How to return the Back, Home and Recent buttons at the bottom of the screen on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

You're used to the classic layout of the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen, but after the MIUI update, they suddenly disappeared or moved to the side edges? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO - since the version of MIUI 12, the company has been actively promoting gesture control, hiding the traditional bar with buttons. Fortunately, you can return the usual Back, Home and Recent apps to the bottom panel in several ways - even if the system hid them.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of returning navigation buttons, including hidden settings. MIUI, utilization ADB-Note: some methods may differ depending on the smartphone model (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 If you are not sure about your actions, back up the data before you change it.

Why are the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen missing?

The main reason for the buttons to disappear is the automatic switch to gesture control after the MIUI update. Starting with MIUI 12, the system by default offers users two navigation options:

• 👆 Full-screen gestures – swipes at the edges of the screen (standard for new models).
• 🔘 Navigation buttons – classic three buttons at the bottom (hidden in settings).
• 🔄 Home button gestures** – hybrid mode (not available on all devices).

In addition, buttons may be lost due to:

• 📱 Resetting settings to factory (includes gesture control by default).
• 🔧 Firmware errors (especially after beta versions) MIUI).
• 🎯 Activation of the mode "For one hand"** (changes the location of the elements).
• 🔒 Manufacturer policies – on some models (for example, Xiaomi Mix 4) buttons are disabled at the firmware level.

Before you try to return the buttons, check if the mode is activated for one hand - it can visually hide the bottom panel. To do this, swipe from the bottom edge of the screen up: if a miniature panel with buttons appears, the mode is turned on. It turns off in Settings → Additional functions → One hand mode.

Method 1: Enabling buttons through standard MIUI settings

On most Xiaomi devices, the navigation buttons are simply hidden in the menu, but not removed.

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen display (on some firmware - Navigation panel).
4. Slip it on the navigation type.
5. Select the “Buttons” option** (or “Three buttons” if you have one).
6. Confirm the changes – the buttons will appear at the bottom of the screen.

Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)

Backup of important data

Charge your phone at least 50%

Shut down. VPN (It can block access to settings)-->

If the Navigation Type menu does not have buttons, your firmware does not support it, in which case you should try updating MIUI to the latest stable version or using alternative methods (described below).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi K50) You may need to restart the device after selecting the buttons. If the buttons don't appear immediately, restart the smartphone manually.

Method 2: Use of the ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

If standard settings don't work, you can force buttons to be turned on via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works even on firmware where the buttons are hidden at the system level.

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB smartphone.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will receive a notification "You've become a developer"). Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Enable USB Debugging and confirm permission.

Command line.

Terminal

adb devices

The name of your device should appear.

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1

adb reboot

After the reboot, the buttons should appear. If that doesn't happen, try an alternative command:

adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.threebutton

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They change system settings. Incorrect use can cause interface malfunctions or even looping up the boot.

Method 3: Install a third-party launcher with button support

If the system methods didn't work, you can get around the limitations of MIUI with an alternative launcher, some of which allow you to emulate navigation buttons even on firmware where they're disabled.

To set the buttons in Nova Launcher:

1. Install the launcher and make it the main one (at the first start the system will suggest doing this).
2. Go to Settings Nova → Gestures and controls.
3. Select the Navigation Panel and activate the Three Buttons.
4. Set the order of the buttons (you can change Back and Recent places).

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

This is forced to hide the standard panel. MIUI, allowing the launcher to display its.-->

The disadvantage of this method is that the buttons will only work within the launcher. Some system menus (for example, in Settings or Screen Keyboard) may display standard MIUI navigation.

Method 4: Manual editing of build.prop file (for experienced)

This method is suitable for advanced users, as it requires root rights or use Magisk. It allows you to force navigation buttons to be enabled even if they are blocked in firmware. Attention: improper editing of the build.prop file can lead to the inability to boot the system!

Instructions:

1. Get root access (for example, via Magisk or TWRP).
2. Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
3. Go to /system/build.prop and open the file to edit.
4. Add a line to the end of the file: qemu.hw.mainkeys=0
5. Save the changes and restart the device.

If the buttons don’t appear after the reboot, try adding another line:

ro.miui.has_navigation_bar=1

⚠️ Warning: Changing build.prop may cause security checks to fail (e.g. Google Pay or banking apps will stop working!

Method 5: Reverse firmware or switch to custom

If neither of these methods worked, the reason could be the limitations of your version of MIUI, leaving two radical options:

1. Reverse to the old version of MIUI (where the buttons were supported).
2. Install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions