How to Remove the Bottom Buttons on Xiaomi: From Gestures to Completely Hiding the Panel

Why Xiaomi’s screen buttons get in the way – and can they be removed forever?

The bottom panel with the Back, Home and Recent buttons on Xiaomi smartphones takes up precious screen space, especially on devices with small diagonals or camera cutouts. Even in MIUI 14/15, the manufacturer defaults to classic navigation, although alternatives like gestures have been around for a long time. But the problem is not only lost pixels: random taps on the panel during games or watching videos annoy many users.

In this article, 5 working ways to hide or completely remove the bottom buttons on Xiaomi, from standard settings to advanced methods using ADB. We will understand which options are suitable for different versions of MIUI (including HyperOS), and warn against common errors that can lead to loss of functionality of touch gestures after disabling the panel.

Important: Not all methods are equally secure, for example, disabling system buttons through the engineering menu may disrupt some applications, and incorrect ones may cause problems. ADB-commands to block access to settings. So before experimenting, check if your Xiaomi model supports gesture navigation (list of compatible devices - in the table below).

Method 1: Switch to gesture navigation (standard method)

The easiest and most official way to hide the bottom panel is to activate full-screen gestures, a technique that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and up, including models on HyperOS. Gestures replace buttons with swipes around the edges of the screen, freeing up to 10% of usable area.

How to turn on:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select Full Screen Mode (or Navigation Type in newer versions).
3. Activate Full Screen gestures or MIUI Gesture Navigation.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to remember new gestures (e.g. swipe from the bottom up to return to the home screen).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after switching to gestures, the bottom panel does not disappear immediately, but only after restarting the device.

Make a backup copy of important data|Charge your phone at least 50%|Check the compatibility of the model with gestures|Remember the location of new gestures-->

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If gestures seem uncomfortable, return classic navigation through the same settings.The system will save your choice even after the MIUI update.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Does not require root rights or ADB.
• 📱 It works on 95% of Xiaomi devices (except the oldest models on the market). MIUI 9 and below).
• 🔒 Safe – does not affect the guarantee.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Not all apps (especially banking) work properly with gestures.
• ❌ On some devices, there is a thin gray strip at the bottom of the screen.

Method 2: Hiding the panel through the developer settings

If gesture navigation doesn't work, and the buttons are annoying, you can hide the panel visually, and you can keep it functional, and this trick works through the developer's Settings and doesn't require root rights.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to the main settings, open the section Additional → For developers.
3. Find the USB debugging option and turn it on.
4. Scroll down to the Drawing block and activate Hide the navigation bar (or Force full-screen display in English firmware).

⚠️ Warning: Once this option is activated, the bottom bar will disappear, but the buttons will remain "invisible" - you can press them by swiping your finger along the bottom edge of the screen. This can cause random positives, so the method is not suitable for everyone.

What models are suitable for:

Method 3: Using apps to hide buttons

If the system methods didn't work, you can use third-party utilities.

• 📱 Nacho Notch – hides the navigation panel and the cutout under the camera, works without root.
• 🔧 Full Screen Immersive Mode – Supports automatic concealment when running games or videos.
• 🎯 Edge Gestures – Replaces buttons with custom gestures (requires) ADB).

⚠️ Note: Apps like Nacho Notch can conflict with system gestures MIUI. Before installation, turn off the full-screen mode in the display settings, otherwise interface freezes are possible.

How to set up Full Screen Immersive Mode:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and grant permission to Overlay over other windows.
3. In the settings, select Hide Navigation Bar.
4. Activate the Auto-hide in landscape option if you want to hide the panel only in horizontal mode.

Warning: Some banking applications (such as SberBank Online or Tinkoff) may block the operation of devices with a hidden navigation bar, considering this as a sign of a rooted phone.

Gesture navigation|Developer settings|Third-party annexes|ADB-team|I haven't tried.-->

Method 4: Disable buttons via ADB (for advanced ones)

If you need to completely remove the bottom panel (including its functionality), and not just hide it, you will have to use it. ADB-This method is suitable for advanced users and requires connecting the phone to a computer.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB phone-on.
• 🔌 USB Type C C Cable (Original or High Quality).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Execute the command to disable the navigation bar: adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*
5. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Once this command is completed, the back, home and recent buttons will stop working at all:

adb shell settings put global policy_control null

For which cases is suitable:

• 🎮 Smartphones (Black Shark, POCO F, where each part of the screen is important.
• 📺 Watching video in full screen without interference.
• 🛠️ Testing of custom firmware.

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ADB-The most radical way to do this is to make a team work, but also the most dangerous way. A syntax error can cause a system interface to fail. Always check the commands before executing!

Method 5: Edit the build.prop file (root only)

If your Xiaomi has root rights, you can turn off navigation buttons by editing the build.prop system file. This method is suitable for custom firmware or devices with an unlocked bootloader.

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. If it's not available, add it to the end of the file.
4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing build.prop can lead to bootloop (locked phone turn on!

What this method does:

• 🔧 Completely remove virtual buttons without the possibility of accidentally pressing.
• 📲 Compatible with any gestures (including third-party gestures, such as Fluid Navigation Gestures).
• ⚡ Ability to fine-tune through additional parameters in build.prop.

Cons:

• ❌ Requires root rights (breaks the guarantee).
• ❌ Risk of damaging system files.
• ❌ After updating MIUI change may be reset.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successful button hiding, Xiaomi users face typical challenges.

Problem 1: Gestures are unstable (for example, swipe back is triggered once).

Solution: Check gesture sensitivity in Settings → Display → Full-screen mode → Guest settings. Increase the trigger zone or calibrate the sensor.

Problem 2: After hiding the panel, some apps (such as games) don’t go full screen.

Solution: In the developer settings, activate Force Full-screen display. For individual applications, use the Ignore display cutouts option.

Problem 3: The lock buttons are still on the screen, although they are hidden in the system.

Solution: This is a feature of MIUI. To remove buttons and lock, install a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher) and set it up in full-screen mode.

Problem 4: After use ADB-The phone stopped responding to swipes.

Solution: Return standard settings with adb shell settings put global policy_control null and restart the device. If that doesn't work, reset your settings through Recovery.

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If after hiding the buttons, access to the notification panel disappeared, swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen - this is an alternative gesture to open the curtain.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions