How to Remove the Home Button on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Many Xiaomi smartphone users are faced with the desire to clean the screen of unnecessary interface elements. The standard navigation bar with three buttons at the bottom of the display often takes up useful space and visually overloads the image, especially on devices with not the highest diagonals, where every millimeter of the workspace counts.

With the latest versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, the company offers flexible tools to customize controls. You can not just change the appearance of the buttons, but also completely switch to gesture control, making the interface more modern and similar to the flagship solutions of competitors. Understanding these settings allows you to adapt the smartphone to individual preferences of ergonomics.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways available to change or completely remove the bottom navigation bar. We will look at the standard methods available in the standard menu, as well as touch on more advanced options for power users. Follow the instructions to make your device as comfortable as possible.

Benefits of switching to gesture management

The shift away from traditional buttons to swipes is not just a fashion homage, but a real improvement in ergonomics: gesture control frees up a large part of the screen that the navigation bar used to occupy, and this is especially true when watching videos, reading books or surfing the Internet, when the content should be as large as possible.

And then swipes allow you to switch between applications faster, and instead of reaching for the bottom Task Menu button, you just swipe up and hold your finger, and this opens up a list of running programs where you can instantly select the right window or close the unnecessary processes.

• 🚀 Increase the usable screen area for displaying content without cropping the interface.
• 📱 Faster and more intuitive switching between active applications in one move.
• 🎨 Aesthetic appearance as the bottom of the screen remains clean and not distracting.
• 🖱️ Reduced risk of accidental tapping, as swipe areas are less sensitive to short-term touches.

It's worth noting that the new control method is a bit of a habit, and users often try to push a button out of inertia for the first few days, but after a period of adaptation, which usually takes about a week, it seems uncomfortable to go back to the buttons. HyperOS and the latest versions of MIUI offer very smooth transition animations, making the gestures a visual pleasure.

⚠️ Attention: When you switch to gestures, the logic of the menu returns will change. Instead of single tap, you will use a swipe from the bottom edge of the screen upwards.

Standard method of disabling through system settings

The easiest and safest way to change the type of navigation is built directly into the smartphone settings menu, which does not require superuser rights or third-party software installations.

To start, you need to open the main settings menu of your gadget. Usually, the gear icon is located on the desktop or in the notification curtain. Depending on the firmware version, the path to the desired parameter may vary slightly, but the overall logic remains the same for all devices of the brand.

Find the partition that handles screen and system navigation, and most of the current shells call it "Additional Settings" or just "Screen," and that's where the switch that lets you choose between buttons and gestures hides.

Once the gesture mode is activated, the system will offer a brief tutorial, an interactive guide will show you the main movements: swipe up to return to the desktop, swipe with a delay for the task menu and swipe from the edge to return back, and it is recommended to carefully study these movements to immediately start using the phone correctly.

If you don't find the right item right away, use the search bar at the top of the settings menu. Type in "navigation" or "gestures" and the system will redirect you to the right section.

Sensitivity setting and hiding the indicator band

Once the buttons have disappeared, many users notice a thin stripe at the bottom of the screen, which serves as a visual cue for the home swipe area, but its presence can be annoying for those who are striving for absolute minimalism or watching black boxes.

Fortunately, Xiaomi has designed a way to hide this indicator, so you have to go back to the same menu where you chose the navigation type, and there's a separate switch, often called "Hide gestures" or similar, and activate it to remove the bar, making the screen completely clean.

Another important parameter is the sensitivity of the edges of the screen. The gesture menu often has a setting that allows you to increase or decrease the area that responds to the back swipes. If you accidentally hit the edges of the screen when playing or reading, this sensitivity should be reduced.

For users who often use a smartphone with one hand, setting the back button position is useful. In gesture mode, you can choose which side of the screen the return swipe will work from, which is especially convenient for left-handed people who are used to moving from the left edge, or vice versa.

• 👆 Accuracy of hit: Hiding the strip requires a clearer hit to the bottom of the screen.
• 🎮 Game mode: In games, edge sensitivity is often automatically reduced to avoid false positives.
• 🔄 Change of hand: the ability to change the side of the swipe "Back" makes it easier to control when changing hands.

Remember, even with a hidden hint, the functionality remains the same: Hiding the indicator does not turn off the gestures themselves, but only removes their visual signification, a key point for those who are afraid of losing control after turning off visible elements.

Using one-handed mode for temporary concealment

There is a scenario where the user needs to temporarily shrink the screen area or shift the interface to reach the top elements. Xiaomi has a one-handed mode for this. Although it doesn't remove the button permanently, it effectively hides the bottom of the interface when needed.

You can activate this function through the special feature menu, where you need to find "One-Hand Mode" and turn it on. Once activated, you will have several ways to call this mode: swipe on the Home button (if it is on), swipe on the gesture bar, or even just touch the fingerprint sensor (on models where it is in the button).

When you turn on the mode, the smartphone screen shrinks and shifts to one of the corners, at which point the bottom navigation bar (if active) also scales or hides, giving way to convenient access to the top of the display, which is a great compromise for devices with large diagonals.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse one-handed mode with a complete navigation shutdown.This is an ergonomics assist, not a way to permanently remove system buttons.

You can choose how the screen will behave in one hand settings, you can choose to shift left, right or down, and you can also adjust the size of the smaller window to make it comfortable for your palm.

Advanced Methods: ADB and Third-Party Launchers

For users who don’t have enough standard settings, there are deeper ways to modify the interface: using the ADB command line (Android Debug Bridge) to hide system elements that don’t turn off through a regular menu, a method that requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.

Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode, and you need to quickly click on the build number seven times in the About section, and after the corresponding notification appears in the settings menu, a new item will appear "Developers" where you need to enable debugging over USB.

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

This command will hide both the status bar from above and the navigation bar from below, plunging you into full immersive mode, but be careful: returning to the standard view may require re-entering the reset command, a solution that is more for temporary use or specific tasks, such as displaying content.

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Before experimenting with ADB commands, make sure to back up important data. Errors in system settings can lead to unstable interface operation.

The alternative is to install third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, which allow you to completely redraw the interface by hiding standard controls or replacing them with floating buttons. However, Android system gestures can conflict with third-party shell settings.

Possible problems and solutions

When switching to a new type of navigation, users sometimes experience incorrect operation of individual applications. Some older programs may not support full-screen mode or gestures, which can cause buttons to appear on top of the interface of the game or video, in which case the compatibility adjustment helps.

In the Advanced Settings or Screen section, there's often a full screen option. When you go there, you'll see a list of all the apps installed. Make sure that there's a Full Screen Mode switch for problem programs, which will force the system to force the application to stretch to the full screen, hiding the navigation.

If the sensor is not working properly or has a delay after changing the settings, try restarting the device. Sometimes the system needs to restart the SystemUI service so that the new navigation settings are applied completely and without errors.

• 📉 Interface Lags: Often solved by cleaning the system cache or simply restarting.
• 🎮 Full screen games: check the individual settings for each application in the compatibility menu.
• 🔙 Sign failure: If swipes stop working, check if the “Walking” mode or other special features are turned on.

In rare cases, the problem may lie in the protective film, if it is curved or has thickening at the edges, it can interfere with the registration of swipes from the edge of the screen, in which case calibration of the sensor or replacement of the protective glass helps.

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Most navigation problems are solved by checking the full-screen settings for specific applications and restarting the device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)