Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face the urge to change the standard interface of the device, especially on the bottom of the screen where the navigation controls are located. How to remove the Xiaomi button becomes a topic for those who want to free up useful space or switch to more modern gesture control methods. In modern shells MIUI and the new HyperOS, the procedure for changing navigation settings has undergone several changes, but remained quite accessible for the average user.
The need to remove virtual buttons is often dictated by the desire to get full-screen immersion when watching videos or games. In addition, many users find swipes more convenient and faster than constantly pressing on screen elements. Understanding where the desired switches are hiding allows you to quickly adapt your smartphone to your habits without resorting to installing third-party software.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to change the configuration of the bottom panel, you will learn how to completely turn off buttons, switch to gestures or change their appearance, and you will also discuss the adjustment of the auxiliary ball, which is often confused with the main navigation.
Differences between buttons and gestures in MIUI
Before we make any changes, it’s important to understand the difference between the navigation methods available. Xiaomi’s shells have historically developed two main approaches: the first is the classic virtual buttons located at the bottom of the display, which visually resemble the physical interface of older Android smartphones and include Back, Home and App Menu.
The second option is full-scale gestures, which when activated, the lower band with the icons disappears, freeing up a significant portion of the screen, and is controlled by swipes from the edges of the display, which is considered more ergonomic for devices with large diagonals, since it allows you to reach the control areas of the thumb of one hand without intercepting the gadget.
⚠️ Attention: Switching to gestures may take a short time to get used to.Muscular memory often forces you to look for buttons in a place where they are no longer there.
It's worth noting that different firmware versions may have slightly different layouts, but the logic of how the system navigation works remains the same across all the brand's devices, and understanding these differences will help you choose the best option for everyday use.
Step-by-step instructions for disabling buttons
The process of removing navigation buttons is a regular function of the system and does not require obtaining superuser rights. All actions are performed through the standard settings menu. To remove the buttons, you need to go to the Settings section, then select the option (in some versions it may be called "Advanced Settings"), This is where key interface parameters are hidden.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- 📱 Find and open Full-screen Mode (or System Navigation»).
- 🔄 In the menu you will see two options: “Buttons” and “Gestural gestures».
- ✅ Select the “Gestions” option to instantly remove buttons from the screen.
- ⚙️ If necessary, adjust the sensitivity of the edges or the order of the buttons.
Once you select Gesture mode, the bottom bar will disappear, and if you want to just reorder the buttons without removing them completely, the button location option is available in the same menu, where you can swap the Back and Menu functions, which is relevant for users who have switched from iOS or other brands.
☑️ Check before changing navigation
If you can’t find the item you want, try temporarily turning on a standard Classic or Default theme, which will bring back the usual menu look and make it easy to find the switch you want.
Setting and removing the floating ball
Often, users who use the phrase "take off the button" don't mean the bottom bar, but a floating round icon known as the "Floating Ball" or "Assistive Touch," which is an interface element that comes from iOS and allows quick accessing of frequently used features, screenshots or menu returns. However, it can overlap content in games or videos.
To remove this element, you need to follow the Settings → Additional → Floating Ball path. This is where the master switch is located. If it's active, just turn it to the Off position. This action will instantly hide the round button from any screen.
If you use this tool, but it interferes in certain situations, you can customize its behavior, for example, enable automatic concealment when you start games or videos, and for this purpose, there is an option on the balloon menu to Hide when you start applications, which is a compromise solution that allows you not to abandon the function completely.
| Function | Location on the menu | Screen impact |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation (Buttons) | Full screen mode | Takes the lower lane |
| Floating ball | Floating ball | Swims over windows |
| Sidebar. | Sidebar. | Hidden at the edge of the screen |
| Quick setups | Notification curtain | Not taking up space. |
Control of the side panel and other elements
Another element that is sometimes seen as an extra button is the sidebar of the toolbar, which appears when swiping from the edge of the screen in apps and games. Although it is a useful tool for multitasking, its accidental appearance can be annoying, and you can control this element through a search by settings by typing in the query "Sidebar".
In the menu that opens, you can not only turn off the panel, but you can also configure the list of applications where it appears. It's a flexible approach: you can leave the panel for the browser, but remove it in games to avoid accidental clicks. Selectively disabling functions is a sign of a mature operating system.
⚠️ Note: Disabling navigation system elements does not affect the operation of applications. However, in some older programs, the absence of buttons can cause difficulties with leaving the menu.
Also worth mentioning is the power and volume button. Physical buttons on the Xiaomi body sometimes have software features, such as starting Google Assistant with a long press. If you want to "remove" this feature so as not to activate the assistant accidentally, go to Settings → Additional → Buttons and turn off the launch of the voice assistant.
Solving problems with the disappearance of buttons
There are times when buttons disappear by themselves, without user intervention, or, conversely, do not disappear after switching modes, most often this is due to the system process freeze SystemUI. In this case, a simple reboot of the device helps. If the reboot did not help, check whether the Full Screen mode for a particular application is turned on.
In MIUI, there is a customization for each application. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Full-screen mode. There will be a list of all programs installed. Make sure that the switch opposite the desired application (for example, YouTube or browser) is activated. If it is turned off, the application will run with black fields and buttons.
Sometimes the problem is that the theme cache is damaged, so if the interface is not good after changing the theme, go back to the standard design, and then in the Themes app, you have to select a user profile and click on the standard theme icon, and this will drop visual bugs that could block the navigation settings from changing.
Features of navigation in HyperOS
With the release of the new HyperOS shell, which replaced MIUI, the menu structure has changed, the logic has remained the same, but the names of items and their location have shifted, and navigation settings are now often located directly in the Desktop section or in a separate subitem System Navigation in the main settings menu.
HyperOS has improved the animation of the transition between gestures and applications. The system better recognizes the edges of the screen, which makes one-handed control even more convenient. If you have upgraded to the new version and can not find the old settings, use the search bar at the top of the settings menu. Type the phrase "gestures" or "navigation" will immediately redirect you to the desired section.
Users note that the new shell has made gestures more responsive. the home swipe area has become wider, reducing the number of erroneous clicks and making the abandonment of buttons an even more attractive use case.