Modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the popular Redmi and POCO series, use classic three-button navigation by default. However, many users who switch from other devices or just follow trends want to free up useful screen space. Removing buttons on Xiaomi is not just an aesthetic solution, but also a way to improve the ergonomics of using the gadget with one hand.
MIUI provides flexible tools for customizing system navigation. In this article, we will detail how to switch to gesture control, how to hide an annoying bar at the bottom of the screen, and what to do if standard methods don’t work.
Benefits of gesture management on MIUI
The shift from physical or screen buttons to gesture controls has a number of tangible benefits: First, it's a significant increase in the usable area of the display, and the absence of static elements at the bottom of the screen allows content, whether it's video or web pages, to be displayed in its entirety without cropping.
Second, navigation is faster and more intuitive, and instead of just reaching for a specific button, you swipe in the right direction, which is especially true for owners of devices with large diagonals, where reaching the bottom corner is difficult.
Xiaomi has implemented its version of gestures, which is slightly different from stock Android. Here swipe to the right of the left edge of the screen goes back, swipe up is access to the desktop, and swipe up late opens the menu of running applications. Understanding this logic is the first step to comfortable use.
In addition, the rejection of buttons reduces the risk of their burnout on the AMOLED-It's a way of extending the life of the matrix and keeping color reproduction uniform throughout the entire display surface throughout the life of the smartphone.
⚠️ Attention: It may take several days for the first gesture switch to adapt muscle memory to new movements.
Standard way to switch through settings
The official method of disabling navigation buttons is built into the system and is available on all current versions of the firmware. First, you need to go to the main settings menu of the device, find the gear icon on your desktop or in the notification curtain.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- 📱 In the settings menu, find the Additional Settings section (sometimes it may simply be called “Advanced").
- 🖱️ Select Full Screen Mode. In some versions MIUI This item may be called "System Navigation".
- ✅ Switch the switch or select Full-screen mode instead of "Buttons".
When you activate this mode, the three buttons that you're used to will disappear, and instead you'll get a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, which signals that the system is ready to accept gestures, and if you want to remove that bar, read the next section of the instructions.
It is important to note that some global versions of firmware may have slightly different paths. Sometimes the option is moved to Screen → Navigation on screen. If you do not find the right item in "Additional Settings", be sure to check the section associated with the display.
How to hide the bar-indicator at the bottom of the screen
Many users are annoyed by the thin stripe that remains after the full screen mode is turned on. Fortunately, Xiaomi has the ability to completely hide this visual element, making the interface completely clean.
To do this, you'll need to re-enter the Full-screen mode menu, and there, under the navigation type switch, you'll see an option called Hide the indicator, and if you activate it, you'll remove the bar from the screen.
But there's a caveat to consider: the bar serves as a visual cue to make gestures, and without it, it can be difficult for a beginner to know where to start swiping, but after a couple of days of use, you won't notice it's missing, because the movements will become automatic.
There is also a hidden method that doesn't work on all versions, but it's worth a try. In the same navigation settings menu, sometimes there's an option to change the transparency or color of the indicator, making it less visible without completely removing it.
⚠️ Warning: Hiding the indicator can make it difficult to use the smartphone in the dark, as you will not see the edge of the screen.Be prepared for the fact that the first swipes may not work due to the wrong angle of the finger.
If the standard setting does not hide the strip completely, this may be due to the features of a particular version of Android or the MIUI shell. In such cases, the system forcibly leaves a minimum marker to comply with the interface security guidelines.
Setting sensitivity and speed of gestures
Once you've managed to remove the buttons on Xiaomi, you may find that the gestures don't work perfectly, sometimes the system doesn't recognize the swipe, sometimes it reacts too sharply, and there are special settings for fine-tuning the behavior of the interface.
In the Full Screen Mode section, there's often the point "Speed of animation" or "Sensitivity of edges," and by adjusting these values, you can make the system's response smoother or faster, which is especially useful for users who are used to the specific pace of work with the gadget.
Also, you should pay attention to the settings of specific applications. Some programs may conflict with system gestures, in which case MIUI suggests temporarily returning buttons for a particular running application, this is done through a pop-up window when you start the program or in the settings of the application itself.
For advanced users, you can adjust the swipe length to return, so if you accidentally hit the edge of the screen and keep going back, increasing the required swipe length will solve this problem, making navigation more conscious and preventing errors.
Use of third-party applications for navigation
If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t suit you or don’t work properly, Google Play apps will come to the rescue, allowing you to completely replace system navigation, offering unique designs and advanced functionality.
One of the most popular solutions is the Navigation Bar app, which allows you to create your own set of buttons, change their size, transparency and location, and you can place buttons in any corner of the screen or even make them float.
Another powerful tool is Fluid Navigation Gestures, which completely replicates and enhances standard Android gestures, allowing you to customize swipes from any edge of the screen, add additional actions with a long press, and even change the look of the bar to your taste.
However, using third-party software has its downsides: applications such as Accessibility Service and Display over other apps require additional permissions, which can slightly increase battery consumption.
Below is a table comparing the standard method and third-party applications:
| Parameter | System setup | Third-party annexes | Engineering menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stability of work | Tall. | Medium | Depends on the version. |
| Battery consumption | Minimum | Elevated | Minimum |
| Flexibility of setting | Low. | Very high. | Medium |
| Complexity of installation | Simple. | Medium | Tall. |
When choosing a third-party solution, make sure it is compatible with your version of Android. Often, system updates break the functionality of such applications, and developers take time to release a patch.
Hidden opportunities through the engineering menu
For users who are not afraid to experiment, there is access to hidden settings through an engineering menu, which allows for deeper penetration into the system, but requires caution.
To get into the engineering settings menu, open the Phone app and type in the code ##6484##. If the code doesn't work, your firmware version may be blocking that access, so you can try downloading the QC Engineer app from the Play Market.
Inside the menu, you'll find a section that's linked to Common or UI Settings, and there's a Navigation Bar option that you can force to turn off button displays even when the system tries to return them, but remember that this is an interference with system files.
⚠️ Note: Changing the settings in the engineering menu is at your own risk. Before making changes, we strongly advise you to create a full backup of the data, as resetting may be the only way to return everything as it was.
If after manipulation in the engineering menu the phone began to behave strangely (image disappears, touch commands do not work), try to restart the device in safe mode.
☑️ Check before changing navigation
Solution: buttons don't disappear or come back
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after all the settings, the buttons do not go anywhere, or they disappear, but after a while they reappear, this is a common problem that is often solved with simple actions.
The first thing to do is check for system updates. Bugs in older versions of MIUI could block full-screen mode. Go to Settings → About phone and click on the MIUI version to check for updates.
The second reason could be a conflict with the theme. Some third-party themes downloaded from Themes store have their hardcoded navigation options that overlap the system settings. Try switching to a standard Classic or Default theme and checking the result.
It's also worth checking if Safe Mode is enabled, which can be limited in many ways, and if you see "Safe Mode" in the corner of the screen, just restart your phone in the normal way.
If nothing helps, reset your navigation settings, and to do this, in the Full Screen Mode menu, switch back to the buttons, restart the phone, and then activate the gestures again, often by shaking up the system process that controls the interface.
The effect of navigation on the speed of the device
Many people wonder if navigation affects how fast a smartphone works, and in theory, drawing three buttons requires minimal CPU and graphics card resources, and turning off the buttons and switching to program gestures can give a tiny performance boost on very old Redmi or POCO models.
But on today's RAM devices, the difference is subtle. A more important factor is optimizing the MIUI system itself. If the interface works smoothly with buttons, it will also work smoothly with gestures.
Also worth mentioning is Memory Extension, which can affect the interface response rate on some models, and if you notice lags after you turn on gestures, try experimenting with the memory settings in the Additional section.
In conclusion, choosing the type of navigation is a matter of personal taste and habit, but for most users of modern Xiaomi smartphones, the abandonment of buttons is a step forward, opening up new control options and a cleaner visual experience.