Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

How to disable the Bixby button

Mark Jansen
Kerry Wan
By and

Virtual assistants are very common, and every phone manufacturer seems to have their own version. For Samsung phones, the assistant is Bixby. Samsung even has a special button to call up Bixby. Unfortunately, many users would prefer if this button did not exist.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • Samsung phone

If the Bixby button is driving you crazy, then it is time to learn how to disable it. Then you won’t have to worry about Bixby popping up when you’d rather it stay hidden.

How to disable the Bixby button (for Samsung Galaxy S20 and Note 10)

If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy S20 or Samsung Galaxy Note 10, the side key below the volume rocker functions as a Bixby button and a power button. By default, the side key will trigger Bixby with a long press instead of opening up your power-off menu, but that can be tweaked by accessing the side key settings.

Step 1: Press and hold the side key of the device.

Step 2: Tap on Side key settings.

Related

Step 3: Toggle on the Power off menu under Press and hold.

Step 4: To fully disable Bixby on the side key, make sure Open Bixby isn’t toggled on under Double press.

How to disable the Bixby key’s single press (for Samsung Galaxy S10 and older)

You used to be able to disable the Bixby key on older Galaxy smartphones, but with software updates, that’s no longer the case. However, while you can’t stop the Bixby key from activating Bixby, you can make it harder to accidentally trigger by requiring a double-press to bring up Bixby Home. To do so, you’ll need to access a specific setting in a specific part of Bixby — as nothing tied to Bixby is allowed to be simple, apparently.

Step 1: Press the Bixby key to bring up the Bixby Home page.

Step 2: Tap the three vertical dots and tap Settings.

Step 3: Scroll down until you find the option titled Bixby key.

Step 4: Change your option to Double press to open Bixby to make it harder to accidentally open Bixby.

Reassigning the Bixby key (for Samsung Galaxy S20 and Note 10)

You can reassign the Double press function of the side key, but not with the Press and hold function. You can assign the function to open an app of your choosing instead of quick-launching the camera or opening Bixby.

Step 1: Return to the side key settings by pressing and holding it and tapping Side key settings.

Step 2: Toggle on Double press.

Step 3: Tap on the gear icon next to Open app.

Step 4: Select an app from the drawer of installed applications to assign it.

Step 5: The name of the app should be under Open app if done correctly.

Reassigning the Bixby key (for Samsung Galaxy S10 and older)

You can disable Bixby completely, but it’s easier to assign it permission to access specific apps so you can still take advantage of the features.

Step 1: Head back to Bixby Home and the area where you changed the Bixby key originally.

Step 2: Tap (or double-tap, if you’ve already changed the Bixby key) to open Bixby Home.

Step 3: Tap the three vertical dots.

Step 4: Hit Settings > Bixby key.

Step 5: If you haven’t already, you’ll need to enable Double press to open Bixby.

Step 6: Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to select the single-press option. Turn it on by tapping the slider.

Step 7: Tap Open app to choose a single app to launch from your list of currently installed apps, or tap Run quick command to run a Bixby quick command when pressed.

Step 8: Tap Go to Quick commands after tapping Run Quick command to see a ton of good examples.

If you change your mind and decide to give the Bixby key another chance, you can reactivate it by selecting single-press. Reactivation sends it back to the basic setup, so you’ll lose your customizations, but you’ll have it ready to use in other ways.

Before you uninstall the app, consider undoing the changes you’ve made, restarting, and restoring it to its original state so you can take advantage of its other functions.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen
Contributor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
The best folding phones in 2023: our 4 favorite foldables right now
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

When the first folding smartphones arrived, they looked and felt like something from the future. Now, just a few years after those early models were made available in limited quantities, these exciting devices have been steadily refined and improved so they’re ready for everyday use. While prices are dropping as the technology matures, they’re still expensive purchases, so making the right buying decision is imperative.

At the moment, there are two distinct types of folding smartphones. The first is one that resembles a regular non-folding phone that unfolds out into a larger, tablet-like device. The second is one that recalls clamshell phones like the classic Motorola Razr, where a normal-sized phone folds in half to become more compact and pocketable. They both use basically the same screen and hinge technology, but serve different needs.

Read more
This app lets me use iMessage on my Android phone. Here’s how it works
iMessage on an iPhone 14 Pro Max, plus iMessage on an Android phone using the Beeper app.

If you use any Apple product, such as an iPhone or Mac, then you have access to Apple’s popular messaging app, iMessage. For a lot of people, it’s a big reason why they stay within Apple’s ecosystem and don't venture off to try other devices.

But what if you want to use Android? Apple’s iMessage is a proprietary communication platform, so don’t expect an official iMessage app on the Google Play Store any time soon.

Read more
How to fix a dead pixel on your monitor or smartphone
A close up of a MacBook Pro and its display.

A dead pixel can be a huge pain, whether it's on your smartphone, desktop monitor, or laptop. Fortunately, even though a dead pixel isn't a great sign of monitor health, there are ways you can sometimes bring that pixel back to life.

Read more