How to completely remove the side screen on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

The side screen (or Edge Screen) on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is an extra quick-featured panel that appears when you swipe your finger around the edge of the display. It becomes a handy tool for some users, and a source of occasional taps and annoyance for others. If you fall into the second category, this article will help you completely disable the side screen on your device, regardless of the MIUI version (12 to 14) and the phone model.

We'll look at all the options available, from standard settings to hidden developer settings, and we'll look at typical issues (e.g., when the side screen doesn't turn off through the settings menu because of a system error), and we'll give you some suggestions for alternative solutions. If you want to not just hide the panel, but delete it forever, read on.

What is a side screen on Xiaomi and why turn it off

Side Screen (Edge Screen or Side Screen) is a MIUI function that duplicates a portion of the interface at the edge of the screen for quick access to:

• 📱 Quick settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, etc.)
• 🔄 Recent applications (analogue swipe upwards)
• 📌 Affixed contacts or applications
• 🎵 Music management (for some models)

On paper, the feature seems useful, but in practice, many users are faced with:

• ❌ Accidental positives when holding the phone in your hand
• ⚡ Additional battery consumption (panels work in the background)
• 🔍 Slowing down animations on weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3)
• 🎨 Inconsistency of design with the main theme MIUI

If you notice that the side screen is more of a hindrance than it helps, you can turn it off completely or customize it to suit yourself. We'll show you how to do that.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in system settings. It works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices with MIUI 12-14.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to Additional Settings (or Special Features on some firmware).
3. Select the Side Screen (Edge Screen or Side Display)
4. Move the slider Insert the side screen in the off position.
5. Confirm the action if the system requests.

If your menu doesn’t have a Side Screen option, try an alternative path:

Settings → Display → Additional display settings → Side screen

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version)

Make sure your phone is at least 30% charged.

Close all background applications

Backup important data (in case of failure)-->

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or POCO F4) When you turn off the side screen, you can lose your control gestures, so you can restart your phone, and you can get back to your functions.

Method 2: Using the Developer Mode

If the standard method doesn’t work (for example, the slider is inactive or absent), try turning off the side screen through the developer’s settings.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row (you will receive a notification "You became a developer").
3. Go back to the main Settings menu and select a new section for developers.
4. Scroll down and find the option Disable Edge Screen.
5. Activate it and restart the device.

If you don’t have this option, try an alternative route:

Settings → For developers → Enter → Show clicks (disable)


Settings → For developers → Animation → The scale of the animation window (set 0.5x)

These actions indirectly affect the operation of side panels, reducing their sensitivity.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a deep-tuning tool that works for devices with unlocked bootloader or root rights, but it also works on standard firmware.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → For developers)
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should appear serial number of your device).
4. Execute the side screen shutdown command: adb shell settings put secure sysui_edge_screen_off 1
5. Reboot the phone.

To return the side screen, use the same command by replacing 1 by 0.

1. Reinstall drivers (use MiFlash for Xiaomi).

2. Change. USB-cable (cheap cables often do not support data transmission).

3. Enable in the developer settings Debugging by USB (safe-haven).-->

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If you don't want to go through the settings or use ADB, you can use third-party utilities.

Example of settings in MacroDroid:

1. Create a new macro.
2. As a trigger, select Launch the app → specify Launcher (main screen).
3. Execute the shell command and type: settings put secure sysui_edge_screen_off 1
4. Save the macro and activate it.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Fluid) NG) may conflict with MIUI And call the lags. Before you use it, back up the data.

Method 5: Reset the launcher settings (if nothing helps)

If the side screen continues to appear despite all attempts, the problem may be in the launcher failure (MIUI shell).

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher app (or MIUI Launcher).
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After discharge:

• 🔄 All icons on the home screen will return to the standard view.
• 📁 Folders and widgets will have to be reconfigured.
• ⚙️ Side screen and other system panels will reset to factory settings.

If that didn't work, the last option is to reset the phone to the factory settings, but before that, you have to:

• 🔐 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 📱 Save contacts in your Google Account or on SIM-map.
• 📸 Transfer photos and videos to PC or cloud.

💡

Factory reset removes ALL data from your phone, including photos, messages and installed apps. Use this method only as a last resort!

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you turn off the side screen, you'll see some common errors, and we've collected some of the most common ways to fix them:

If your problem is not described above, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI — Some bugs are only fixed in new updates.
• 🔄 Beta firmware – they often contain errors.
• 🛠️ Sensor operation – if the screen does not respond to touch, the problem may be in the hardware.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions