How to remove a circle from the screen Xiaomi: from the navigation point to system bugs

A sudden annoying circle that prevents you from using your smartphone appears on your Xiaomi screen? This is a common problem among owners of devices on MIUI, from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 13/14. The circle can be both a useful feature (for example, a navigation point for gestures) and the result of a system failure or virus. In this article, we will discuss all possible causes and ways to fix them, from basic settings to advanced methods through ADB.

It's important to understand that a circle on the screen is not always a mistake. In some cases, it performs useful functions, such as a touch indicator for debugging or a virtual button in games. But if it appeared on its own and interferes with work, you have to act systematically. We have collected 7 working methods that cover 95% of cases, from switching off the menu to manually removing through the engineering menu.

1.What does the circle on the Xiaomi screen mean?

Before you remove a circle, you need to understand its nature, and in MIUI, it can appear for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Navigation Point – a virtual button for gesture control (included in screen settings).
• 🐛 System bug after update MIUI (Especially relevant for versions 13-14).
• 🎮 Game overlays from Game Turbo or third-party apps (e.g. Octopus).
• 📱 Mode for the visually impaired (a large circle with an increase in touch).
• ⚠️ Malware masquerading as a system element (advertising banners in the form of a mug).

The most common navigation point users encounter is the one that was added to MIUI 12 as an alternative to the classic buttons, which appears after the gesture control is activated and can accidentally turn on when you reset the settings, and if the circle blinks, changes color or reacts to touch, it's definitely not a bug, but a function, otherwise you have to dig deeper.

2. Method 1: Disabling the navigation point in the settings

If you have a circle after you update or change your navigation, it's probably a virtual button, and you can remove it in 30 seconds.

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select Full Screen Mode (or Gesture Control in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Switch to the classic buttons (three dots at the bottom) or turn off the option to Show the navigation point.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

On some models (Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X4), the path may be different: Settings → Additional settings → Full-screen display → Navigation style.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14 and later, the option may be called the Floating Ball or Assistive Ball. If it is not in the display menu, check the Special Features section. → Physical and motor skills.

Method 2: Removal through "Special Opportunities"

If you touch a screen and you zoom in on a little bit of it, it's a vision-impaired magnifier mode.

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Increase.
2. Turn off the options: 🔍 Magnifying glass 👆 Gesture of enlargement (triple touch) 🎯 Increase cursor (magnifying circle)

Save the changes and check the screen.

On Xiaomi with HyperOS shell (2026), the path may be different: Settings → Additional → Special. features → Vision → Magnifier mode.

Method 3: Resetting the launcher settings

Sometimes the circle appears due to a failure in the shell of the MIUI Launcher, in which case the reset will help:

1. Click the empty area on the main screen.
2. Select Home Screen Settings (or Launcher Settings).
3. Find the option Reset Settings or Restore by default.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.
5. Check if the circle is gone. If so, the problem is in the third-party app.
6. Remove suspicious programs: 📱 Settings → Annexes → Sort by installation date (new apps are often guilty). Look for titles like FlashLight, Cleaner, Booster — they often contain ads.

Malwarebytes

Dr.Web Light

Especially dangerous is software that asks for permissions to overlay windows (Display over other apps) to revoke permissions:

Settings → Applications → Permits → Special Access → Overlaying Windows

Method 5: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If the circle is not removed through settings, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) will help. This method works even for system elements that cannot be disabled in the menu.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd in Windows or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
2. Enter the commands in turn: adb devices (should appear your device) adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer_enabled 0 settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer 0 settings put secure assistive_ball_enabled 0
3. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If the circle is connected to the navigation point, use this command:

settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you are not sure about the commands, back up through adb backup before making changes.

💡

ADB is the most powerful tool for removing system elements, but it requires caution. If after commands the circle disappeared, but other bugs appeared (for example, gestures do not work), reset the settings through Settings → Reset.

7. Method 6: Reset to factory settings

If nothing works, it's a hard reset, and it deletes all the data, so first,

• 📲 Make a backup copy through Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud Backup.
• 🔐 Remember your Mi Account details (required to unlock after resetting).
• 📝 Keep the important ones. SMS/Contacts (not automatically reserved).

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if requested).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🛠️ Do not restore data from the backup immediately – check if the circle has disappeared.
• 📥 Install applications one at a time, watching the appearance of the mug.

💡

Factory reset solves 99% of software problems, but should be used last, and if the circle returned after reset, it is a hardware malfunction (for example, damage to the touch screen), and you need to contact the service.

8. Method 7: Contacting a service center

If the circle remained even after the reset, it may be:

• 🔧 Damage to the display or touchscreen (for example, after a fall).
• 🔌 Screen controller failure (often found on Xiaomi after firmware).
• 📱 Marriage of production (on new devices).

In these cases, self-repair is not possible. Please contact the official Xiaomi service:

• 📍 Find the nearest center on the site mi.com/service.
• 📄 Bring a check or purchase confirmation (to guarantee).
• 🔄 If the phone is warranty, don't say you tried to stitch it through. ADB — This could nullify the warranty.

Cost of repair:

FAQ: Frequent questions about the mug on the screen Xiaomi