How to Remove the Buttons from Xiaomiโ€™s Screen: From Navigation to Advertising

Virtual buttons on Xiaomiโ€™s screen can take up precious space, distract from content, or simply annoy with a constant presence, especially for users of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, where the manufacturer actively integrates banner ads, system hints and navigation bar. But not everyone knows that most of these elements can be hidden or completely turned off โ€“ both temporarily and permanently.

In this article, weโ€™ll look at all the possible ways to remove buttons from the screen, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for power users. Youโ€™ll learn how to remove virtual navigation buttons, disable banner ads in system applications, hide the notification bar in full-screen games, and even remove unnecessary interface elements through ADB. All methods have been tested on the latest firmware versions and are relevant for models from 2020-2026.

Important: Some activities require administrator or unlocked bootloader rights, and if youโ€™re a beginner, start with the safe ways (sections 1-3) and then move on to the advanced ones (sections 4-6).

1. How to remove virtual navigation buttons (panel at the bottom of the screen)

The standard back, home and recent panels take up to 10 percent of the screen's usable area, and MIUI has two official ways to hide it: switch to gesture control or turn off the display altogether.

To activate gestures (recommended method):

  1. Open the Settings โ†’ Display.
  2. Select Full Screen Mode.
  3. Slip on MIUI Gestures (or Android Gestures on new versions).
  4. Follow the system's hints for gesture learning (bottom-up swipe for return to the home screen, latency swipe for multitasking).

If you donโ€™t like gestures, you can simply hide the panel by leaving the navigation through the buttons:

  • ๐Ÿ”น In the same settings (Full screen mode) select Hide the navigation bar.
  • ๐Ÿ”น Activate Automatic Hide option โ€“ the panel will only appear when swipeing from below.
  • ๐Ÿ”น For permanent hiding, use the No button mode (not available on all models).
๐Ÿ“Š What navigation you use on Xiaomi?
MIUI gestures
Classic buttons
Hidden panel.
Other

โš ๏ธ Note: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi Note 11) after the panel is hidden gestures may not work correctly. Before changing the settings, check compatibility in the official documentation for your model.

2. Removal of banner ads and system prompts

Xiaomi is known for integrating ads into system applications, from Browser to Settings, which can be removed without root rights, but you need to disable several settings.

First, deactivate personalized advertising:

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Google โ†’ Advertising.
  2. Turn off Personalized Ads and reset the Advertising Identifier.

Next, remove the ads in the system applications:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Browser: Browser settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Advertising recommendations โ†’ Shut down.
  • ๐Ÿ“ Files: Application settings โ†’ Recommendations โ†’ Turn it off.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Settings: About the phone โ†’ Version. MIUI (tap 7 times to unlock Advanced Settings, then turn off Receive Recommendations).

To remove all ads in MIUI 13/14, use the developer mode:

Settings โ†’ About the phone โ†’ MIUI version (shap 7 times)


Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ For developers โ†’ Disable โ€œShow recommendationsโ€

๐Ÿ’ก

If you have left the ad after you turn off, clear the app cache through Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management โ†’ Clear the cache for each system service.

3. Hiding the notification panel in games and applications

In full-screen games or video, the notification bar (top curtain) can interfere by accidentally opening when swiping. MIUI has a built-in feature to hide it, but it doesn't work in all applications.

To activate the "No Notch" mode:

  1. Open Settings โ†’ Display โ†’ Full-screen mode.
  2. Select Full Screen Display.
  3. Enable the option to Hide the status bar for individual applications (e.g. PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact).

If your app is not supported, use the workaround:

  • ๐ŸŽฎ Activate Game Mode in the Notification Curtain (disables swipes from above).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Install third-party software like Nacho Notch (requires overlay permission).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ For rooted devices: edit the build.prop file by adding the line qemu.hw.mainkeys=1.
MethodRoot requiredWorks in games.Cons
Full-screen MIUI modeโŒ No.โœ… Yes (selectively)Not all applications are supported
Game modeโŒ No.โœ… Yes.Disable all notifications
Nacho NotchโŒ No.โœ… Yes.Could be in conflict with gestures
Editing by build.propโœ… Yes.โœ… Yes.Risk of disrupting the system

4. Remove buttons via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods donโ€™t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for deep system configuration, which is suitable for removing system buttons (for example, the Google Assistant button in the navigation bar) or disabling unnecessary interface elements.

Before starting work:

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable debugging over USB in developer settings | Download ADB platform from Google | Connect phone to PC via cable-->

Commands for removing elements:

# Turn off the "Recent" button (multi-tasking)


adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1




Remove the Google Assistant button from the navigation bar



adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant




Hide the search icon on the main screen



adb shell settings put secure laf.show_search_bar 0

To return the changes, use:

adb shell settings delete global force_fsg_nav_bar


adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.apps.googleassistant

โš ๏ธ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can cause system applications to lose functionality or restart cycle.Before experimenting, back up through Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Backup.

5. Hiding buttons in specific applications (YouTube, Chrome, etc.)

Some apps (like YouTube or Chrome) add their own controls that cannot be removed through the system settings, which can be helped by either built-in app features or third-party utilities.

For YouTube:

  • ๐ŸŽฅ Turn on Mode of the cinema (double tap on video) - hides the control panel.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Use modified versions (YouTube Vanced or ReVanced) with the option to turn off the buttons.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ For rooted devices: delete the com.google.android.youtube package and install Vanilla YouTube.

For Chrome:

  • ๐ŸŒ Activate the reading mode (โ‹ฎ โ†’ Reading โ€“ removes all buttons and ads.
  • ๐Ÿ” Install the uBlock Origin extension to block obsessive elements.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ In the browser settings, disable Show the "Share" button and Suggest articles.
How to return hidden buttons to YouTube?
If the playback control buttons are lost after using YouTube Vanced or ReVanced, clear the app cache or reinstall it. In the modified version settings, there is a Restore UI elements by default.

6. Radical methods: disabling through TWRP and editing system files

If you are willing to take drastic measures and you have unlocked the bootloader, you can remove buttons at the system file level, which is suitable for removing built-in Xiaomi services (for example, Mi Video, Mi Music) or deep customization of the interface.

Instructions for TWRP:

  1. Install custom recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
  2. Create a backup copy of the /system partition.
  3. Go to /system/priv-app via the file manager in TWRP.
  4. Delete folders with unnecessary applications (for example, MiBrowserGlobal for the browser).
  5. Wipe the Dalvik cache and restart the device.

To edit systemui (remove system buttons):

  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Decompile. SystemUI.apk via Apktool.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง In the file res/layout/navigation_bar.xml Delete the lines with the description of the buttons.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Compile back and run through Magisk or TWRP.

โš ๏ธ Attention: Removal of system APK through TWRP may result in loss OTA-updates and errors in the work MIUI. Use this method only if you understand the risks!

๐Ÿ’ก

Editing system files is the most effective, but also the most dangerous way. Always back up before making changes and check for compatibility with your version of MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing buttons on Xiaomi

Can I remove the navigation buttons without gestures?
Yes, in the Full Screen Mode settings, there is an option to Hide the navigation bar. Buttons will only appear when swiping from the bottom. Some models (POCO X3, Redmi 10) also have No button mode, where navigation is only through gestures.
Why does it reappear after the MIUI ad is turned off?
Chances are you haven't turned off Personalized Ads in Google's settings, and check if your settings have reset after you upgrade. ADB-Section 4 teams.
How to return the buttons if they are missing after the experiments with ADB?
Restore standard settings via commands: adb shell settings delete global force_fsg_nav_bar adb shell settings delete secure laf.show_search_bar If it doesnโ€™t help, reset your settings to Settings. โ†’ System system โ†’ Resetting settings (without deleting data).
Can I remove the Home button in games without hiding the notification bar?
Yes, use the Game Tools app (included in MIUI): Open Settings โ†’ Special Features โ†’ Game Tools. Add the game to the list. Activate the gesture lock option - this will turn off swipes from the bottom, but leave a notification bar.
Which Xiaomi models donโ€™t support navigation bar hiding?
On devices with physical buttons (Redmi 4A, Mi A1) or older versions of MIUI (below 10), there may be no hiding option. Some regional firmware (for example, for China) have limitations. Check the availability of the feature in Settings โ†’ Display.