard gesture mode means that you control your smartphone swipes from the edges of the screen. In this mode, a barely noticeable bar can be displayed at the bottom, indicating that gestures are active. This is the modern standard that all manufacturers are striving for.
The alternative is button mode, and at the bottom of the screen, you have graphical elements like "Back," "Home," and "Application Menu," which is what users most often think of when they talk about a bar or a control panel, and switching between these modes changes not only the look, but also the logic of how you interact with the operating system.
⚠️ Note: When switching to button mode, the status bar and notification area may shift slightly upwards, as the lower part of the screen will be occupied by the navigation unit.
It is worth noting that the location of menu items may vary slightly from one version of MIUI (Global, China, EEA), but the basic principle remains the same for all Redmi Note devices.
Activation of the classic navigation panel
To get the control buttons to appear at the bottom of the screen, you have to change the system setting, which is completely secure and doesn't require superuser rights, you just have to get to the appropriate partition in the system settings, and it takes less than a minute.
Follow the following steps to activate the buttons:
- 📱 Open the Settings app on your Redmi Note 8T.
- ⚙️ Find and select Full Screen (in some versions it is called Screen or is in the Additional section").
- 🖱️ In the "System Navigation" section, select the "Buttons" option instead of "Gestural".
- 🔄 Click "Button Settings" to change their order (for example, so that the "Back" button is on the right).
Once you select Button mode, you'll have a full navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, and it'll be displayed in all apps except those that run full-screen video, and in the latter case, it'll automatically disappear so you don't interfere with the view, which is standard Android interface behavior.
Hidden function: One-handed mode
Many users, when they look for a stripe at the bottom, actually mean a button that controls one hand. In Xiaomi, it's called a pen button. It's a little circle or strip that appears at the bottom of the screen when you swipe from the corner, and it allows you to slide the image down to reach the top elements.
This feature is especially useful for smartphone owners with a screen diagonal of more than 6 inches, like the Redmi Note 8T. Activating this feature makes navigation more ergonomic. You can adjust the sensitivity and time of occurrence of this button.
To enable this function, follow the following steps:
- 🖐️ Go to Settings. → Advanced settings.
- 📏 Select "One-handed" (or "One-handed" mode").
- ✅ Activate the button-to-pen switch".
- ⬇️ Enable the "Swipe from the bottom corner" option for a quick call.
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You can change the size of the swipe activated area in the pen button settings if it is called too often or, conversely, rarely.
When you turn it on, if you swipe from the bottom left or right corner of the screen inward, you get a floating button at the bottom, and you push it down, and you push it back down, and you push it back down, or swipe back in the opposite direction, and it's not a full navigation bar, but it's an important ergonomic element.
Set up the gesture indicator
If you prefer gesture control, but you want to see the visual cue at the bottom of the screen, you need to adjust the indicator. In recent versions of MIUI, this is a thin horizontal line. It shows where to swipe to return to the home screen, and some users mistakenly mistake it for the "strip" they are looking for.
It is important to understand that completely remove this strip in gesture mode on global firmware is often impossible without the use of third-party software or ADB-But you can make it less visible or more contrasting by changing the theme of the design.
To check the current navigation parameters, use the table below:
| Parameter | Button mode | Sign mode |
|---|---|---|
| Type of element | Three buttons or two. | Thin strip |
| Location. | Always down. | Down below (disappears in video) |
| Action "Home" | Pressing the center | Swipe up from the strip |
| Action "Back" | Pressing a triangle | Swipe from the edge of the screen |
If the gesture indicator is not displayed, check to see if Full-screen applications are on for a particular software. Some launchers (desktop shells) have their own hidden system elements settings. Make sure you use the standard MIUI launcher to correctly display all system lines.
Additional navigation settings
Android’s MIUI-based system offers a number of additional options that make navigation bars or buttons more convenient, such as setting the vibration when you press virtual keys, and this gives a tactile response that confirms the action.
You can also set the latency before hiding the panel in full screen mode, and you can increase this interval if you need to navigate more often while watching the video, all of which are in the same menu where you chose the navigation type.
☑️ Checking the navigation settings
Be sure to check the settings for special features. In Settings → Advanced Settings → Special features can be activated to affect the behavior of the bottom of the screen. For example, the special features menu sometimes blocks the system navigation if located at the bottom.
⚠️ Warning: Installing third-party apps to replace the navigation bar can lead to system conflicts and increased battery consumption.
Solution: The strip doesn't disappear or doesn't work
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the navigation bar sticks on top of games or videos, interfering with the view, usually a bug of a particular application that does not know how to correctly tell the system about the transition to full screen mode, in which case restarting the application or cleaning its cache helps.
If the bar is gone completely and the buttons are not working, there may have been a system failure of SystemUI. In this case, you should not panic. Most often, a simple device reboot helps. If the problem persists, check if there is a design theme installed that modifies the system elements of the interface.
What if the sensor in the strip area does not respond?
In rare cases, the problem may be hardware. If the lower strip of the Redmi Note 8T screen is different shade (yellow or pink) or flickering, this may indicate a defect in the matrix or plume. Software methods here will not help, you will need a diagnosis in the service center.
Outcomes and recommendations for use
Setting up navigation on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T is a matter of personal preference, someone used to buttons, someone appreciated the freedom of gestures, the main thing is that the system gives a choice. Activating the bar at the bottom of the screen takes a few seconds, but significantly improves the comfort of using the smartphone in the long run.
We recommend experimenting with both modes for a couple of days, first turn on the buttons, get used to their location, then switch to gestures, which will help you understand which option is right for your motor skills and scenarios of use of the gadget.
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The optimal balance between convenience and modern design is using gesture mode with the button-to-pen switch on to control one hand.
Remember, any changes to your system can be easily rolled back. Don't be afraid to change the interface settings to make your Redmi your device.