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 &…
How to fix the ‘iPhone Unavailable’ error on any iPhone
Three iPhones showing security lockout screens and reset options.

Your iPhone comes with a nifty feature that locks out strangers if they input the wrong password too many times. This is a great safety tool to keep your device away from prying eyes and to ensure someone doesn't randomly guess your password through multiple sign in attempts.

However, it can also be a nuisance. If you're in a hurry or just waking up in the morning, entering the wrong password multiple times will get you to the same "iPhone Unavailable" message.

Read more
Bixby vs. Google Assistant: Which AI is better for you?
google assistant mobile.

The world of AI has seen tons of innovation recently, with ChatGPT and OpenAI stealing much of the spotlight over the past year. However, ChatGPT is relatively new compared to two other AI platforms available in 2024 -- Samsung's Bixby and Google Assistant. And while Bixby and Google Assistant might not have the "cool factor" of emerging AI systems, there's no denying their versatility and functionality.
Google Assistant and Samsung's Bixby are available on a variety of Android devices. They'll both take commands and help streamline your daily tasks -- but is one better than the other? And are Bixby and Google Assistant compatible with all Android devices, or are they limited in their reach? More importantly, do they work on devices beyond smartphones?
Here's a comprehensive comparison of Bixby and Google Assistant to help you decide which fits best with your lifestyle.
Bixby vs. Google Assistant: device integration

Google Assistant is available on all Google Nest and Home products, including Android TVs, lights, security cams, speakers, and more. Google Assistant is also available on Android Auto, so you can use the virtual assistant to execute commands when you’re driving. Google Assistant is available on other brands' smart devices too, so you can use Google's voice assistant on Lenovo's Smart Home System. You'll also find it in all of the best Android phones, but did you know you can also download and use it on Apple iPhones as well?
Samsung’s Bixby, on the other hand, is limited to Samsung devices, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It's also limited to only being able to control other devices via the SmartThings app, rather than having native support. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is more restricted. However, full functionality of Bixby is limited to newer devices, so unlike Google Assistant, which tends to be available to older devices, you'll need to keep upgrading to get the most out of Bixby.
This won’t matter much for users who’ve been using Samsung devices for years and want to continue investing in new Samsung products, but if you live with people using different Android devices, Google Assistant might be a better option for smoother integration across devices.
The winner is pretty clear here. Google Assistant is available on a lot more devices, including Apple iPhones, and helps you to create a comprehensive system for convenient use. 
Winner: Google Assistant
Bixby vs. Google Assistant: performance and accessibility

Read more
How to reverse image search on Android or iPhone

A reverse image search is a handy way to figure out the origin of an image, locate similar images, or fact check an image. There are a multitude of ways to perform a reverse image search on your mobile device, whether you're using an Android phone or an iPhone.

For example, here's how to do a reverse image search via Google lens on Android:

Read more