Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, offer users several ways to navigate the interface. The standard three-button virtual approach at the bottom of the screen is familiar to anyone who has ever used Android. But the shift to gesture control is fundamentally changing the experience of interacting with the device, making it faster and more ergonomic.
Using swipes instead of buttons frees up precious display space, especially on extended-screen models where the bottom is often lost in the palm of your hand.It's not just a cosmetic change, but a functional improvement that speeds desktop access and app switching up by 20-30% by reducing the amplitude of your finger movements. Many users note that after getting used to it, returning to the buttons seems uncomfortable and slow.
In this article, we will take a closer look at gesture activation, explore the hidden sensitivity options, and discuss how to solve common problems when swipes stop working correctly. You will learn how to remove the annoying strip from the bottom and what system conflicts can interfere with normal navigation. Get ready to optimize your smartphone for maximum comfort with one hand.
Advantages of Swipe Navigation Before Buttons
The switch to gesture control on Redmi and Poco devices has a number of undeniable benefits that become apparent in the first hours of use, especially in ergonomics: the thumb makes less movements, since you do not need to reach the bottom corners of the screen to call the menu or go back, this is especially true for owners of models with a diagonal of more than 6.5 inches.
In addition, the lack of static interface elements at the bottom of the screen allows applications and widgets to occupy the entire available area. Full-screen mode becomes truly complete, which is highly appreciated by fans of mobile gaming and watching video. System animations with swipes look smoother and more modern, creating a sense of premium device.
- 🚀 Speed up: Swipe from the edge of the screen is faster than aiming at a small button.
- 📐 Space savings: Useable display area increases as black navigation bar disappears.
- 🎮 Comfort in games: eliminates the risk of accidentally pressing the system button during intense play.
- 🎨 Aesthetics: the interface looks cleaner and more modern, corresponding to design trends 2026-2026 year-end.
But remember, it takes time to get addictive, and the brain needs to rebuild the muscle memory that's been built up over the years with buttons, and in the early days, you can swipe randomly where you used to push a button, or vice versa, but once you get the new movements, you're not going to want to go back.
Step-by-step instructions for activating gestures in MIUI and HyperOS
The process of enabling gesture control on Xiaomi smartphones is as simple as possible for developers and takes just a few seconds. First, you need to open the main settings menu of your device. Find the gear icon on your desktop or in the notification curtain and tap it.
In the list of options that opens, you should scroll down to a section that can be called "Additional Settings" or "Extended Settings" depending on the firmware version and region. Inside this menu, you should find the Full-screen menu item, and this is where you switch between the old and the new way of navigation.
☑️ Incorporation algorithm
Once you select the Full-screen menu, you will see the switch, activate it, and the three usual buttons will disappear, replaced by a thin bar at the bottom of the screen (or disappear completely, depending on the option chosen), the system will immediately offer a brief training animation showing the main movements.
⚠️ Warning: After switching to gestures, the old Home button stops working to call the voice assistant with a single click. To activate Google Assistant or XiaoAI, you now need to use a swipe from the bottom corner or voice command.
It's important to note that some global firmware versions may have slightly different paths. Sometimes the desired section is hidden inside the Settings menu. → Desktop: If you don't find the switch in the main settings, search the settings by entering the word "navigation" or "gestures».
Basic gestures and their purpose in the Android system
Once activated, you have a new way to interact with the operating system. The basic set of movements is universal for all versions of Android 10 and up, but Xiaomi has its own features in the implementation of animations. Once you master them, you can control the phone almost without looking at the screen.
The most important gesture is to swipe back, and it swipes from the left or right edge of the screen to the center, and the amplitude of the motion must be sufficient to allow the system to recognize the command, usually it's a swipe. 1-2 Unlike buttons, you don't have to aim, you just have to swipe from the edge.
To return to the desktop, you use a swipe from the bottom up of the screen, which is the analog of pressing the central home button, and if you hold your finger at the bottom of the screen and hold it for a little while, you open the menu of running apps, which replaces the "Menu" or "Recent" button.
| Action. | Gesture. | The alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Back up. | Swipe left or right to center | No. |
| Home. | Swipe from bottom up (short) | Long press on the power button (if configured) |
| Appendix menu | Swipe from bottom up (hold) | Swipe up with a delay |
| Google search | Swipe up from the center (on some launchers) | A widget on the desktop |
There's also a gesture to quickly switch between the latest apps, which is to swipe your finger horizontally along the bottom of the screen (where the navigation bar used to be), and this action instantly changes the active window to the previous one, which is very convenient for multitasking.
The secret to fast scrolling
How to hide the bar-indicator at the bottom of the screen
Many users are annoyed by the thin horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the screen after the gestures are turned on, which serves as a visual cue for the swipe zone, but in dark topics or when watching videos can be striking, and fortunately, MIUI and HyperOS have the ability to hide it.
To remove the indicator, go back to the Full-screen menu where you previously activated gestures, and there should be an additional switch called Hide the gesture prompt or Hide the indicator, and once activated, the bar will disappear, but the swipe functionality will remain fully functional.
It is worth remembering that without a visual landmark at first it can be difficult to get your finger into the desired area, especially on screens with protective glass, which have an oleophobic coating with a low degree of slip, in such cases it is better to leave the strip visible at least for a period of addiction.
- 👁️ Aesthetics: The screen looks cleaner, nothing distracts from the content.
- 📉 Battery: on AMOLED The absence of glowing pixels in the lower part theoretically saves charge, although minimally.
- 🖐️ Random touches: reduces the risk of accidentally calling the app menu when holding the phone.
If you've hidden a strip but you've forgotten how to swipe, just swipe down the bottom of the screen, and the system can briefly highlight the navigation area by reminding you that it's there, and it's a useful feature for those who pick up the phone after a long break.
Setting sensitivity and response speed
In some cases, users find that gestures do not work correctly: the phone does not respond to swipes or, on the contrary, performs them too often, this may be due to the individual characteristics of the sensor or the protective film installed, you can solve the problem through an engineering menu or special applications.
To diagnose the sensor in your Xiaomi phone, you have a hidden test. In the Phone app, dial ##6484##. In the CIT menu that opens, select Touchpanel and follow the instructions to check the response of all areas of the screen to help you understand whether the problem is system or hardware.
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If you have a thick protective glass, the sensitivity of the edges of the screen may decrease. Try to turn on the display settings to “High sensitivity” mode, if this option is available in your model.
The speed of animation also affects how you feel about gestures, so if swipes seem slow, you can zoom in on the developer menu, you can quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section 7 times, then find Developer for advanced settings, and change the animation multiplier to 0.5x.
⚠️ Note: Changing the settings in the developer menu can cause some applications to work in an unstable way. Do not change the values if you are not sure about their purpose, especially the option "Minimum width» (DPI).
Response speed is also affected by the number of processes running in the background. If RAM is full, the system may respond late to navigation commands. Regular memory cleaning or using memory expansion can improve the situation.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Despite the stability of HyperOS, users sometimes encounter bugs when gestures stop working in certain applications or after a system update, most often due to a conflict of third-party launchers or erroneous availability settings.
One common problem is sticking the gesture when the phone thinks you're still holding your finger on the screen, in which case a simple reboot of the device helps. If the problem recurs, try turning off and re-enable the full-screen menu feature in the settings.
In some games or applications with a non-standard aspect ratio, the navigation bar can override content, this is solved through the settings of a specific application in the About Phone section → All specs → Minimizing cutouts (or a similar item depending on the version of MIUI), where you can force full-screen mode.
- 🔄 Reboot: Banal shutting down and turning on the phone solves 80% of software glitches.
- 📱 Update: Check for system updates, as patches often contain touchscreen fixes.
- 🛡️ Safe Mode: Boot in Safe Mode to eliminate the impact of third-party apps on navigation.
If nothing works, and the gestures are interrupted even after the settings have been reset, it may be the touchscreen hardware, which would require a diagnosis at an authorized service center.
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The stability of gestures depends on the quality of the screen protective coating and the relevance of the firmware version.
Comparison of navigation in different versions of firmware
The gesture management interface has been changing with the upgrade of the shells from MIUI 12 to the current HyperOS. In the early versions, animations were less elaborate and the return to the app menu took longer. Modern versions offer a much smoother and more responsive system.
HyperOS has improved the memory logic of swiping between apps, making applications less aggressively unloaded from RAM, making multitasking more efficient, and changing the back gesture activation area to make it wider and more convenient for larger screens.
Users of older devices who have not received an update to the latest versions of Android may not be able to hide the bar-indicator function. This is a software restriction, and it is almost impossible to circumvent it without root rights or third-party modules (like Magisk).
In conclusion, gesture control is the standard of modern mobile interaction, which makes using a Xiaomi smartphone more enjoyable and efficient. After spending a couple of days adapting, you will appreciate the freedom of movement and cleanliness of the interface that this mode gives.