Today’s Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones offer users an incredibly flexible navigation system that goes far beyond standard buttons. Gesture control has become an integral part of the MIUI and HyperOS interface, allowing them to interact with the device faster and more intuitively. Many gadget owners do not even know how many hidden features are available to them literally under their fingers, if you adjust the system settings correctly.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to activate, configure and optimize gestures on your device, and learn about the intricacies of buttonless navigation, how to control one hand, and the hidden capabilities of the accelerometer that make using a smartphone a truly advanced experience.
We’ll look at not only basic settings, but also advanced scenarios to help you personalize Xiaomi to your habits.
Basic Navigation: Transition to Full Gesture Management
Settings → Desktop → Navigation system
Once you switch to Full Screen Control, your smartphone will respond to swipes. A swipe from the bottom up in the center of the screen replaces the Home button, bringing you back to the home screen. A short swipe from the bottom and finger retention opens the multitasking menu, where all running apps are displayed. This basic management requires some getting used to, but greatly speeds up the device.
And you should pay special attention to back navigation. Unlike iOS, where swipe only works on the left edge, on Android, you can swipe back from any side of the screen, which is especially convenient when using a smartphone with one hand. If you're used to buttons, the system will offer training animations that show the basic movements.
It's important to note that in some scenarios, like in games or watching videos, random swipes can get in the way, and there's a gesture blocking feature to solve this problem, which we'll talk about in the Advanced Settings section, but in the meantime, you should get used to the new logic of moving around the system.
Advanced settings and hidden gestures of the system
Another hidden feature is the lock screen, which allows you to wake up the device without pressing the power button, and you can activate this option in Settings → Always on screen and Lock screen, which is not only convenient, but also keeps the mechanical button from wearing out.
- 🖐️ Swipe three fingers down – creating a screenshot or opening the menu of additional functions (depending on the settings).
- 📱 Device Shake – Quick flashlight start or memory clean menu open (requires settings in the Security app»).
- 📏 Screen compression with two hands (on larger models) – activation of one-handed control mode.
And the "Raise to Power" gesture, which responds to the movement of your wrist by automatically lighting up the screen when you pick up your phone, can consume extra battery power, though convenient, so it's worth turning it off if you value autonomy over instant response.
The secret to quickly unlock
One-handed control and large screen ergonomics
When you activate the One-Hand mode, the image shrinks and moves to the bottom corner of the screen, making it accessible to the thumb, in which you can fully use the interface, type text or flip through social media feeds with your phone in one hand, and you can just tap the expansion arrow or swipe the opposite direction to get out of this mode.
Also worth mentioning is smooth scrolling. In recent versions of MIUI and HyperOS, page- and menu-flash animations have become dependent on the force of pressing and swipe speed, which creates a sense of physical interaction with objects on the screen. If animations seem too slow, you can change their speed in Settings → Advanced Settings → For developers, by finding zoom points for window animations and transitions.
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For maximum comfort, adjust the position of the control panel (curtains) in Full Screen mode, the swipe down from the upper right corner opens the curtain, and from the left one opens the notifications, allowing you to switch between them with your thumb.
Gestures in Apps: Gallery, Browser and Camera
gallery
In the Camera app, gestures play a critical role: swipe left or right switches shooting modes (Photo, Video, Portrait), and swipe up or down changes the basic settings (flash, timer, filters), which allows you not to look for small icons on the screen, but quickly change the parameters to the touch. In addition, pressing the volume buttons can serve as a trigger for photos or zooms, which is customized in the camera menu.
In Mi Browser or Chrome on Android, swiping three fingers down can cause a hidden menu or screenshot if allowed on the system. Many reading and news apps also feature a swipe from the edge of the screen to back up, which is the standard for Android navigation, but in the ecosystem Xiaomi works especially smoothly thanks to the optimization of the rendering engine.
☑️ Checking the gesture settings in the applications
It’s worth noting that third-party apps can ignore some system gestures if they’re not optimized for Android 10+. However, basic navigation features (back, home, menu) work consistently 99% of the time thanks to the framework’s layer.
Screenshots, screen recording and multi-touch
Additional features → Screenshots
In addition to the static image, the system allows you to take long screenshots (scrollable). Once you create a regular screenshot, a preview with the Scrolling button will appear in the corner. By clicking on it, you can capture the entire page of the site or the entire correspondence in the messenger, a unique feature of MIUI, which is implemented software and does not require third-party applications.
Screen recording is also activated through the control center (swipe down from the top right corner), where the Screen Record icon is located, which allows you to capture what is happening on the display along with sound (internal or through a microphone), which is useful for creating training videos or saving game moments.
| Action. | Gesture/Combination | Where does he work? | Customizable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshot. | 3 fingers down | Everywhere. | Yes. |
| Screen splitter | 3 fingers down (holding) | Task menu | Yes. |
| Menu of additional functions | 2 fingers (expansion) | Desktop | Yes. |
| Quick launch (lantern) | Shaking | Everywhere (on the screen) | Yes. |
| Global search | Swipe down (centre) | Desktop | No. |
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The most effective way to take screenshots on big screens is with a three-finger swipe, which is faster than mechanical buttons and allows you to instantly go to edit or send a file.
Problem Solving and Management Conflicts
The second common reason is the enabled Mode in the pocket or low quality protective glass that distorts the sensitivity of the touchscreen. If the screen reacts with a delay, try calibrating or remove the protective film for check. Also make sure that the developer settings do not include the "Show Touch" option, which can sometimes cause interface lags on weak devices.
⚠️ Note: If you have installed a third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher or Niagara), the navigation gestures may not work properly, in which case you must give the launcher special access rights in the Android settings or temporarily return to the standard launcher. MIUI.
Also worth mentioning is the "ghost touches." If the phone is lying on the table and the screen itself responds to invisible touches, it can be a sign of a malfunction of the display or static electricity. In such cases, grounding (touch the charger plugged into the socket with the other hand) or rebooting helps.
There's a debugging tool available for advanced users. There's a "Touch" item in the developer menu that shows the coordinates of the touches, which helps you know if the system sees your fingers at all, or if the software processing of the gesture is a problem.