How to remove three buttons at the bottom of the screen on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

The three virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen on Xiaomi smartphones are a classic solution for navigating in MIUI, but not all users are comfortable losing precious display pixels. This is especially annoying for owners of devices with cutouts for the front camera or narrow frames, where every millimeter of the screen counts. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several ways to hide or completely remove the bottom panel, replacing it with gestures or full-screen mode.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods for removing three buttons (Back, Home, Recent) on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, from standard MIUI 12/13/14 settings to hidden features for power users, learn how to enable full-screen gestures, hide the navigation bar through ADB, or even turn off buttons using third-party apps, and what to do if the screen stops responding to touch after the changes.

Why do three buttons appear at the bottom of the screen and can you remove them?

Three navigation buttons («↩ Back up», «◯ Home», «□ Recent") is the standard interface MIUI, This is the default feature on most Xiaomi smartphones, which duplicates gestures but takes up space on the screen, which is especially critical for devices with a small display (e.g. Redmi). 9A or POCO M3).

The manufacturer leaves the user with a choice between using classic navigation or switching to gestures. However, not everyone knows that buttons can not only be replaced, but also completely hidden - even in gesture mode, they sometimes "appear" in some applications (for example, in games or banking services), this is due to the features of Android and Xiaomi's security policy.

• 📱 MIUI 12 and newer – supports full-screen gestures without bottom panel.
• 🔧 Old versions MIUI (up to 11) – may require manual concealment through ADB.
• 🎮 Game mode – sometimes blocks the hiding of buttons to prevent accidental clicks.
• 🔒 Banking applications – can force display the navigation panel for security requirements.

If you want to get rid of the buttons forever, first check the version of MIUI in the settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version).

Method 1: Enabling full-screen gestures in MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to switch to full-screen gestures, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later, including the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi 12T and POCO F4. Gestures replace buttons with swipes around the edges of the screen, freeing the bottom panel.

To activate this mode:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select Full Screen Mode (or Navigate System in New Versions).
3. Slip on full-screen gestures (or MIUI gestures).
4. Follow the hints on the screen to remember new gestures: 👆 Swipe up - return to the main screen. 👆👆 Swipe Up and Hold – Opening Recent Apps. 👈 Swipe from right to left - back to back.

After the changes are applied, the bottom panel will disappear and the control will be carried out by swipes, and if the gestures seem uncomfortable, you can return the buttons at any time through the same settings.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) A2 With pure Android One, the path to gesture settings may be different: → System system → Gestures → System navigation.

Method 2: Hiding the navigation bar through ADB (for power users)

If your version of MIUI doesn’t have full-screen gestures or if buttons continue to appear in some apps, you can resort to manual concealment via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a technique that requires connecting your smartphone to your computer but gives you more control over system settings.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap on "Version" MIUI» → Go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Win) + R → cmd) and enter: adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=* This command hides the navigation bar in all applications.
3. Use the following buttons: adb shell settings put global policy_control null

If the buttons are still running after the command, restart the device. Note: some Xiaomi firmwares only use this method until the first reboot, and you will need to re-execute the command.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) hiding the panel through the ADB blocked by the manufacturer due to the features of the firmware.

Method 3: Using third-party apps to hide buttons

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities, like Nacho Notch or Full Screen Gestures, which hide the navigation bar and customize your own gestures, which work without root rights, but require permission for Special Features.

Instructions for Full Screen Gestures:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to Special Features (Settings → Special Features → Full Screen Gestures).
3. Enable the Hide Navigation Bar option (Hide Navigation Bar).
4. Set up gestures as you see fit (e.g. swipe from the bottom edge to return).

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ It works on most versions. MIUI Android.
• ✅ It does not require a PC connection.
• ✅ Allows you to fine-tune the sensitivity of gestures.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It may conflict with certain games or banking applications.
• ❌ Consumes additional RAM.

💡

Before installing third-party apps, check user reviews with your Xiaomi model – some utilities may not work properly on devices with MediaTek processors.

Method 4: Manual editing of build.prop file (root only)

For advanced users who have root access, there is a method of editing the system file build.prop. This allows you to permanently remove the navigation bar, but requires caution - incorrect changes can lead to a bootloop ( looped boot).

Procedure:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /system/ and find the build.prop file.
3. Open the file in the text editor and add the line at the end: qemu.hw.mainkeys=1
4. Save the changes, set the rights 644 and restart the device.

After the reboot, the navigation bar should disappear. If the buttons are back, check if the changes to build.prop have reset (some Xiaomi firmware automatically restores the file).

⚠️ Attention: Editing build.prop without a backup can cause the system to fail. Build a backup through TWRP before modification!

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If all the previous methods failed, and the buttons at the bottom of the screen continue to interfere, you can reset, which is a radical way to bring the smartphone back out of the box, but also delete all user data. Use it only as a last resort.

How to reset your settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (or Delete all data).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Set up your smartphone as a new one.
• 📱 Activate full-screen gestures immediately in the display settings.
• ☁️ Restore data from backup (if it was created).

This method is guaranteed to remove the bottom panel, but it will take time to reconfigure the device, only use it if other methods have not worked.

💡

Setting resets are the last chance to remove the buttons, but it erases all data. Always back up before performing the reset!

Compatibility table with MIUI versions and Xiaomi models

Not all methods work on all devices, and the table below shows how the methods are compatible with popular models and firmware versions:

If your model is not listed in the table, try methods in order from the safest (full-screen gestures) to the most radical (resettings).

Frequent problems and their solutions

When trying to remove buttons at the bottom of the screen, users often face difficulties, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: The buttons are gone, but the gestures are not working.

• 🔹 Check if gestures are included in the settings (Settings) → Display. → Full screen mode).
• 🔹 Restart the device – sometimes the system doesn’t apply the changes right away.
• 🔹 If you use ADB, Repeat the command with superuser rights (adb shell su).

Problem 2: Buttons are returned in some applications (games, banks).

• 🔹 This is a feature of Android, where some apps force the navigation bar to show, and there's no solution, except to use third-party tools like Full Screen Gestures.
• 🔹 Check the app settings – sometimes there’s a “Full-screen” option».

Problem 3: Once the buttons are hidden, the swipe to return does not work.

• 🔹 Make sure you are performing the gesture correctly: swipe should start at the edge of the screen.
• 🔹 In the gesture settings (Settings) → Display. → Full screen mode → Customize gestures) increase sensitivity.

Problem 4: The screen does not respond to touch after changes.

• 🔹 If you've used ADB Or edited build.prop, try undoing the changes.
• 🔹 Reset your settings through Recovery (hold power) + Volume up when loading).

💡

If you've had a button-hiding screen start to glittle, the first thing you should do is try to reboot the device, and 90 percent of the time, that solves the problem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions