How to enable and configure gesture control on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: the complete guide

Introduction: Why switch to gestures?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 smartphones running MIUI offer two navigation options: classic virtual buttons ("Back", "Home", "Recent") and modern gesture control, the latter not only frees the screen from unnecessary elements, but also speeds up interaction with the device by 20-30% according to internal tests by Xiaomi. However, many users are still hesitant to switch to gestures for fear of inconvenience or technical difficulties.

In this article, we will discuss how to activate gesture control on the Redmi Note 9 (including the Note 9 Pro and Note 9S models), compare two types of gestures – MIUI Full Screen Gestures and Android gestures, and reveal hidden features that are not even written about in the official documentation, paying special attention to typical problems (for example, random positives) and how to solve them without resetting.

If you still use navigation buttons, you can see how much time is saved by gestures after reading this article, for example, returning to the home screen takes 0.3 seconds versus 0.8 seconds when you press the home button, a difference that is noticeable after an hour of use.

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

There are two different types of gesture control available in MIUI, and they're easy to confuse, so let's see how they differ and which one is right for you.

1. MIUI Full Screen Gestures (Gestural) MIUI) — It's a Xiaomi branded shell-optimized solution that uses a bottom-up swipe to return to the home screen, a swipe to the left or right to return to the back, and a swipe retention to call up the menu of recent apps. The main advantage is the smoothness of animations and additional features, for example, quick switching between applications by double swipe on the lower edge.

2. Android gestures are the standard set of gestures from Google that is familiar to users of pure Android. Here swipe from the bottom up and hold brings up the recent menus, and swipe diagonally from right to left brings back, an option that is suitable for those who often move between devices of different brands and want a unified experience.

If you only use Xiaomi devices and want maximum functionality, stop at MIUI Full Screen Gestures. For those who value versatility or plan to switch to another brand, Android gestures are more suitable.

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

Activating gesture control takes less than a minute, but requires attention to detail. Follow the instructions to avoid typical errors, such as accidentally turning on the developer mode or resetting settings.

1. Open Settings on your Redmi Note 9.

2. Go to the Display section.

3. Select Full-screen Mode (on some versions of MIUI it may be called System Navigation).

4. Here you'll see three options: Buttons, MIUI Gestures and Android Gestures. Choose the one you want.

5. The system will offer short learning -- flip through it to understand the basic movements.

After activation, give yourself 1-2 days to adapt. At first, false positives are possible, especially if you hold the phone with one hand. To reduce their number, adjust the sensitivity of gestures in additional settings (more about this in the next section).

⚠️ Warning: If the screen reacts to late touch after you turn on gestures, check to see if left-handed mode is activated in gesture settings, which may conflict with some applications, such as games or banking clients.

Hidden gesture settings: how to make control perfect

Few people know, but MIUI has hidden settings that allow you to fine-tune gestures to your habits, such as changing the width of the swipe zone, turning off vibration when triggered, or even assigning gestures to run specific applications.

To open the extended settings:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
3. Find Full-screen gestures (or Navigation on the system) and activate additional options.

Now you can:

• 🔧 Change the sensitivity of swipes (useful if gestures are too easy or, conversely, require effort).
• 🔕 Disable the vibration response when the gesture is triggered (saves battery power).
• 🔄 Configure gesture behavior in horizontal orientation (relevant for games and video).
• 🚀 Enable hidden combinations, such as swipe down diagonally to call the notification panel.

One of the most useful improvements is the swipe zone setting, which by default occupies the entire bottom of the screen, but you can narrow it down to 1-2 cm at each edge, which will reduce the number of random positives when you hold your phone with one hand, to change the area:

1. Hold and hold the lower edge of the screen.
2. In 2 seconds, the active zone will be illuminated.
3. Drag the boundaries of the zone in the right position.

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If you drop your phone frequently when using gestures, turn on the "Protection against Accidental Presses" feature in the display settings. It adds a delay of 0.5 seconds before the gesture is triggered if the device is in motion (determined by the gyroscope).

Typical problems and their solutions

Even after you set up your gestures correctly, Redmi Note 9 users may experience problems, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them without going to the service center.

1.Gesturals don't work in some applications

Some programs (especially games or bank clients) block system gestures to avoid accidental clicks.

• 🎮 For games: Enable Immersive Full Screen Mode in the game settings (usually located in the Display or Control section).
• 🏦 For banking applications: add the application to exceptions through Settings → Annexes → Special rights → Full screen mode.
• 🔧 Universal way: activate in the settings for developers the option to Disable full-screen gestures for selected applications.

2. Accidental positives when holding the phone

If the gestures are triggered when you're just holding your phone, the problem is in the swipe area too wide or the sensitivity is high.

• 📏 Reduce the swipe area (instructions in the previous section).
• ⚡ Reduce sensitivity in developer settings.
• 🔄 Try a different type of gesture (for example, go with the MIUI-gestures on Android).

3. Delay in the operation of gestures

If the screen reacts to late swipes, the cause may be:

• 🔋 Low battery charge (below 15%) – the system automatically reduces sensor sensitivity.
• 📱 Overheating of the processor - check the temperature in Settings → The phone. → Status.
• 🛠️ Damaged Software – Reset gesture settings through Settings → Display. → Resetting gesture settings.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI If you're not making any gestures, don't rush your phone to the factory settings, check if the System service is disabled first. UI In the application settings. To do this, go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Show all applications, find the system UI and make sure it's on.

Gestures in games and full-screen applications: features

Games and apps with immersive modes (for example, YouTube or Netflix) often conflict with system gestures, let’s discuss how to configure control to avoid losing functionality.

1. Immersive mode in games

Many mobile games (such as PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) automatically hide the navigation bar, but block system gestures to return control:

• 🎮 In the game settings, find the Control or Display section and disable the Full-screen mode option.
• 🖥️ If you don’t have an option, use a floating window: swipe diagonally from the bottom corner to roll the game into a small window, and turn it back.
• ⚙️ For advanced users: activate the option to turn off full-screen gestures for games in the developer settings.

2. Video players and social media

In apps like YouTube or TikTok, gestures can conflict with playback control, for example, swiping up can simultaneously try to return to the home screen and turn up the volume.

• 🔊 Use gestures in volume: in MIUI You can swipe on the left or right edge of the screen to adjust the volume without interfering with navigation.
• 📺 Turn on screen lock in the player to turn off all gestures while watching.
• 🔄 Change the swipe side to return back (for example, only from the left edge) so as not to conflict with the app gestures.

To test your settings, use gesture mode: go to Settings → Display → Full-screen → Gesture demonstration. Here you will see animations of all available movements and you can practice without the risk of accidentally closing the application.

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In games with support for gamepad (for example, Call of Duty Mobile), system gestures are automatically disabled. To return them, disconnect the gamepad or restart the game.

Alternative Control: What to Do When Gestures Are Not Good

Despite all the advantages, gesture control is not suitable for everyone. If you have tried all the settings but have not been able to get used to it, consider alternative options:

1. Virtual buttons with customization

Even the classic navigation buttons in MIUI can be customized for yourself:

• 🎨 Change the order of the buttons (for example, change the places “Back” and “Recent»).
• 🖼️ Make the buttons translucent or hide them after 3 seconds of inactivity.
• 🔄 Assign a double-click on the Home button to trigger the voice assistant or camera.

2. Navigation panel from third-party developers

If the standard options do not suit, install one of the specialized applications:

• 📱 Fluid Navigation Gestures – adds gestures similar to the iPhone, with the ability to adjust the sensitivity.
• 🖱️ Edge Gestures – allows you to assign gestures to any action, such as launching apps or changing brightness.
• 🎛️ Nova Launcher – supports your own gestures on the desktop (for example, swipe up for search).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party management apps, disable system gestures in Settings → Display. → Full screen mode to avoid conflicts. Also note that such programs may require special features rights, which theoretically reduces the security of the device.

3. Physical buttons (for Redmi Note 9 with Box button)

If your Redmi Note 9 model has a physical Box button (like the Note 9 Pro Max for India), it can be programmed to perform actions instead of gestures.

1. Go to Settings → Buttons and gestures → Box button.
2. Set actions for single, double pressing or retention.
3. Turn off system gestures to avoid duplication of functions.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions