How to turn on or off the navigation button on Xiaomi smartphones: the complete guide

Touch navigation buttons on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the key controls that can suddenly disappear after a MIUI update or reset. Many users face the problem when the bottom bar with the Back, Home and Recent buttons disappears, giving way to gesture control. In this article, we will examine all the ways to return classic buttons or, conversely, switch to modern gestures, depending on your preferences.

It is important to understand that the navigation setting depends on the version of MIUI and the model of the smartphone. For example, on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro with MIUI 14, the path to settings may differ from the Poco X3 with MIUI 12.5. We will look at universal methods, as well as nuances for different versions of the firmware. If you are not sure about the version of your shell, check it in the Settings menu → About the phone → MIUI version.

Before making changes, make sure the problem isn’t software-related. Sometimes navigation buttons are lost due to temporary errors, in which case a simple reboot of the device or clearing the Launcher app cache will help (for how to do this, read the relevant section).

Why the navigation buttons on Xiaomi are missing

There are several reasons why the bottom bar with buttons may disappear:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After installing a new firmware version, the system automatically switches to gesture control, especially on models with a new version. MIUI 12 and newer.
• ⚙️ Resetting: Returning to factory settings resets the navigation type, setting the default value (most often gestures).
• 📱 Change of launcher: Third-party shells (such as Nova Launcher or Hyperion) may conflict with system navigation settings.
• 🐞 Software failure: errors in the work of the System UI Google services sometimes cause the panel to disappear.
• 🔧 Manual changes: Accidental clicking in settings (for example, in the Screen section) → Full screen mode).

If the buttons are gone after the update, don't panic - this is standard MIUI behavior that can be easily fixed. On Xiaomi and Poco models with Android 10 and above, gesture control is considered a priority, so the system offers it by default.

⚠️ Note: on some devices (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or Redmi) K50 Pro) when full screen mode is activated for applications, navigation buttons may temporarily hide. This is not a mistake, this is how the immersive display function works. To return the panel, swipe from the bottom up from the bottom edge of the screen.

Method 1: Enabling buttons through MIUI settings

The easiest and most versatile method is to use a standard settings menu, which works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices with MIUI 11 and later.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Screen section.
3. Select Full-screen mode (on some versions – Navigation buttons or gesture control).
4. In the menu that opens, you will see three options: Navigation buttons (classic three buttons at the bottom of the screen), MIUI gestures (swipes instead of buttons), Android Gestures (an alternative gesture system from Google).

Navigation buttons

After that, the bottom bar with the Back, Home and Recent buttons should appear immediately. If there are no changes, try restarting the device or clearing the Launcher cache (more on this in the next section).

Check out the MIUI version in About Phone

Close all background applications

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (to avoid disruptions)

Have a backup control method (for example, USB-mouse-wise OTG)

-->

On some devices (for example, Xiaomi Mi). A3 POCO F1 With Android One, the path to settings may be different: Settings → System system → Gestures → System navigation. MIUI-Google’s gestures will be “2-button navigation” or “3-button navigation».

Method 2: Resetting the launcher settings

If the navigation buttons don’t appear even after changing the settings, the problem may lie in the failure of Launcher, the standard desktop display application, in which case resetting its settings will help:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the list, find the Launcher (or MIUI Launcher, Poco Launcher depending on the model).
3. Click on Warehouse and select Clear Data (not to be confused with Clear Cache!).
4. Confirm the action. After that, the desktop will restart, and the navigation settings will return to the factory settings.

⚠️ Warning: Clearing the Launcher data will reset not only navigation settings, but also the location of icons on the desktop, folders and widgets. We recommend you to take screenshots of the current app placement in advance to quickly restore it.

If the buttons never show up after resetting, try temporarily installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) and checking if the buttons are displayed. If so, it's a problem in the system Launcher, and it should be reinstalled through Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Points → Select Service Pack (if available).

Method 3: Using ADB to force buttons to be turned on

In rare cases where MIUI settings do not allow you to return buttons (for example, on some firmware for the Poco F2 Pro or Xiaomi Mi 10T), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and enabling the developer mode.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version until the notification “You are a developer” appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

File transfer

ADB Tools

adb.exe

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed)

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1

(This forcibly includes the navigation panel)

adb reboot

(Reset device).

When you reboot, the buttons should appear. If you want to return gestures, replace the command with 1 for 0. This method works even on custom firmware, where standard MIUI settings are not available.

Comparison of buttons and gestures: what is better to choose

Many Xiaomi users are wondering whether to switch to gesture control or leave the classic buttons? To help with the choice, we have compiled a comparison table:

MIUI gestures are optimized for devices with curved screens (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or Black Shark 4 Pro), where touch buttons can accidentally trigger when you touch the side edges. If you drop your smartphone often or use it with gloves, classic buttons can be more reliable.

Classic buttons

MIUI gestures

Android Gestures (from Google)

I tried different things, but I didn't know.-->

What to do if the navigation buttons do not work after resetting

If you reset (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) and the navigation buttons never appeared, the problem may be related to:

• 📦 Incomplete reset: sometimes system files are not restored correctly. Try repeating the reset by selecting Delete all data (not Reset settings).
• 🔄 Firmware conflict: If you have installed custom software (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), standard settings MIUI It might not work, but it's only a flashing.
• 🛠️ Hardware malfunction: If the touch screen is damaged (for example, after a fall), the lower part of the display may not respond to touch. → Screen. → Touch test.

If the reset doesn’t work, try the following algorithm:

1. Connect your smartphone to charge and make sure that the battery is more than 50%.
2. Hard reset via Recovery: Turn off the device. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data. After reset, reboot to the system.

Fastboot

Mi Flash Tool

Xiaomi

⚠️ Warning: Hard Reset via Recovery deletes all data, including photos and apps. Pre-backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup or Google Drive Backup.

Additional navigation button settings

If you return the classic buttons, you can customize them to your own needs, and the following options are available in MIUI:

• 🔀 Order of buttons: in the menu Settings → Screen. → Full screen mode → You can change the button settings to “Back” and “Recent».
• 🎨 Color of the panel: in Settings → Screen. → The color of the navigation panel can be selected black, white or semi-transparent background.
• ⏱️ Auto-hide: on some models (for example, Xiaomi Mi 9) buttons are hidden after a few seconds of inactivity. → Screen. → Full screen mode → Auto-disclosure of the navigation panel.
• 👆 Sensitivity: for gestures, you can configure the swipe zone in Settings → Screen. → Full screen mode → Customization of gestures.

On Android 11 and later devices (such as Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi Note 11), the Smart Hiding feature is available – the navigation bar automatically hides in full-screen applications (such as games or videos) and appears when swiped up. Enables in Settings → Screen → Full-screen mode → Smart Navigation Panel Hiding.

💡

If you lack the functionality of standard buttons, install the NavStar app or Fluid Navigation Gestures from Google Play. They allow you to customize additional gestures, vibration when pressed, and even change the appearance of the panel.

FAQ: Frequent questions about navigation on Xiaomi

💡

If none of these methods worked, the problem may be the hardware damage to the touch screen, in which case, contact the Xiaomi service center - self-repair without experience can aggravate the breakdown.