How to remove buttons from the screen on Xiaomi Redmi: from gestures to ADB

The navigation buttons on the Xiaomi Redmi screen โ€” Home, Back, and Recent โ€” take up precious display space, especially on narrow-frame models. Even after switching to gesture control in MIUI, some users find that the virtual bar doesnโ€™t disappear completely or appears at uncomfortable moments. In this article, weโ€™ll look at all the working ways to hide buttons, from standard settings to commands via ADB and editing system files.

The problem is relevant for most devices in the Redmi series - from the budget Redmi 10A up to the flagship Redmi K60 It is important to understand that the methods differ depending on the version. MIUI (12/13/14) button types: physical, virtual or hybrid (like on Redmi Note) 11 Pro+). We tested each method on current firmware 2026 year and set limits for older models.

1. Standard method: activation of gesture control

The easiest method is to activate full-screen gestures in the system settings, which is the official MIUI feature that hides virtual buttons by swiping them around the edges of the screen, suitable for all devices on MIUI 10 and later (including Redmi 12/13).

How to do this:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Open the Settings. โ†’ Display.
  • ๐Ÿ‘† Select Full Screen Mode (or Navigation Type in New Versions).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Switch to Gesture Control (Full-screen gestures option) MIUI Or Android Gestures).
  • โœ… Confirm your choice and wait for the changes to be implemented.

After activation, the buttons will disappear, but you will have to manage the smartphone with swipes:

  • ๐Ÿ”™ Back - swipe from right to left at the edge of the screen.
  • ๐Ÿ  Home - swipe up from the bottom edge.
  • ๐Ÿ“„ Recent - swipe up with a delay or diagonally.
๐Ÿ“Š What navigation you use on Xiaomi?
Classic buttons
MIUI gestures
Android gestures
Other

โš ๏ธ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, Redmi 8) after switching to gestures, the ability to unlock the swipe up may disappear. In this case, use double tap unlock or fingerprint unlock.

2. Hiding buttons through the developer: debugging over USB

If standard gestures donโ€™t work or buttons still appear (for example, in games or applications), you can force the navigation bar to turn off via ADB. This method requires a connection to a computer, but works on all versions of MIUI and Android.

Step-by-step:

  1. Activate Developer Mode: ๐Ÿ”ง Go to Settings. โ†’ The phone. ๐Ÿ“ฑ Tap 7 times on the item Version MIUI. ๐Ÿ”“ Back to Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ For developers.

USB debugging

ADB

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

This command hides all the system panels, including the navigation buttons, and to bring them back, use:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Download Platform Tools from Google|Enable debugging over USB on your phone |Allow debugging for this computer in the dialog box

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โš ๏ธ Note: After executing the command immersive.full, notifications and status bar may disappear. To return only notifications, use immersive.status=* full.

3. editing of the build.prop file: for advanced

This method is suitable for advanced users who are ready to work with system files. It allows you to permanently remove virtual buttons, but requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights. K50.

Instructions:

  1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
  2. Go to /system/build.prop.
  3. Find the line qemu.hw.mainkeys=0 and replace 0 with 1.
  4. Save the file, restart the device.

How to set up Game Tools:

  1. Open Settings โ†’ Special features โ†’ Game Turbo
  2. Add the desired application to the list of games.
  3. Activate the Full Screen Mode option for this application.

๐Ÿ’ก

If the buttons only disappear in some apps, check their settings. For example, on YouTube you can enable gesture control in the Settings menu โ†’ General โ†’ Swipe gestures.

5 Problems and Solutions: Why the buttons don't disappear

Sometimes, even after all the manipulations, the virtual panel stays in place, and then we can look at the reasons and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: The buttons return after the reboot.

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Check if the settings are being reset. ADB (Use the settings put global command policy_control immersive.full=* repeatedly).
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Update. MIUI until the latest version - in the old builds were bugs with saving settings.

Problem 2: In games, a black bar appears instead of a button.

  • ๐ŸŽฎ Turn on the Game Turbo option to Turn off automatic brightness and navigation.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Try another application for forced full screen mode (e.g. Second Screen).

Problem 3: On a Redmi with physical buttons (like the Redmi 7A), the virtual bar is duplicated.

  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Turn off virtual buttons through Settings โ†’ Display. โ†’ Virtual buttons.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฒ If there is no paragraph, use it. ADB-Settings put global policy_control immersive.navigation=*.

๐Ÿ’ก

On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Redmi) K70) Virtual buttons can stick to the display. If you haven't used them in a while, it's best to hide them forever.

Alternative methods: for specific models

Some Xiaomi Redmi devices have unique features that affect the display of buttons.

Redmi Note 11/12 Series:

  • ๐Ÿ”„ These models have a landscape gesture bug. To fix, go to Settings. โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Full-screen display and disable Autoturn for gestures.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Virtual buttons can appear when you connect to Mi TV Turn them off manually in the wireless display settings.

Redmi K50 / K60:

  • ๐ŸŽฏ These models support Dynamic gestures (swipe diagonally for quick switching). Activate them in Settings. โ†’ Gestures โ†’ Additional settings.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง If the buttons do not disappear after the gestures are turned on, reset the settings. MIUI before the factory (Settings) โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Resetting settings).

Redmi 9/10/8 Series:

  • ๐Ÿ“ต Budget models may not have full-screen gestures. ADB or third-party launchers (e.g. Nova Launcher with Hide Navigation Panel setting).

7 Safety and Risks: What You Need to Know

Editing system files (build.prop) or using ADB-commands with immersive.full can lead to unstable sensor performance or problems with displaying notifications. On devices with a locked bootloader (most Redmi "out of the box"), these methods work without the risk of "bricking", but can reset after updating. MIUI.

Safety recommendations:

  • ๐Ÿ”’ Before use ADB Create a backup of data through Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Backup.

โš ๏ธ Note: On HyperOS devices (new firmware for Redmi) K70, Redmi 13) some ADB-In this case, use gesture control through the system settings or wait for the update to fix the bugs.

FAQ: Frequent questions

Can I remove the buttons on Redmi with physical keys (e.g. Redmi 7A)?
Yes, but only a virtual bar if it's duplicated. Physical buttons cannot be deactivated software, they're stitched up at the hardware level. If virtual buttons interfere, use the command adb shell settings put global. policy_control immersive.navigation=*.
After the buttons were hidden, the notifications disappeared.
This is a side effect of the command immersive.full=. Replace it with immersive.status= (shorts only the status bar) or immersive.navigation=* (navigation buttons only). Also check the notification settings in Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Notification management.
On the Redmi Note 10 Pro, the buttons return after the screen is locked. How do you fix it?
This problem is related to battery optimization for system processes. Open Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management โ†’ System settings and turn off Battery Optimization for them. Resetting MIUI settings (without data loss) will also help: Settings โ†’ About Phone โ†’ Settings Reset โ†’ Reset MIUI settings.
Can you hide buttons only in certain applications?
Yeah, that's fine: ๐ŸŽฎ Game Turbo (built-in to the game) MIUI play-off). ๐Ÿ“ฑ Apps like Full Screen Immersive Mode (configured for everyone) APK separately). ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ ADB-The commands with the package: adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.DevelopmentSettings (test).
Will these methods work on Redmi with custom firmware (like LineageOS)?
On custom firmware (not on the MIUI) gesture settings and virtual buttons are managed differently. Usually enough: Go to Settings โ†’ System system โ†’ Gestures, swipe up or 2-For forced concealment, use adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=apps,-com.android.systemui. Note that on some builds (e.g. Pixel Experience), virtual buttons can be sewn into the kernel and not be disabled.