How to remove gestures on Xiaomi Redmi: 5 working ways + comparison with buttons

Why do users want to return navigation buttons to Redmi?

Navigation gestures in MIUI have been an alternative to the classic Back, Home and Recent buttons since 2018, and Xiaomi has been pushing this way of managing to become standard for the new Redmi Note 12, Redmi 13C and other devices, but not everyone is comfortable working without the usual buttons — especially those who have switched from Samsung or older versions of Android.

The main reasons for turning off gestures are random scrolling on social media, gaming inconvenience (like PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact), and haptic feedback. But there's a downside: gestures save screen space, and in full-screen apps (like YouTube or TikTok), they're more intuitive. Before you change settings, consider what's more important to you, a habit or a modern interface.

In this article, we will look at all the ways to disable gestures on Redmi, from standard MIUI settings to hidden commands for developers, and compare how different types of navigation work on popular models (see the table below) and give recommendations for optimizing control.

Method 1: Disable gestures through standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in system options. It is suitable for most Redmi smartphones on MIUI 12-14 (including Redmi Note 11, Redmi 10, POCO X5 and others). Importantly, on some firmware, the path to settings may differ - see FAQ at the end of the article.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Select Full-screen display (on some models – Navigation buttons).
3. In the Navigation Type section, tap the buttons (or three buttons).
4. Confirm the change – the system will suggest choosing the order of the buttons (standard or mirror).

After the reboot, the classic buttons will appear at the bottom of the screen. AMOLED-screens (e.g. Redmi) K50) buttons can burn out over time. To avoid this, turn on the display settings to Hide navigation buttons after 3-5 seconds of inactivity.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Backup your settings (Settings → Additional → Backup)

Close all apps (gestures may conflict with some games)

Connect charging - when changing the settings, the system can slow down a little-->

Method 2: Developer Mode (for advanced users)

If standard settings don’t work (like Redmi 9A with custom firmware), you can activate developer mode and manually disable gestures, which is also useful if you want to adjust gesture sensitivity or turn them off for certain applications only.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
3. Find the options: 🔹 Disable navigation gestures (if any) 🔹 Sensitivity of gestures (minimize if you want to leave gestures, but reduce accidental positives) 🔹 Forced display of navigation buttons (for applications that hide them)

⚠️ Note: Changing the settings in developer mode can lead to unstable system operation. MIUI 11 after turning off gestures through ADB I've seen some problems unlocking the screen!

Method 3: Install a third-party launcher (without root)

If you don’t like gestures on the home screen, but they do in apps, install an alternative launcher, which doesn’t require super-user rights and works on all Redmi models, including the POCO F4 and Redmi A2.

The best launchers for button returns:

• 📱 Nova Launcher – allows you to customize your own gestures and return virtual buttons through the Nova Gestures plugin.
• 🎨 Microsoft Launcher – Supports classic navigation and integration with Windows.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – optimized for gaming smartphones (like Black Shark, but also runs on Redmi).

How to set up:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select the navigation style (usually offered at the initial setup stage).
3. In the launcher settings, find the Gestures or Navigation section and activate the Navigation buttons.

The downside of this method is that in some applications (such as Google Maps or Chrome), the system gestures may conflict with the launcher gestures. To avoid bugs, add problematic applications to the blacklist in the launcher settings.

Classic buttons

MIUI gestures

Gestures in the style of iPhone (swipe from below)

Your own gestures through the launcher

I don't care.-->

Method 4: Disable gestures via ADB (for power users)

If previous methods have not worked (for example, on the Redmi Note 8 Pro with unofficial firmware), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but gives you complete control over navigation.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Platform Tools from the Android Developers website and unpack the archive.
2. On your smartphone, activate debugging over USB (Settings → For developers).
3. Connect Redmi to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1 This command forcibly includes a navigation bar with buttons.
4. Use the following: Adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 0

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI EU) after-use ADB App permissions may reset. To avoid this, open Settings before changing your settings. → Annexes → Permits and remember key permissions (for example, for WhatsApp or banking apps).

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If navigation is not working properly after experimenting with settings (for example, buttons are lost or gestures are triggered after a time), factory reset can help, and this method should be used only if other methods have not worked.

How to reset your settings without losing data:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Reset (do not delete all data!).
4. After restarting, restore the data from the backup.

⚠️ Note: On Redmi with bootloader unlocked, resetting your settings may result in the device being locked due to Anti-Rollback protection. → For developers → Status of lockdown OEM.

💡

If you reset your gestures again, try going to Settings → Display and select buttons immediately after you first set up your phone (at the welcome stage).

Gesture and button comparison: Which is better for Redmi in 2026?

To make a good decision, compare the two types of navigation by key criteria:

• 🎮 Games: Buttons are preferred – gestures often conflict with management in Call of Duty Mobile or Free Fire.
• 📱 Multitasking: Gestures win - swipe diagonally quicker opens list of recent apps.
• 🔋 Battery charge: buttons consume up to 2-3% of charge per day (due to the panel illumination), gestures - more economical.
• 🛠️ Reliability: Buttons are more stable on budget models (Redmi) A1, Redmi 7A), where gestures can slow down.

If you use your smartphone with one hand often, try the combined mode: gestures for basic actions + virtual buttons in games (configurable via Game Turbo in MIUI). Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and newer also has a "Swipe from both sides" mode - it reduces the number of random positives.

💡

On smartphones with a high screen refresh rate (120 Hz or higher, such as the Redmi K60), gestures work smoother than on budget models with 60 Hz. If your Redmi supports 90/120 Hz, give gestures a second chance - maybe the problem was in the low frequency.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off gestures on Redmi