The bottom bar with the Back, Home and Recent buttons on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO takes up precious space on the screen and often annoys users, especially when watching videos or games. Although the manufacturer leaves these elements by default for easy navigation, many prefer full-screen gesture mode or full-screen panel hiding. In this article, we will examine all the current ways to remove the bottom buttons, from standard MIUI settings to hidden functions for power users.
Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12, 13 or 14) and the smartphone model (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 10), the options available may vary. We tested the methods on Android 11-14 devices and highlighted the ones that work consistently. If you encounter a bug after changes, there is a section at the end of this article on restoring standard settings.
Important: Some methods require superuser rights or developer mode activation. If you're a beginner, start with the first two methods -- they're safe and don't require deep knowledge.
1. Disable the lower buttons through the MIUI settings
The easiest way to hide the navigation bar is to switch to gesture control, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later, including the budget models Redmi and POCO.
Instructions:
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to the Display section → Full-screen display.
- Select the navigation type (or navigation style in the new versions).
- Activate the option of MIUI Gestures (or Full Screen Gestures).
- Confirm the change and restart the device (optional, but recommended).
After switching, the bottom panel will disappear, and the management will be carried out by swipes:
- 🔹 Swipe up from the bottom edge - return to the main screen.
- 🔹 Swipe up and hold – Opening the menu of recent apps.
- 🔹 Swipe from right to left - back to back.
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If gestures are not working stable, try to increase sensitivity in settings Additional settings → Gestures.
⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro after updating to MIUI 14 gestures can conflict with apps like TikTok or games, in which case try an alternative method from the next section.
2. Hiding the panel through the developer mode
If standard settings don’t work, you can use hidden developer mode options, which is suitable for devices where full-screen gestures are disabled at the firmware level (for example, on some Redmis for the Chinese market).
Algorithm of action:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Press 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Additional → For Developers
Minimum width
Force full-screen display
480 dpi
Reboot your smartphone.
What if the option "Minimum width" is not available?
⚠️ Note: Changing the dpi settings may cause some applications (e.g., banking or gaming) to display incorrectly. If the interface is broken, return the value to the standard (440 dpi) or reset the screen settings.
This method is particularly useful for devices with AMOLED-It's a screen where every pixel counts. 12T Pro Hiding the Panel Adds ~5% of the useful area of the display.
3.Use of ADB-commands without root)
For advanced users who don’t want to root, but are willing to connect the smartphone to a PC, there is a solution via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works on all versions of MIUI and does not require unlocking the bootloader.
Step-by-step:
- Download and install. ADB-computer-assist.
- Turn on the smartphone debugging by USB (Settings → For developers → debugging by USB).
- Connect the device to the PC and confirm trust in the computer on the phone screen.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
- Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should appear serial number of your device).
- Execute the command to hide the bottom panel: adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*
- Reboot your smartphone.
To return the buttons back, use the command:
adb shell settings put global policy_control nullInstall Xiaomi drivers on PC| Download platform-tools from the official website |Enable debugging by USB on your phone | Connect your phone with the original cable
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⚠️ Note: On some devices after execution ADB-commands may miss notifications of incoming calls in full-screen applications (for example, in games). To avoid this, add an exception for the Phone application in the settings Special Access → Display over other windows.
4. Removal of buttons with root rights
If you're willing to take drastic measures and have an unlocked bootloader with Magisk installed, you can completely delete the system files that display the navigation bar, which is 100% effective, but requires caution.
Instructions for experienced users:
- Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
- Go to /system/usr/keylayout
- Find the Generic.kl file and open it in the text editor.
- Delete or comment (add # to the beginning) the button lines: key 158 BACK key 172 HOME key 139 MENU
- Save the changes, set the rights 644 (r-w-r--r---).
- Reset the device.
Example of settings in Nova Launcher:
- Install a launcher from Google Play.
- Click the empty space on the main screen → Settings.
- Go to Gestures and buttons → System navigation.
- Select Hide the Navigation Panel.
- Set up alternative gestures (such as swiping up to return to the home screen).
The advantage of this method is flexibility: you can return the standard buttons at any time by simply changing the launcher back to MIUI Launcher.
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To make the choice easier, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:
| Method | Difficulty | Root is required. | Reversibility | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard settings of MIUI | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | All models, MIUI 10+ |
| Developer mode | ⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | Devices without full-screen gestures |
| ADB-team | ⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | Advanced users |
| Root-editing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes. | ❌ Partially. | Experienced users with an unlocked bootloader |
| Third-party launchers | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | All models, lovers of customization |
For most users, switching to MIUI gestures (method 1) or using Nova Launcher (method 5) is the best solution. If you're ready to experiment, try ADB or the developer's settings.
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On devices with MIUI 14 and Android 13+, standard gestures work more consistently than alternative methods. Start with them if you are not sure about your skills.
Restore standard buttons
If after the experiments the bottom panel is missing, and the gestures work inconveniently, you can return everything back in several ways:
- 🔄 Through settings MIUI: Go to the Display. → Full screen display and select Navigation buttons.
- 🖥️ Through ADB: Adb shell settings put global settings policy_control null
- 📱 Replace Nova Launcher back to standard MIUI Launcher.
- 🔧 Through reset: in extreme cases, reset the screen settings in Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting display settings.
If the buttons don’t come back even after reset, check if you have apps like Nacho Notch or Full Screen Immersive Mode installed – they can block the display of the panel at the overlay level.
⚠️ Note: Some firmware for the Chinese market (China) ROM) Standard buttons can be locked at the system level, in which case only the firmware of the global version will help. MIUI Or install custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience).