Each new version of MIUI introduces new settings to handle our Xiaomi mobile. Fortunately, the one that allows us to switch between gesture navigation and touch button navigation is still in the same place, although finding it the first time is never easy.
Since the physical buttons disappeared from our phones with the growth of screens, many manufacturers chose to house the controls at the bottom of the display. However, in the configuration of Xiaomi smartphones , we can specify if we want the Multitasking, Home or Back buttons to appear, or if we want to use gestures to control the device in full screen mode.
If full screen gestures are enabled, the following system navigation gestures apply:
- Return to Home Screen: Swipe from bottom to top.
- Open the latest apps (multitasking): swipe up and down with your finger.
- Back: Glide from the left edge to the right edge, or vice versa, with your finger.
How to switch between gestures and buttons in MIUI
As we have said, toggling between one option or another is not complicated as long as you know the route you should follow to adapt the navigation of your Xiaomi mobile to your liking.
Open the settings panel and locate the Additional settings menu. Once inside, scroll to the middle part and enter the Play full screen options. Here you can choose between gesture navigation on your Xiaomi mobile or use the virtual buttons that appear at the bottom of the screen.
You can also change the place of the back button and multitasking button according to your usage habit. If you want each one to appear on the right or left you can easily get it by disabling the “mirror buttons” within this same menu.
In the latest versions of MIUI 12 a couple of functions have been added such as the possibility of hiding the indicator that you are working in full screen (a line that appears at the bottom edge of the screen) or avoiding making wrong gestures by forcing yourself to repeat them twice, which certainly makes using the phone very uncomfortable.
If you cannot find these options on your smartphone, it is because the operating system version is old as it was added to Xiaomi phones with the launch of MIUI 11.