Xiaomi Redmi smartphone users often face the problem of disappearing traditional touch buttons navigation at the bottom of the screen after updating MIUI or accidentally changing the settings. Instead of the usual three buttons (Back, Home, Recent), the system offers gesture control that is not convenient for everyone, especially for owners of models Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 or POCO X3/X4, where the transition to gestures is automatically when upgrading to MIUI 12.5+.
In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to get navigation buttons back, from standard settings to hidden features and even manual editing of configuration files. You’ll learn how to bring back classic management to Xiaomi with MIUI 12, 13, 14 and HyperOS firmware, and what to do if the desired options are Suddenly disappeared from the settings. We’ll also look at the nuances for specific models and give recommendations for optimizing the operation of touch buttons.
Why are the navigation buttons on Xiaomi Redmi missing?
The disappearance of buttons at the bottom of the screen is usually associated with one of three scenarios:
- 🔄 Automatic update MIUI: Starting with MIUI 12.5, The default system switches to swipe gestures, hiding the classic buttons. 9A/9C post-upgrade.
- ⚙️ Resetting: After resetting to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting the settings: the system can return gestures instead of buttons if a non-standard mode was previously used.
- 🤖 System error or application conflict: Rarely, but it happens that after installing a launcher (for example, Nova Launcher) or system applications (such as Xiaomi) EU ROM) The buttons disappear without the possibility of returning via the menu.
On some models (Redmi Note 11 Pro+, POCO F4), buttons may be “hidden” due to the activation of full-screen mode in games or applications (for example, in PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact), in which case they return automatically after the program is closed, but sometimes manual reboot is required.
⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the standard methods may not work, in which case you will need to edit the build.prop file or install additional Magisk modules.
Method 1: Return buttons via standard MIUI settings
The easiest method is to return the buttons via the settings menu, which works on most Xiaomi Redmi devices with the official MIUI 12-14 firmware and HyperOS:
- Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
- Go to the Display section.
- Select Full-screen mode (on some versions – Navigation buttons or System Management).
- Slip the navigation buttons (or standard buttons) option.
- Confirm the selection – the buttons will appear at the bottom of the screen immediately after saving.
If you don’t have Full Screen Mode on your menu, try an alternative path:
Settings → Additional settings → Button management → Navigation typeOn the Redmi Note 10 Pro and newer models with MIUI 13+, the option can be called Navigation Style and be located in Settings → System → Gestures.
Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone
Make sure the battery is more than 30% charged.
Close all background applications (especially launchers)
Take a screenshot of the current screen settings (in case of resetting)-->
Method 2: Using the Developer Mode
If standard settings don’t work, you can try activating hidden options through developer mode, a method that is suitable for devices where the manufacturer has blocked the change in navigation type (for example, on some POCO M4 Pro or Redmi K50).
First, turn on the developer mode:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer”).
- Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
Now, do the following:
Settings → For developers → Full-screen display → Forced display of navigation buttonsIf this option is not available, try:
Settings → For developers → Enable debugging over USB → Reboot your phoneAfter the reboot, check for the navigation type in the standard settings.
⚠️ Note: Some firmware (Xiaomi.eu or Global) ROM) Forced buttons to be turned on through developer mode can cause the system interface to fail. If the screen flickered after the changes or the launcher stopped responding, reset the display settings: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Method 3: Reset launcher settings (if the buttons are missing after the update) Sometimes the buttons disappear not because of system changes, but because of a launcher malfunction MIUI (This often happens after updating through the main screen. OTA Or install themes from the Mi Theme Store. To return buttons without completely resetting your phone: Open Settings → Annexes → Application management. Find the Launcher (or MIUI Launcher. Select Storage → Clear the data and clear the cache. Reboot the phone. Once rebooted, the system will restore the standard interface settings, including navigation buttons. Importantly, this method will reset the location of shortcuts on the home screen and widgets, but will not affect personal data (photos, contacts). If after cleaning the launcher data, the buttons never appeared, try: 1. Install an alternative launcher (for example, Nova Launcher) and check if the buttons are displayed in it. 2. Reset the settings for the interface only (without deleting the data): Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings → Reset interface settings 3. Check for updates for the launcher in Google Play or Mi App Store. Xiaomi Redmi Model Version MIUI Does the standard method work? Does the developer mode need to work? Redmi Note 10/10 Pro MIUI 12.5–13 Yes, no Redmi. 9/9A/9C MIUI 12 Yes (in Additional settings) Sometimes POCO X3/X4 MIUI 13 for POCO No (must be used) ADB) Yes, Redmi. K40/K50 MIUI 14/HyperOS Partially (depending on region) Yes Redmi Note 12 Pro+ HyperOS 1.0 No, only through ADB) Yes, yes. 4: Return of buttons through ADB (If standard methods do not work, you can resort to manually changing system parameters through Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method is suitable for devices where the manufacturer has blocked the change of navigation type in the interface (for example, on the Redmi Note). 11 You'll need a HyperOS: 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB. 📱 Included Debugging by USB phone-on. 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original or high-quality) Step-by-step: Connect your phone to your PC and confirm debugging permission. Open the command line (or Terminal) Mac/Linux) Enter: adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1 Reboot the device: adb reboot After the reboot, the buttons should appear. If you want to return gestures, use the same command, but with the option 0 instead 1. ⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB On HyperOS devices, the command may fail due to a changed system file structure, in which case you will need to edit the overlay file via Magisk. 1. Install Mi drivers PC Suite from the official Xiaomi website. 2. Switch the connection mode USB file transfer (MTP). 3. Use the command adb kill-server, and then adb start-server.--> Method 5: Install a third-party launcher with button support If system methods did not help, you can bypass the restrictions MIUI Some of them emulate navigation buttons even on firmware, where they're disabled at the system level: 🌟 Nova Launcher: Supports gesture and virtual button settings through the Nova Launcher TeslaCoil plugin. 🔄 Lawnchair: Lightweight open source launcher compatible with Xiaomi. 📱 Microsoft Launcher: It has a built-in navigation bar that you can place at the bottom of the screen. To set the buttons in Nova Launcher: Install the launcher from Google Play. Go to Settings Nova → Gestures and buttons → Navigation buttons. Select the style of the Three buttons and adjust their location. Activate the option to Show on top of other applications. The downside of this method is that the buttons will only work in the launcher interface, and they will disappear in the system menus (for example, in Settings), and some gestures (for example, swipe up to return home) can conflict with the system ones. What if none of the methods worked? If you have tried all the methods, but the buttons never appeared, the problem may lie in the scaling up of the buttons: 🔧 Damage to system files: For example, after a failed update or manual edit build.prop. 📦 Custom firmware: Some builds (Xiaomi.eu, AOSP) Remove support for classic buttons. 🛠️ Hardware malfunction: Rarely, but it happens that the touch panel fails (relevant to Redmi) 8/8A In such cases, there are two options: roll back the firmware to an earlier version. MIUI, where the buttons are guaranteed to work. This requires unlocking the bootloader and using the Mi Flash Tool. Contact the service center. If the phone is warranty, don't try to flash it yourself, it voids the warranty. For HyperOS devices (like the Redmi Note 13), it may not be possible to return the buttons without root rights. In this case, you have to either get used to gestures or install custom firmware with support for classical navigation. MIUI Developer mode Launcher reset ADB-Teams Third-Party Launcher Nothing Helped--> FAQ: Frequent questions about navigation buttons on Xiaomi Redmi Can you return buttons on Xiaomi Redmi with HyperOS? on HyperOS (for example, on Redmi Note 13 Pro)+) The standard way through the settings often doesn't work. ADB-Command: adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.threebutton.Install Magisk Force Fullscreen Nav Bar (root required). If nothing works, you just have to get used to gestures or install custom firmware. MIUI The buttons are gone, and there's no option to return them in the settings? MIUI 13+ — The system hides the button return option for "interface cleanliness." ADB (method 4). Back on. MIUI 12.5 via Mi Flash Tool. Install launcher with support for virtual buttons (method) 5). How to return buttons to Redmi after installing custom firmware? On informal firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the buttons are set differently: Go to Settings → System system → Gestures → System navigation. Select the navigation buttons (or 3-button If you do not have an option, edit the file. /system/build.prop, by adding the line qemu.hw.mainkeys=0. For Xiaomi.eu ROM Sometimes it helps to reset the settings through TWRP. Can you customize the appearance of the buttons (color, transparency)? Yes, but only on the firmware with theme support? MIUI: Open the Settings. → Display. → Navigation button style. Choose a color scheme (e.g. Dark or Transparent). Use the themes from the Mi Theme Store (e.g. Minimalist Nav Bar) for additional settings. On HyperOS, button customization is limited, you can only change the order of the buttons. Why do buttons only appear on the home screen and disappear in apps? It's because of a conflict between the launcher and system settings. Solutions: Turn off full screen mode for specific applications in Settings → Annexes → [Select the application] → Full screen display. Install Magisk Force Fullscreen and turn off Force Fullscreen. Use a launcher with support for global buttons (for example, Nova Launcher with a TeslaCoil plugin). 💡If the buttons are missing after upgrading to HyperOS, try first. ADB-If it didn't work, consider pulling back on the team. MIUI 14 or custom firmware installation with support for classic navigation.