How to Remove Navigation Buttons on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which run MIUI and HyperOS shells, offer users a high degree of customization of the interface. Many device owners are accustomed to gesture control, which allows you to use the entire screen area without unnecessary elements. However, standard setting often involves three buttons at the bottom of the display that take up useful space and can interfere with the viewing of content. Remove these elements or replace them with more modern counterparts – a task that is solved in a few touches, but has its nuances depending on the version of the operating system.

The process of changing the way you navigate affects the system settings of Android, adapted by Xiaomi engineers. This means that changing the settings does not require superuser rights or installing third-party software. All the necessary tools are already built into the Settings menu. Understanding how to switch between buttons and gestures works will help to avoid random changes that can disorient the user who first switches to the new control scheme.

It’s worth noting that the visual design of the controls can vary across models, whether it’s a budget Redmi Note or a flagship Xiaomi 14. The logic of the system remains the same, but the location of menu items sometimes changes with major firmware updates. If you want to free the screen from unnecessary graphic elements or just try a more ergonomic way of interacting with the interface, this instruction will be a comprehensive source of information for you. We will consider not only the basic switching, but also fine-tuning the sensitivity.

Difference Between Buttons and Gestures in MIUI

Traditional three-button navigation (Triangle, Circle, Square) is a legacy of early Android. It provides clear visualization of actions: return, access to the desktop and switch tasks. However, this approach requires a dedicated area of the screen at the bottom, which visually reduces usable space, especially on devices with elongated proportions. For many users, the presence of static elements distracts from immersing in content, whether it is games or watching videos in full screen.

Gesture control, by contrast, involves using the edges of the screen to execute commands. Swipe from the bottom up returns to the main screen, swipe from the side of the edge is a "back" action. This system allows applications to occupy the entire area of the matrix, creating a frameless effect even when there is a cutout for the camera. The ergonomics of this approach is often ranked higher, since the thumbs naturally perform sliding movements than point taps into the bottom of the display.

When switching to gestures, the system offers two visual options: no prompts at all, or a thin strip at the bottom of the screen. The complete absence of elements gives maximum freedom of view, but requires remembering swipe zones. The bar serves as a visual anchor to tell you where to start moving. The choice between these modes is a matter of taste, but technically both are gesture control systems, not button navigation.

⚠️ Note: When you first switch to gestures, the system can show a brief training video. Do not skip it if you have not previously used a smartphone without buttons, as the logic of return in applications may differ from the usual one.

Step-by-step instruction: transition to gesture management

To get rid of the navigation buttons, you need to change the system settings in the settings menu, which takes no more than a minute and does not require rebooting the device. It is important to perform actions in sequence, so as not to get confused with the new designations that appear immediately after the switch. The settings interface can vary slightly depending on whether you are using the global version of the firmware or the Chinese version.

Follow the algorithm to activate the desired mode:

• 📱 Open the Settings app on your Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone.
• 🔍 At the top of the screen, search and enter the “Navigation” request or manually navigate to the “More” section».
• 🖐 Select System Navigation (in some versions it is immediately in the main settings menu).
• ✅ Activate the “Full Screen Control” or “Gestes” switch, depending on the interface translation.

After doing this, the three classic buttons will disappear from the screen. If you choose the bar-indicator mode, a thin line will appear at the bottom. To return to the buttons, you just need to reverse the action in the same menu. Some older device models may not support full-fledged concealment of the bar-indicator without using additional methods, which will be discussed below. In the standard scenario, the system will ask you to choose one of two options for gesture design.

How to hide the gesture indicator strip

Many users who switch to gestures want to remove not only the buttons, but also the lower bar-indicator, which still takes up space on the screen. In standard MIUI settings, there is often no direct switch "Hide the strip", which is puzzling. However, in most modern versions of shells, this option is hidden inside the gesture type selection menu. To get a completely clean screen, you need to carefully study the available display options.

The process of hiding the indicator is as follows:

1. Go to the Settings menu → “Additional” → “System Navigation”.
2. Make sure you select the Full Screen Control mode.
3. Click on the settings icon (cog) next to the selected mode or select the option “Fullscreen gestures without prompts” if such item is available in your region.
4. Confirm action if the system requests a re-click to confirm the selection.

If you can’t choose a stripless mode on your menu, this can be a limitation of a particular firmware version or regional build. In this case, the strip can disappear automatically when you run games or video players that support full-screen mode. For regular applications, Xiaomi developers sometimes leave the indicator as a mandatory element so that the user does not lose orientation in the interface space.

Switching sensitivity and swipe zone

Moving to buttonless controls requires getting used to screen areas. To make your smartphone comfortable, the system allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the edges and the scope of gestures. This is especially true for devices with curved screens or for users who use protective glasses with thick edges. Incorrect settings can lead to accidental positives or, conversely, to ignore your touches.

The system navigation menu often has a section called "Gestural settings" or similar, where you can adjust the following settings:

• 🎚 Edge sensitivity: determines how hard you need to press or how far from the edge the swipe should start.
• ↔️ Return area: allows you to choose which side of the screen the Back gesture is running (left, right, or both sides).
• ⏱ Animation delay: affects the interface response rate when swiping.

The optimal setting for most scenarios is the average sensitivity and activation of gestures on both sides, which allows you to comfortably control your smartphone with one hand, changing your grip. If you notice swipes from the edge of the screen conflict with actions inside applications (for example, in games or browsers with side menus), it makes sense to reduce sensitivity or temporarily switch to control mode on one side, these parameters are individual and selected by trial.

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Useful tip: If you often use side menu apps that swipe opens, set up a back gesture on only one side (e.g., right) to prevent the menu from accidentally closing when you try to browse through content.

Navigation Methods Comparison: What to Choose

Choosing between buttons and gestures is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also of usability in specific scenarios. To help you decide, we've prepared a highlight comparison table that will highlight the key differences between the two approaches. Each method has its own advantages for certain types of users and tasks.

Analysis of the table shows that buttons only win in one aspect: learning speed. For older people or those who rarely change habits, the classic scheme remains preferred. However, for those who appreciate every millimeter of the screen and want to harness the potential of modern displays, gestures are the only choice.

It is also worth considering that in some games, the presence of program buttons can lead to accidental exits to menus or to the desktop. Gestures in this regard are safer, since game interfaces usually block random swipes from the edges, but can not block clicking on the screen buttons unless they are hidden automatically by the system.

Solution: buttons are gone or not working

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the navigation buttons disappear spontaneously, or after switching to gestures, swipes stop working. Such situations can be caused by a malfunction of the SystemUI system process or conflict with the established themes of design. If the standard switching in the settings menu does not help to regain control of the device, a number of diagnostic actions must be performed.

Try to reboot your smartphone first. This trivial action often resolves issues with the system services that are hanging. If the buttons are not back, check if the Do Not Disturb mode or special features that can block the controls are activated, and it is also worth temporarily disabling any installed themes or launchers, as they can make changes to the navigation system files.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen has completely stopped responding to touch and the buttons do not appear, try to perform a forced reboot by clamping the on and up volume button on the screen. 10-15 It'll help you get out of the software freeze.

In more complex cases, where the problem is software-based and not solved by rebooting, it may be necessary to reset navigation settings through an engineering menu or debugging over USB. However, for the average user it will be safer to reset all settings to factory, pre-saving important data. Before radical measures, make sure that the screen does not have cracks or contaminants that can block the sensor at the bottom of the screen, where the swipe areas are located.

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The most common cause of buttons disappearing is accidentally switching to gesture mode or crashing the theme, and rebooting the device solves the problem 80 percent of the time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)