How to Turn Off Navigation Buttons on Xiaomi: A Complete Picture Guide

The navigation buttons on Xiaomi smartphones are the three classic buttons at the bottom of the screen: Back, Home, and Recent Apps. Over time, many users are switching to gesture control to make room for the display and make interaction with the phone smoother. However, not everyone knows that these buttons can not only be hidden, but also completely disable, customize or even replace them with alternative solutions.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to deactivate navigation buttons on Xiaomi, Redmi devices, POCO and Black Shark is managed MIUI 12, 13, 14 and 15, you will learn how to do this through standard settings, using hidden system functions, as well as what nuances are important to consider so as not to lose access to the basic functions of the smartphone. AMOLED-screens where buttons can burn over time.

If you are just planning to switch to gesture control or want to return the buttons back, at the end of the article there is an FAQ with answers to frequent questions and a method compatibility table for different versions of MIUI.

Why you should turn off navigation buttons on Xiaomi

The main reason is the saving of screen space, and on modern bezel-free smartphones, every extra pixel bar counts, especially when watching videos or games.

• 📱 More screen usable area – buttons occupy up to 10% of the bottom of the display, which is critical for devices with resolution FHD+ below.
• 🎮 Comfort in games – gestures do not overlap interface elements (relevant for Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile and other projects).
• ⚡ Reducing the risk of “burning” screen – static buttons on the screen AMOLED-matrices leave a trace over time.
• ⏱️ Quick access to features – swipe up gesture to return to the home screen works intuitively and faster than clicking a button.

However, there is a downside: some users complain of random gestures (such as scrolling through social media feeds) or difficulty adapting. If you have never used gesture control, we recommend that you try it out for 2-3 days before turning off the buttons completely.

Method 1: Disable buttons via standard MIUI settings

This is the easiest and most secure method that works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 10 and newer. Instructions are suitable for models Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 and others.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Display section.
3. Select Full-screen Mode (in some versions of MIUI, it may be called Navigation buttons or Navigation Type).
4. Slip on the option Gesture control (or full-screen gestures).
5. Confirm the choice and wait for the interface to restart (the phone will not restart, but the animation can be short-lived).

After that, the navigation buttons will disappear, and instead, the standard MIUI gestures will work:

• 🔙 Back - swipe from right to left from the edge of the screen.
• 🏠 Home - swipe up from the bottom edge.
• 📄 Recent apps – swipe up and hold (or swipe right up on some firmware).

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F3 or Redmi K40) When you switch to gestures, the button activity indicator may disappear. To return the visual prompt, turn on the gesture hint option in the same settings section.

Method 2: Using a hidden developer menu

If the standard method didn’t work (for example, on custom firmware or older versions of MIUI), you can use the developer menu, which requires caution, since incorrect settings can lead to interface failures.

First, activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified "You became a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new Developer section (usually at the bottom of the list).

Turn off the navigation buttons:

1. In the developer menu, find the Debugging by USB item and turn it on (this is a must for some hidden features).
2. Scroll down to the Input block and select the Navigation Bar Type.
3. Set the Gesture value or Hide the navigation bar (depending on the MIUI version).
4. Restart your phone to apply the changes.

This is useful for devices with MIUI 9-11, where standard button disabling may not be available, but remember that changes to the developer menu can be reset once the firmware update is updated, and you will have to reconfigure them.

Method 3: Disable buttons with ADB (for advanced users)

If previous methods didn’t work (e.g., on Xiaomi with custom firmware or devices for the Chinese market), you can use the ADB team. It’s a versatile tool for deep customization of Android, but it requires connecting the phone to your computer.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB Tools (download and unpack the archive).
• 🔧 Initiated Debugging Mode USB on the phone (see previous section).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and select File Transfer Mode (not Charge).
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB Tools.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Use the command to disable navigation buttons: adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1 (Use adb shell settings put global to return buttons force_fsg_nav_bar 0).
5. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi devices with a blocked bootloader command ADB It might not work, and it would require unlocking the bootloader, which would result in a complete data reset.

💡

Before using ADB, back up your data through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will save your files in the event of a crash.

Method 4: Using third-party applications (without root)

If you don't want to mess around with the system settings, you can use third-party utilities, the best of which are Nacho Notch and Fluid Navigation Gestures. These applications do not require super-user rights (root), but some features may be limited.

Instructions for Nacho Notch:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Launch it and grant permission to Overlay over other apps (a pop-up will redirect you to settings).
3. Enable the Hide Navigation Bar option (Hide Navigation Bar).
4. Make sure you have a double-click to return to.

Pros of the method:

• ✅ It works on most versions. MIUI (including MIUI 12.5 Enhanced).
• ✅ It does not require a PC connection.
• ✅ Flexible gesture settings (you can emulate Bixby or Google Assistant buttons).

Cons:

• ❌ The app may conflict with some games (for example, Call of Duty Mobile blocks overlays).
• ❌ On the lock screen, navigation buttons may temporarily appear.

Method 5: Completely remove navigation buttons (root only)

If you're willing to take drastic measures and have super-user rights (root), you can completely remove the navigation bar from the system, which is suitable for advanced users, because it requires editing system files.

You'll need:

• 📱 Device with unlocked bootloader and root access (for example, via Magisk).
• 🛠️ Root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 📝 Backup of the system (required!).

Instructions:

1. Open the file manager and go to /system/usr/keylayout.
2. Find the Generic.kl file and open it in the text editor.
3. Add a line to the end of the file: key 158 BACK VIRTUAL key 172 HOME VIRTUAL key 139 MENU VIRTUAL key 247 APP_SWITCH VIRTUAL (This will disable the processing of clicks on virtual buttons).
4. Save the file and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to a device blink (complete failure).If the phone does not turn on after rebooting, try returning the original Generic.kl file via the device. TWRP Recovery.

💡

Editing system files without backup is the main risk with this method. Always check the changes on custom firmware before using it on the main device.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you turn off navigation buttons on Xiaomi, users face typical difficulties, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Buttons are gone, but gestures are not working. Check if Full-screen is on in the settings. If the problem persists, reset the interface settings through Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Settings (three points) → Resetting settings.
• 🎮 In the game settings, find the option of Gesture Lock or Immersive Mode. PUBG Mobile and Free Fire can also be turned off overlays in Settings → Special permits → Overlaying on top of other applications.
• 🔋 After updating MIUI The buttons are back. This is standard system behavior. Re-set gestures through Settings. → Display. → Full screen mode. If you use it ADB, re-run the command.
• 📱 On the lock screen buttons remain This feature MIUI — The lock always shows the standard elements, and to hide them, you need root or custom firmware.

If none of these methods helped, check:

• 📋 Compatibility of your model with the chosen method (see table below).
• 🔄 Relevance of the version MIUI (Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🛠️ Conflicting apps (e.g., launchers like Nova Launcher can block gestures).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions