How to Remove the Navigation buttons on Xiaomi Redmi 8: The Complete Guide

Virtual navigation buttons on Xiaomi Redmi 8 take up precious space on the screen, and their random clicks interfere with games or watching videos. Fortunately, the manufacturer and the enthusiast community offer several ways to hide or replace them - from standard MIUI features to advanced tweaks through ADB. But not all methods are equally safe: some require unlocking the bootloader, others may conflict with the shell.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to hide navigation buttons on Redmi 8 (including Redmi 8A and Redmi 8A Dual models), compare their pros and cons, and warn against common errors. Special attention will be paid to control gestures, an alternative to buttons that saves up to 10% of the usable screen area. If you use custom firmware or an older version of MIUI, at the end of the article you will find some recommendations.

📊 Which way of navigation do you prefer?

Classic buttons

Gestures

Hidden buttons (full screen mode)

Never mind.

1. Standard method: full screen mode in MIUI

The easiest and safest method is to activate the built-in full-screen mode through the MIUI settings. It doesn't remove the buttons completely, but hides them until you interact with the screen. It's suitable for all firmware versions, including MIUI 12/13/14 on Redmi 8.

To enable this regime:

Open the Settings → Display.
Select Full-screen Mode (or Display Style in older versions).
Activate Hide the navigation bar or Full-screen gestures.
Confirm the selection and restart the device (optional, but recommended).

Once activated, the buttons will be hidden, but will appear when you swipe from the bottom edge of the screen upwards. This method does not require root rights and is reversible: just go back to the settings and turn off the option.

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If after activating full-screen mode gestures work incorrectly, try calibrating the sensor in the Settings menu → Additional → Screen calibration.

2.Gesturals instead of buttons: setting up in MIUI

Control gestures are a complete replacement for virtual buttons that free up the bottom of the screen. Redmi 8 has two types of gestures: MIUI (swipes from the edges) and Android (standard navigation gestures from Google), the former is more stable, but the latter may seem more familiar to users of other brands.

How to switch to gestures:

📱 Go to Settings. → Display. → Full screen mode.
👆 Choose Gestures MIUI or Android gestures (depending on the firmware version).
🔄 Follow the on-screen hints for gesture training (e.g. swipe up to return to the home screen).
✅ Save settings and test the work in applications.

MIUI gestures on Redmi 8 support:

🔙 Swipe from right to left - back.
🏠 Swipe up – Main screen (holding opens list of recent apps).
🔍 Swipe up and hold – Google search (set up).

What is the difference between MIUI gestures and Android?

MIUI gestures are optimized for the Xiaomi shell: they support additional features, such as quick calling notification panels or running Google Assistant. At the same time, standard Android gestures can conflict with some applications (for example, in games, swiping up is sometimes perceived as a game action).

If gestures seem uncomfortable, go back to the buttons in the same menu. Note that on some versions of MIUI, the navigation buttons disappear completely after switching to gestures, and you will have to return them through settings.

3. Hiding buttons via ADB (no root)

For advanced users who lacked standard methods, there is a way to disable the navigation bar via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to a computer and enabling developer mode.

Step-by-step:

Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
Connect Redmi 8 to your PC, install ADB drivers (if necessary), and open the command prompt.
Enter the command: adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*
Reset the device.

This command causes the system to hide the navigation bar in all applications. To return the buttons, use:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable USB debugging on your phone | Download ADB Tools (platform-tools)| Check the connection with the adb devices | Make a data backup

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⚠️ Attention: After completion ADB-commands some applications (for example, banking) may require the return of standard buttons for correct operation.

4. Third-party applications for hiding buttons

If standard methods don't work, Google Play apps offer flexible button hiding settings, including timers, exceptions for individual apps, and even custom gesture replacements.

Annex	Functions	Root is required.	Reference
Nacho Notch	Hiding buttons, setting gestures, black stripes for masking	❌ No.	Download
Full Screen Gestures	Replace buttons with gestures, support for exceptions for applications	❌ No.	Download
GMD Full Screen	Complete concealment of the navigation bar, setting up transparency	✅ Yes, for all functions)	Download

When using third-party applications, consider:

🔒 Free versions often contain ads or restrictions (for example, Nacho Notch only hides buttons for 10 seconds in free mode).
⚙️ Some features (such as real full-screen gestures) require root rights.
🛡️ Applications will need permission to Overlay over other windows (issued manually in security settings).

⚠️ Attention: Apps like GMD Full Screen can be in conflict with the MIUI, It causes twitching of the interface or random swipes. Before using it, create a restore point in the TWRP (if established).

5. Hiding buttons on custom firmware

If your Redmi 8 runs on custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience, or Havoc-OS), the process of hiding the buttons may be different.

Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
Select System Navigation and activate Gestures or 2-button navigation.
Some firmware (e.g. DerpFest) have a separate Hide navigation bar switch.

On Android 12+ firmware, navigation buttons can be hidden by editing the build.prop file by adding the line qemu.hw.mainkeys=1. This will make the system "think" that the device has physical buttons and the virtual bar will disappear.

For MIUI firmware with modifications (for example, MIUI EU or xiaomi.eu), additional options are available:

🎛️ Settings → Display. → Advanced settings → Full screen mode (more options than in stock firmware).
🔧 Ability to disable gesture prompts (visual prompts when swiping).

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of how to hide the buttons depends on your needs and level of training.

Method	Difficulty	PC required	Root/Unlocking	Reversibility	Suitable for games.
Full-screen MIUI mode	⭐	❌ No.	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	⚠️ Partially.
MIUI/Android gestures	⭐⭐	❌ No.	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
ADB-team	⭐⭐⭐	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
Third-party annexes	⭐⭐	❌ No.	⚠️ Sometimes.	✅ Yes.	⚠️ Depends on the app.
Editing by build.prop	⭐⭐⭐⭐	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	❌ Risky.	✅ Yes.

For most Redmi 8 users, gestures are the best solution. MIUI If you want to completely remove buttons without a trace (for example, for streaming or screencasting), try it. ADB-Third-party applications should be considered only if the standard options do not suit the functionality.

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MIUI gestures are the most balanced option: they do not require additional programs, work stably and free up to 10% of the screen.

Frequent problems and solutions

When you hide navigation buttons on Redmi 8, users experience typical errors.

🔄 The buttons are gone, but the gestures are not working: Restart the device. If the problem persists, return the standard navigation in the settings and repeat the procedure.
🎮 In games, random swipes: Enable the “Gestural Block” mode in the game settings or use apps like Game Tools from Xiaomi.
🔒 Banking apps require buttons to be returned: Add the app to exceptions (in full screen settings) or temporarily disable button hiding.
📱 After updating MIUI buttons back: The update may have reset settings. Re-set gestures or ADB-team.

If none of the methods worked, check:

📋 Version MIUI (In older versions, some functions are missing).
🔧 Availability of system updates (Settings) → The phone. → Update MIUI).
🛠️ Conflicts with other tweaks (for example, if you used Xposed Framework or Magisk modules).

FAQ: Questions and answers

Can you hide navigation buttons without losing functionality?

Yes, if you use MIUI gestures or full-screen mode, which replace buttons with alternative ways of managing (swipes) without cutting the system's capabilities, the only exception being that some banking applications may require classic navigation.

Why does the keyboard not work in some applications after hiding the buttons?

This is a well-known problem when using ADB-The keyboard can go beyond the bottom edge of the screen. Solutions: Manually resize the keyboard window (pull over the top edge). Disable full screen mode for the problem application in the settings. Use an alternative keyboard (e.g. Gboard with indentation settings).

How to return navigation buttons if they are lost after experiments?

Return methods depend on the method of hiding: If you used the settings MIUI — Return the standard navigation to Settings → Display, if you've used it. ADB — Adb shell settings put global settings policy_control If you edited build.prop, delete the added line or restore the file from the backup. If the problem is after a third-party application, delete it or reset it through Settings. → Appendices: Reset settings (Settings) as a last resort → Additionally. → Recovery and reset, but it will delete all data.

Does this work on the Redmi 8A and Redmi 8A Dual?

Yes, all of the methods described are compatible with the Redmi 8A and Redmi 8A Dual, as these models use the same MIUI platform and similar hardware.

Can I hide the navigation buttons on the blocked bootloader?

Yes, most methods (full screen mode, gestures, ADB-commands do not require unlocking the bootloader, except for editing system files (for example, build.prop), which requires root and, accordingly, unlocked bootloader.