How to remove gestures on Xiaomi: the complete guide to setup

Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone users face situations where standard gesture management seems inconvenient or causes random action. MIUI and its new HyperOS shell offer flexible navigation settings, but they may not be customized for everyone by default, often requiring swipes to be completely turned off or sensitive to avoid (casual taps) while playing or watching videos.

In this guide, we will take a closer look at how to remove gestures on Xiaomi by returning classic buttons or customizing the system to suit you. We will touch not only on the basic menu switches, but also on hidden features such as the complete concealment of the indicator bar, which often annoys users who are used to minimalism.

Note that the layout of menu items may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system. However, the general logic of Android in conjunction with the shell from Xiaomi remains the same for most models.

Difference Between Buttons and Gestures in MIUI

Before we get to settings, it’s important to understand the fundamental difference between the two types of navigation: Button control uses three virtual keys (Back, Home, App Menu) located at the bottom of the screen, a format that is common to many, which gives a clear visual understanding of where the controls are located.

Unlike buttons, gesture control frees up the useful area of the display by removing the bottom panel. Navigation is done by swipes from the edges of the screen: swipe from the bottom up returns to the desktop, swipe from the side is a “back” action. Xiaomi is actively promoting this method as more modern, but it requires addiction and accuracy of movements.

For some users, especially those who have moved from older smartphone models, the lack of a physical or visual boundary between the workspace and navigation creates discomfort, which is why the ability to switch back or fine-tune the behavior of swipes is a critical feature for comfortable use of the gadget.

How to turn off gestures and return buttons

The process of returning the button control to MIUI and HyperOS is as simple as possible for developers, you do not need superuser rights or install third-party software. All the necessary switches are in the standard system settings menu.

To make changes, you need to open the main settings menu and find the section that controls the screen and interface. Depending on the firmware version, the path may be called "Additional" or be subdivided into a separate subsection.

• 📱 Open the settings of your Xiaomi smartphone.
• 🔍 Go to the Additional section (or Advanced Settings).
• 🖱️ Find the Full-screen menu (sometimes called Navigation»).
• ✅ Select the button option instead of “Gesturies».

Once you select the Button mode, the three-key bottom bar will appear instantly. You may also notice the Settings button next to the navigation type choice, which allows you to reorder the buttons (for example, make the Back button on the right, like iOS, or on the left, like on classic Android).

Switching sensitivity and swipe area

If you don't want to completely abandon gestures, but they don't work properly (they get too often triggered or ignored), the system offers calibration tools, which is true for models with curved edges of the screen or when using protective glasses that can interfere with accurate reading of touches.

The Full-screen menu has Sensitivity, and by moving the slider, you can make the system more responsive to light touches, or you can require a more confident swipe, which helps to remove false positives when the phone is in your pocket or when you hold it with one hand.

⚠️ Warning: Excessive sensitivity increases can cause random touches of the edges of the screen to be perceived as a “back” command, interrupting reading or watching videos.

You also need to pay attention to tactile recoil, because gestures can help you feel the boundaries of virtual zones better, and if you feel swipes are slipping, try changing the angle or speed of your finger, not just the software settings.

How to hide the gesture indicator strip

One of the most common complaints users have is a thin strip at the bottom of the screen that indicates full screen mode, which can overlap content in some applications or just visually contaminate the interface, and fortunately, MIUI has a way to remove it.

To hide the indicator, you don't have to go into the engineering menu, just follow a simple sequence of actions in the same navigation settings section, and once you turn off the bar, the screen becomes really whole, and the space at the bottom of the display will be used by the application 100%.

Swipes will work in the same zone (about 10-15 pixels from the bottom edge), just the visual marker will disappear.This may take some getting used to, as the visual landmark disappears.

• 👆 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Full-screen menu.
• 🚫 Find the Hide Strip (or Hide the Indicator) switch. Turn it on.
• 🔄 The screen blinks and the strip disappears.

Comparison of navigation types: Characteristics table

To make it easier for you to decide on the right way to control, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you to weigh the pros and cons of each method in the context of everyday use of a Xiaomi smartphone.

As you can see from the table, buttons benefit in reliability and predictability, while gestures provide a better visual experience and immersion in content, and the choice depends on your personal priorities: functionality or aesthetics.

For users who often use a smartphone in gloves or have a low-quality protective glass, it is recommended to stay on the buttons. capacitive screens can react worse to complex multi-touch gestures in the presence of obstacles.

Problems with gestures in apps and games

Often users don’t want to remove gestures from the entire system, but only in specific scenarios, such as in games or watching videos where a random swipe folds an application. MIUI and HyperOS have a smart system that should automatically hide the strip and block gestures in full-screen applications, but sometimes this works incorrectly.

If you’re constantly on the desktop in games because of a random swipe from the edge, try to turn on Game Turbo, which not only optimizes performance, but also blocks edge gestures, preventing interruption of gameplay, especially for first-person shooters, where fingers often hit the edges of the screen.

⚠️ Note: In some older versions of YouTube or Netflix apps, the gesture bar may overlap the interface, in which case turning the screen into landscape mode helps - the system bar must automatically disappear.

Also worth mentioning is the random tap blocking feature, which is often enabled by default, but it can conflict with the active use of gestures in certain scenarios. If you notice strange screen behavior, check this option in the Screen section.

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Gamer Tip: In Game Turbo settings, add the problem app to the list and enable the "Block the Edges" option.This will completely ban swipes while playing, even if you hold your phone tight.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The best choice for most users is to use hidden-strip gestures, which gives a balance between ergonomics and a clean screen, but takes a couple of days to get used to.