Gesture management on Xiaomi smartphones has become the standard with the release of MIUI 10, but not everyone likes it. Classic navigation buttons are more familiar, and for some models (for example, the Poco F5 or Redmi Note 12) gestures can conflict with games or third-party applications. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to disable gestures on Xiaomi, from standard settings to hidden commands for advanced users.
It’s important to understand that the process differs depending on the MIUI version and device model. For example, on Black Shark with gaming firmware, the path to settings can be radically different from Redmi 10C with a global version of the software. We’ll look at universal methods that work on 90% of the brand’s devices, and also point out features for specific lines.
Why users want to remove gestures on Xiaomi
According to surveys among Xiaomi owners, about 38% prefer classic navigation buttons.
- 🎮 Game conflict: Gestures are often triggered by chance in dynamic shooters (such as Call of Duty Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile). PUBG), gameplay-impeding.
- 👴 Button habit: Users over 40 are more likely to experience discomfort when switching to gesture control.
- ⚙️ Unstable performance: on some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) Signs can “stick” or be triggered with a delay.
- 🔄 Multitasking problems: Returning to the previous screen via swipe isn’t always intuitive for beginners.
In addition, on devices with AMOLED-With screens (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), constant highlighting of the gesture area can cause pixels to burn out over time, especially for owners who use a smartphone in the always-on display mode).
Method 1: Disable gestures through standard MIUI settings
This is the easiest method that works on most MIUI 12-14 devices, and the instructions are relevant for Redmi, Poco, and Xiaomi (except Black Shark – see the separate section for them).
Steps:
- Open the settings (cog icon).
- Go to Display → Additional (on some models, the item is called Full-screen display).
- Choose the navigation type or navigation style.
- Activate the navigation button option (could be called Three buttons or Classical navigation).
- Confirm the change – the system will prompt you to select the order of the buttons (Back-CDom-Recent or Back-Dom-Menu).
Some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global 14.0.4) will require a device reboot after switching. If the Navigation Button option is inactive, check if the One-Hand mode is enabled in the display settings, which can block the change in navigation type.
☑️ Preparing for a Navigation Change
⚠️ Note: On devices with unlocked bootloader and custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), the path to settings may be different. In some cases, the gesture control option is not available at all - then you will need to manually edit the build.prop file (see section for advanced ones).
Method 2: Using ADB to force gestures to be turned off
If the standard method didn’t work (like the Poco X3 Pro with MIUI 13), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but is guaranteed to work on all Xiaomi devices with unlocked USB debugging.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
- Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC, install ADB-tools and execute the command:
adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1Once you've done the command, restart the device. To return gestures, use the same command, replacing 1 with 0.
| ADB Team Team | Action. | Note |
|---|---|---|
| force_fsg_nav_bar 1 | Turns on navigation buttons | It works at MIUI 12+. |
| force_fsg_nav_bar 0 | It's gesticulating. | Reboot required |
| settings list global | grep nav | Shows the current navigation settings | Useful for diagnosis |
⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) post-execution ADB-commands may reset the desktop markup.We recommend you to make a backup copy beforehand through Settings → Google → Backup.
Method 3: Features of disabling gestures on Black Shark
Black Shark gaming smartphones (such as the Black Shark 5 Pro) use modified JoyUI firmware, where navigation settings are hidden deeper, and on these devices, gestures are optimized for gameplay by default, so turning them off may require additional steps.
The algorithm for Black Shark:
- Open Settings → System → Gestures and buttons.
- Select System Navigation → Three buttons.
- If the option is inactive, go to Settings → Game Space and turn off Game Gestures.
- Reset the device.
On the Black Shark 4/4 Pro with JoyUI 12, you may need to additionally disable the Shark Space feature, as it blocks changes to system gestures.
- Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the Shark Space panel.
- Click on the gear icon and deactivate the option Protection of gestures.
What to do if the navigation buttons are missing after the gestures are turned off?
Method 4: Manual editing of system files (for advanced ones)
If none of the above methods worked, there is a manual modification of system files, which is suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader and TWRP installed or other custom recovery. Attention: wrong actions can lead to a device "brick" - use this method only if you understand the risks!
Instructions:
- Download and install a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer).
- Click on /system/build.prop and find the line: qemu.hw.mainkeys=0 Replace 0 by 1.
- Save the file, set the rights 644 (rw-r--r---).
- Reset the device.
An alternative is to edit the file /system/usr/keylayout/Generic.kl.
key 158 BACK
key 172 HOME
key 139 MENU⚠️ Note: On devices with dynamic partitions (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T) editing build.prop can lead to a download cycle, in which case you will need to flash through Fastboot.
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Before editing system files, make a full /system partition backup via TWRP. This will allow you to restore the device in case of an error.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after successful disabling gestures, Xiaomi users may experience side effects. Consider typical situations and ways to fix them.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation buttons do not appear | Conflict with the subject of design | Reset the theme to standard in Settings → Display → Theme |
| Gestures keep working | Cash system not cleared | Run Wipe Cache Partition in TWRP |
| The touch screen has become less sensitive | Overlaying gesture areas and buttons | Calibrate the screen in ##6484## |
| Button icons are not displayed | Damaged system fonts | Set the standard font in Settings → Display → Font |
If you notice that the animations have become less smooth after disabling gestures, this is due to a change in the system interface rendering mechanism. To return smoothness, go to Settings → Additional → Special Features and turn off Delete Animations (if the option was activated earlier).
How to Avoid Screen Burnout When Using Navigation Buttons
Nana AMOLED-screens (installed in Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K60 Static navigation buttons can lead to burn-in effect, irreversible burn-out of pixels, to minimize the risk:
- 🔄 Alternate button locations: change order periodically (Back Home Recent) ↔ Back-Menu-Domooh).
- 🌗 Use a dark theme: in Settings → Display. → Dark theme activate the option Always dark.
- ⏱️ Reduce the display time: in Settings → Display. → Select the minimum sleep value (15 seconds).
- 📱 Activate the concealment of buttons: in Settings → Display. → Full screen display enable Auto-Hide Navigation Panel.
For devices that support Always-On Display (such as Xiaomi 14), it is recommended to turn off the navigation buttons in this mode. You can do this through Settings → Always-On Display and lock → AOD settings, where you need to deactivate the option to Show the navigation bar.
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Nana AMOLED-screens, even when using navigation buttons, the risk of burnout is lower than with gestures, since the buttons occupy less space and can be semi-transparent.