Josh Hendrickson is the Editor-in-Chief of Review Geek. He has worked in IT for nearly a decade, including four years spent repairing and servicing computers for Microsoft. He’s also a smarthome enthusiast who built his own smart mirror with just a frame, some electronics, a Raspberry Pi, and open-source code. Read more.
We’ve said before, and we’ll say it again: Bixby sucks. You’re better off using Google Assistant any day of the week. The good news is, it’s now possible to remap the pointless Bixby button without using a third-party app.
You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bixby
Bixby is a pretty pointless addition to Galaxy Phones, and you’d be hard-pressed to name anything Bixby can do that Google Assistant can’t do better. Disabling Bixby typically tops our list of how to improve a new Samsung phone.
Unfortunately, until recently, you couldn’t do much about the Bixby button that Samsung insists slapping on phones like the Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, and Note 9. You could turn it off, but then you’d be left with an equally pointless button that does nothing. The good news is, with new updates you can now remap the Bixby button without having to resort to other apps. The bad news is, you can’t turn it off entirely anymore. But there’s a second best option. Here’s what to do.
Note: It’s not currently possible to remap the Bixby button to invoke the Google Assistant (or any other digital assistant). Just another app.
Remapping the Bixby Button
The first thing you’ll have to do is open the Bixy app, so go ahead and hit that Bixby button to launch it. Once the app opens (and you run through any setup it may require), tap on the three vertical dots at center-right of the screen.
Tap the “Settings” option.
First, you’ll want to make sure the Bixby app is up to date, or you won’t get the remap option. Scroll down and choose “About Bixby.”
Bixby needs to be on at least version 2.1.04.18 for this to work. If you don’t have that, tap the update button.
After the update, tap the three vertical dots and tap “Settings” again. Scroll down and find “Bixby Key.” Tap on that.
You can’t completely disable Bixy anymore, which is terrible. The next best thing is to choose the “Double press to open Bixby” option, you’re unlikely to double press by accident.
Under the “double press” option toggle on the “use single” press option, this will let you remap the single press to another app.
On the next screen, you can choose “Open app” or “run quick command.” To set the single press to something like Google Assistant, choose Open app.
Then scroll to the app you want to use and tap it—in this case, the Google app.
And now your Bixby button is more useful. This isn’t perfect, and it’d be great if you could turn off Bixby entirely. But at least you’re less likely to accidentally trigger it. And if you don’t want the button to do anything, you can get close to it—just make Bixby a double press and don’t assign anything to the single press option.
Josh Hendrickson is the Editor-in-Chief of Review Geek. He has worked in IT for nearly a decade, including four years spent repairing and servicing computers for Microsoft. He’s also a smarthome enthusiast who built his own smart mirror with just a frame, some electronics, a Raspberry Pi, and open-source code. Read more.
We’ve said before, and we’ll say it again: Bixby sucks. You’re better off using Google Assistant any day of the week. The good news is, it’s now possible to remap the pointless Bixby button without using a third-party app.
You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bixby
Bixby is a pretty pointless addition to Galaxy Phones, and you’d be hard-pressed to name anything Bixby can do that Google Assistant can’t do better. Disabling Bixby typically tops our list of how to improve a new Samsung phone.
Unfortunately, until recently, you couldn’t do much about the Bixby button that Samsung insists slapping on phones like the Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, and Note 9. You could turn it off, but then you’d be left with an equally pointless button that does nothing. The good news is, with new updates you can now remap the Bixby button without having to resort to other apps. The bad news is, you can’t turn it off entirely anymore. But there’s a second best option. Here’s what to do.
Note: It’s not currently possible to remap the Bixby button to invoke the Google Assistant (or any other digital assistant). Just another app.
Remapping the Bixby Button
The first thing you’ll have to do is open the Bixy app, so go ahead and hit that Bixby button to launch it. Once the app opens (and you run through any setup it may require), tap on the three vertical dots at center-right of the screen.
Tap the “Settings” option.
First, you’ll want to make sure the Bixby app is up to date, or you won’t get the remap option. Scroll down and choose “About Bixby.”
Bixby needs to be on at least version 2.1.04.18 for this to work. If you don’t have that, tap the update button.
After the update, tap the three vertical dots and tap “Settings” again. Scroll down and find “Bixby Key.” Tap on that.
You can’t completely disable Bixy anymore, which is terrible. The next best thing is to choose the “Double press to open Bixby” option, you’re unlikely to double press by accident.
Under the “double press” option toggle on the “use single” press option, this will let you remap the single press to another app.
On the next screen, you can choose “Open app” or “run quick command.” To set the single press to something like Google Assistant, choose Open app.
Then scroll to the app you want to use and tap it—in this case, the Google app.
And now your Bixby button is more useful. This isn’t perfect, and it’d be great if you could turn off Bixby entirely. But at least you’re less likely to accidentally trigger it. And if you don’t want the button to do anything, you can get close to it—just make Bixby a double press and don’t assign anything to the single press option.
Be free of Bixby — sort of
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Earlier this week, Samsung released an update to the Bixby app for its Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, and Note 9 smartphones that finally addresses something we’ve been asking for since Bixby’s debut: the ability to natively reprogram the hardware button on the side of a Samsung phone to do something other than just launch Bixby.
That’s right, you can now use the Bixby button to launch any number of apps, such as the camera, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps, or whatever you want. But unfortunately, Samsung is blocking the ability to use it for the Google Assistant or other virtual assistants, like Microsoft’s Cortana or Amazon’s Alexa. For that, you’ll still need to rely on a third party app.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review: the anti-iPhone
Here’s how to remap the Bixby button to something more useful:
- Make sure your Bixby Voice app is up-to-date. You can check within the settings section of the app itself or through Samsung’s Galaxy Apps store. You’ll need to be on version 2.1.04.18 or later for this to work.
- Launch Bixby Voice and tap the three vertical dots on right side of the screen. Click the Settings option.
- Scroll down to Bixby key and tap to open the configuration options.
- Here you have an option to set the key to open Bixby on one press and a secondary function on a double press, or vice versa. Choose which option you prefer and then tap the secondary function to choose which app to launch. Note that you can’t fully disable the Bixby button; it has to be mapped to either a single or double press.
- You can choose to launch a specific app by tapping the cog wheel on the right. Or you can program a Bixby routine to run when you press the button.
- As you’ll see when you go to the app selection screen, there’s no way to natively launch the Google Assistant with the Bixby button. To make that work, you’ll need to rely on a third-party app — the folks over at XDA Developers have created one and put together steps on how to make it work. Note that you’ll have to sideload the app, which comes with some security risks, so proceed at your own risk. If you don’t want to deal with sideloading, there’s a 99 cent app called BixAssist available in the Google Play Store that performs the same function.
That’s all there is to it — you now have a little more control over what the hardware buttons on your phone do. Hopefully, Samsung will improve this in the future and allow for native support of Google Assistant and the ability to fully disable launching Bixby entirely. But for now, the button is slightly more functional than before.
Update, 8:10AM, March 5, 2019: Added information about BixAssist app from the Google Play Store.
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In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to remap the Bixby button on all the Samsung Galaxy devices that still have it.
Compatible Samsung devices
Samsung has, thankfully, moved away from having a Bixby button at all. Most recent Galaxy devices have a Side button that’s customizable from the jump.
The methods below require a device to have One UI and the Android 9.0 Pie update or later. The following phones should be able to use this tutorial:
How to natively remap the Bixby button
Assuming you’ve updated to the latest possible Samsung software on compatible devices, you can do limited remapping of the Bixby button without any third party tools.
- Open Bixby Assistant Home by pressing the Bixby button one time.
- Tap Menu (indicated by three horizontal lines) and select your device.
- Tap Settings, then Bixby key.
- Choose either Single press to open Bixby or Double press to open Bixby.
- Flip the toggle switch underneath either option.
- Select an app or quick command you want to run.
The beauty is that you can make the button do two different things, depending on whether you hit it once or twice — you can even keep Bixby around, for instance setting up a double-press command that runs driving-related actions. Samsung warns that you may lose remapping if you reset Bixby or deactivate an assigned app or command, but you should be able to restore it by following the process above.
There are some restrictions. You can’t natively select Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, but all other apps should be available.
How to remap the button to Google Assistant
People like remapping the Bixby button to Google Assistant, which is the default voice assistant on most other Android phones. You can’t do this using Samsung’s stock software, but there is a way:
- Download the Bixby Button Assistant Remapper app from XDA-Developers. Install it on your device like you would any other third-party APK. Here’s our tutorial if you need help.
- Return to Samsung’s native Bixby remapping options, but select the Bixby Button Assistant Remapper as your triggered app.
- Press the Bixby button to run the command for the first time. It will ask what assistant you want to use. Select Google Assistant, then Always.
This worked well in our testing and you don’t have to mess with anything once it’s up and running. We’re not thrilled that Samsung forces this type of workaround, but installing a third party APK isn’t the worst solution.
Remap Bixby with apps from Google Play
There is one final method for remapping the Bixby button: third-party apps from the Google Play Store. This isn’t as clean as Samsung’s toggles, but these apps can do things the native OS can’t. Some examples include music control, remapping the volume keys, or having the Bixby button toggle the flashlight on and off.
Bixbi Button Remapper is one of our favorites. It’s free and includes some fun functions. Button Remapper works with a bunch of buttons, but also includes support for Bixby. Search the Play Store for more if one of those two don’t work.
How to remap the Bixby button of your Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8 and Note 9
After much waiting, Samsung has finally updated Bixby after the launch of the Galaxy S10 to allow remapping dedicated button what’s for the assistant on one of the sides of your high-end phones. With this option, users are given the ability to choose what happens when you make a simple click on that button.
You will be able to choose between launching an application or executing a quick command, which is what Bixby calls its routine system. The point is that you will not be able to prevent Bixby from opening with that key, but you will be able to decide if you want the assistant to open with one or two presses, and then choose what the mobile does with the type of keystroke that remains free .
How to remap the Bixby button
The first thing you have to do is open the Bixby application by clicking on the same side button that you want to remap. Once you do, on the main screen of the wizard click on the three dots icon that you have above the first tips that are given to you.
Once you press that button, a menu will open with various options related to Bixby. In this menu you have to click on the Settings option to access the Samsung Assistant setup menu.
Once you enter the Bixby Voice Settings menu, you have to press on the Bixby Key option. You’ll find it at the end of the first options section, just before starting the General section.
And now comes where you must do everything. First you have to say what kind of press you give to Bixby to free the other (1). For example, if you make the wizard run by double clicking on the button, the single press will be unused and you can remap it. For it, turn on the Use single tap option (2) below. If you give Bixby the single tap, you can remap the double tap.
You will go to a screen where you must choose what type of action to do when pressing the Bixby button. You can choose to open an application or run a quick command, which are Bixby routines. Click on the gear icon of the action you want to perform to configure it.
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If you have clicked on Open application, the list of compatible applications will open, and all you have to do is click on the app that you want to open when you press the Bixby button once.
If you click on Execute quick command, a list of all the routines that you have configured will open in the wizard, and you will have to select the one you want to open. You also have a Go to Quick Commands button with which you can go to the panel to create your own routines as we explained to you in this article.
How to remap the Bixby button of your Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8 and Note 9
After much waiting, Samsung has finally updated Bixby after the launch of the Galaxy S10 to allow remapping dedicated button what’s for the assistant on one of the sides of your high-end phones. With this option, users are given the ability to choose what happens when you make a simple click on that button.
You will be able to choose between launching an application or executing a quick command, which is what Bixby calls its routine system. The point is that you will not be able to prevent Bixby from opening with that key, but you will be able to decide if you want the assistant to open with one or two presses, and then choose what the mobile does with the type of keystroke that remains free .
How to remap the Bixby button
The first thing you have to do is open the Bixby application by clicking on the same side button that you want to remap. Once you do, on the main screen of the wizard click on the three dots icon that you have above the first tips that are given to you.
Once you press that button, a menu will open with various options related to Bixby. In this menu you have to click on the Settings option to access the Samsung Assistant setup menu.
Once you enter the Bixby Voice Settings menu, you have to press on the Bixby Key option. You’ll find it at the end of the first options section, just before starting the General section.
And now comes where you must do everything. First you have to say what kind of press you give to Bixby to free the other (1). For example, if you make the wizard run by double clicking on the button, the single press will be unused and you can remap it. For it, turn on the Use single tap option (2) below. If you give Bixby the single tap, you can remap the double tap.
You will go to a screen where you must choose what type of action to do when pressing the Bixby button. You can choose to open an application or run a quick command, which are Bixby routines. Click on the gear icon of the action you want to perform to configure it.
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If you have clicked on Open application, the list of compatible applications will open, and all you have to do is click on the app that you want to open when you press the Bixby button once.
If you click on Execute quick command, a list of all the routines that you have configured will open in the wizard, and you will have to select the one you want to open. You also have a Go to Quick Commands button with which you can go to the panel to create your own routines as we explained to you in this article.
How to Remap the Bixby Button on a Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, or Note 9
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We’ve said before, and we’ll say it again: Bixby sucks. You’re better off using Google Assistant any day of the week. The good news is, it’s now possible to remap the pointless Bixby button without using a third-party app.
You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bixby
Bixby is a pretty pointless addition to Galaxy Phones, and you’d be hard-pressed to name anything Bixby can do that Google Assistant can’t do better. Disabling Bixby typically tops our list of how to improve a new Samsung phone.
Unfortunately, until recently, you couldn’t do much about the Bixby button that Samsung insists slapping on phones like the Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, and Note 9. You could turn it off, but then you’d be left with an equally pointless button that does nothing. The good news is, with new updates you can now remap the Bixby button without having to resort to other apps. The bad news is, you can’t turn it off entirely anymore. But there’s a second best option. Here’s what to do.
Note: It’s not currently possible to remap the Bixby button to invoke the Google Assistant (or any other digital assistant). Just another app.
Remapping the Bixby Button
The first thing you’ll have to do is open the Bixy app, so go ahead and hit that Bixby button to launch it. Once the app opens (and you run through any setup it may require), tap on the three vertical dots at center-right of the screen.
Finally we can now Remap Bixby dedicated button with other apps and commands too.
Samsung’s Personal Assistant ‘Bixby’ is now doubt one of the smartest personal assistants we have seen along with Google Assistant and Siri. Bixby was launched 2 years ago with Galaxy S8 and continued with many flagships of the company. But the only pain with the same was it comes with dedicated Bixby button which gets tapped and launched accidentally most of the times. And that irritates a lot. Also the bigger pain was, there wasn’t any way to disable Bixby.
But now, during the launch of Samsung Galaxy S10 and its hands-on, we users figured out some options that let’s us play with Bixby’s dedicated button and its command. Which also means, finally we can now Remap the Bixby button to Single or Double Tap and also assign some other specific app or any Quick commands. Well, that’s really a big relief to Galaxy users.
As Samsung said, “Now, you can customize the button to launch Bixby with either a single or double press, and map the other option to launch your favorite app or Quick command.” Well, that was pre-loaded with Galaxy S10, but it was said that after a software update, this Bixby Remapping feature will also be available for older Galaxy phones that have Bixby and running on Android 9 Pie.
And guess what, Samsung has now updated Bixby in its Galaxy Store which means it now works on older devices too. The Galaxy device that support Bixby remapping are as follows:
- Galaxy note 8
- Galaxy note 9
- Galaxy S8, S8 plus
- Galaxy S9, S9 plus
- Galaxy S10, S10 plus, S10E
Lots of users are confused about how to get this feature in their respective devices. So let’s make it quite clear for you. The feature as stated by Samsung will work automatically on all Samsung devices which are using Android 9.0 and user doesn’t have to do any extra effort for installing it. Those who are still unsure about it, to make sure your device about the latest Bixby updates installed. Open the galaxy store and click on three dots on the top right corner, after that go to My page and then click on updates. If updates will appear on screen then your device does not yet have Bixby feature, download the update and enjoy the feature on your device after successful installation.
How to Remap Bixby Button:
Now the next question is how this feature will work or how to use it? After successfully installing the update all you have to do is a single or double tap on Bixby and open it. In some of Samsung devices it will open in a single tap and maybe in some, it will open in the double tap. So that is perfectly fine.
- After that select, the three dot icon then go on setting and then click on the Bixby key.
- Now users have two options to use Bixby key, you can activate your personal assistant on your hand by single or double tap. And the other option is interesting by allowing the setting to open the application of your choice.
- It can open the app of your choice in a single tap. Other than this feature will allow you to use Bixby Quick command. This prebuilt Bixby quick command gives you the opportunity to customize your own action in a device. Apart from this, it allows you to take action on certain actions like disabling DND, allow the device to read your calendar loud and turning on the always on display.
Apart from all the interesting features it is offering, it came up with one limitation. As the feature will not allow you to access the Google Assistant feature as your device is already assigned to Samsung’s personal assistant. However, this will not be going to a major problem for the user, because Bixby will totally work as Google Assistant. Just in case, if you don’t want Bixby at all, or want to Disable Bixby completely, check this guide.
(Pocket-lint) – On the Samsung Galaxy S10 models, Samsung included a native method for reassigning the Bixby button to do something else.
The chagrin of Samsung users since it was introduced on the Galaxy S8, previously you’ve only previously been able to disable the button. Since the S10, the button was removed, and Bixby was incorporated into the power button (you can read all about that here).
The function is also also available to older Galaxy S and Note models if they have a dedicated Bixby button.
How to re-assign the Bixby button
If have a Galaxy S10 here’s how to deal with the offending Bixby button:
- Head into Settings > Advanced features > Bixby key
- Here you’ll find the find the options to change one of the functions of the Bixby button – so you can have a single press or double press to launch any app of your choice.
- Toggle on the option and head through to select what you’d rather have the button do. That can be to launch an app or a quick command and you can just select what you want off the list.
And there is nasty surprise.
The Bixby button has three modes – single, double, long press – and two of these will always trigger Bixby in some form. The long press will always open up Bixby Voice and either the single or double press will launch Bixby – so it’s not a complete remap of the button, it’s just adding a function to it.
The nasty surprise is that you have to (a) sign into a Samsung account and (b) activate Bixby to get access to the option to edit the button. So if you have no intention of using Bixby at all, you’d have to sign-in and turn it on, to change the button function, thereby making it much more likely that Bixby will launch.
If you don’t sign-in and get Bixby setup, you don’t have the option to edit the function of the button.
It’s a pretty sneaky move: a Samsung account isn’t strictly necessary to use a Galaxy device. You can use it with just a Google account without inviting Samsung to the data grab party. The benefits of signing into a Samsung account include various backup options through Samsung cloud, but in reality you can use Google for all that stuff instead – and with Google progressively offering better backup options for Android devices, we find it the better experience than many manufacturer alternatives.
And no, you can’t sign-in, reassign the key, and then log-out and disable Bixby, because doing so will then reset the button to prompting you to log-in.
So the real choice is (a) sign-in and power up Bixby and change the button or (b) ignore the reassign option, don’t sign in and just accept that if you accidentally press the button, you’ll be prompted to setup Bixby.
Despite a very vocal distaste for Bixby, Samsung continues to push their voice assistant on customers. For many, the button is not only a waste, but placed perfectly for accidental presses. While it appears Samsung has no intention of giving up on Bixby, with the help of an excellent app, you can get rid of it yourself.
When Bixby-disabling apps started appearing on the Play Store, Samsung did their best to block them. Only a few managed to circumvent this block, and continue to work, even on the latest Galaxy Note 9. Unless you are one of the few who prefers Bixby over other voice assistants, here how to remap the button to make it open a more useful app.
Be Aware
As I mentioned, Samsung has already blocked Bixby remapping apps using firmware updates in the past. So there is a chance the app below might stop working in the future. That being said, the developer of this app has a great track record for finding workarounds to Samsung’s block attempts, so even if a software update blocks it, we’re pretty sure Jawomo will find a way around it again.
Step 1: Install bxActions
bxActions is a free to download app on the Google Play Store that allows you to remap the Bixby button on your Galaxy Note 9. Use the link below on your mobile device to grab the app.
- Play Store Link: bxActions – Change Buttons (free)
Step 2: Enable Permissions
After installing bxActions, open the app and tap “Next” to see a list of permissions you need to enable for the app to work. These are all required for the app’s core functionality of remapping the Bixby button.
Selecting the toggle “Get foreground app” will transfer you to the Usage Data Access page with a GIF. Select the button below it to dismiss the GIF, then locate bxActions on the Usage Data Access page. Select it, then enable the toggle.
Once enabled, you will be transferred back to the initial page with the permission requests. Select the second toggle to be transferred to the accessibility page. Again, a GIF will be presented which can be dismissed using the button below it. Select “bxActions — Bixbi button” and enable the toggle. Choose “OK” on the popup to return to the initial permission page and select “Done.”
Step 3: Remap the Bixby Button
On the new page, choose “Bixbi button” and select “Single Press.” Under the “Choose Action” page, select how you want to remap the button. You can outright disable it if you don’t want to use the button at all, make it a home or back button, launch an app, launch a Tasker task, control media, launch Google Assistant, and so much more. Find the action you are looking for and select it. Tap the back arrow in the upper-left corner of your display to save your action.
Step 4: Test Out the Button
From any screen, press the Bixby button to see if your new action activates. For our devices, provided to us by Verizon, we switch the button to the camera, allowing us to capture those precious once-in-a-lifetime moments even faster with the click of a button.
Besides a single press, bxActions has even more features for those willing to pay. For $2.99, you can access new features such as the ability to activate another action by long-pressing the Bixby button. Additionally, you can configure a different action when long-pressed on the lock screen. Some of the other controls require a computer to access.
No longer do you have to worry about accidentally activating Bixby anymore. Instead, you can enjoy the fact that Samsung gave you another button with the Galaxy Note 9 which can be used to improve workflow on your device. Which command did you use to replace your Bixby button? Let us know in the comment below. And be sure to let us know of any issues you ran into or if an update blocks this app’s functionality.
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Samsung’s new assistant software, Bixby, has its own physical button on the Galaxy S8. But for those who don’t want to use Bixby, there’s a workaround to customize what the button does.
Taylor Martin has covered technology online for over six years. He has reviewed smartphones for Pocketnow and Android Authority and loves building stuff on his YouTube channel, MOD. He has a dangerous obsession with coffee and is afraid of free time.
Samsung’s new flagship phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus , ship with its new assistant software, Bixby. But there’s a problem. Bixby isn’t fully functional yet. Bixby Home, sort of like Google Now with cards displaying information relevant to you, and Bixby Vision, a feature that can recognize and search for things you point the camera at, are available. However, Bixby Voice is absent.
Samsung went as far as to dedicate a button to Bixby, located along the left edge of the phone, just beneath the volume rocker. If you’ve been missing a dedicated camera button or would rather the button launch Google Assistant, here’s how you can remap the Bixby button to do nearly anything you want.
Editors’ note: Originally published April 25, 2017, this article has been updated to reflect that some firmware updates have caused this workaround to stop working for some users.
A temporary solution
With fewer and fewer buttons on phones these days, it’s big news when a manufacturer adds a button, especially when that button is tied to another assistant you may never even use.
Tweaking what that button can do, of course, is not out of the question. In fact, it’s quite simple and it doesn’t require rooting your phone or doing anything that might void your warranty.
However, whether you choose to remap the Bixby button because you prefer Google Assistant or because you’d rather have a physical camera button, the workaround might not last forever. Samsung nixed a similar workaround once back in April, then once again in July in a more recent firmware update, stating it is “exploiting a system-level behavior.”
In truth, it’s not nearly as nefarious as that sounds. These remapper applications are simply waiting (or listening) for the Bixby button to be pressed or for Bixby to be opened, immediately terminating Bixby, then launching whatever action the user chose instead.
Not only that, Samsung wants people to use the software it has worked hard to create — software that it believes improves the user experience on its phones. Now that all facets of Bixby are working , Samsung will likely take a more aggressive stance against such workarounds.
How to remap the Bixby button
Currently, there are a handful of applications in Google Play that let you reconfigure what the Bixby button on your Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus does, and some no longer work due to various firmware updates. I tested several different remapper apps (both before and after recent updates) and settled on three that work really well: bxActions, Bixby Button Remapper and Custom Bixby Button.
Start by downloading either of these applications. The first time you open either bxActions, Bixby Button Remapper or Custom Bixby Button, you will need to enable it under Settings > Accessibility > Services. Enabling this accessibility setting is necessary for the applications to detect when the Bixby button has been pressed. Both apps state they do not collect usage data.
bxActions
To use bxActions, open the application and tap Remap. Select one of the available actions, such as Google Assistant, Camera, Notification shade, etc. Next, tap App to start the app.
Now, anytime you press the Bixby button, you will be returned home briefly before the action occurs.
Bixby Button Remapper
To set up Bixby Button Remapper, open the app and tap the toggle switch in the top right corner of the app. Next, tap Bixby Button Action and select one of the available actions.
With this app, when you press the Bixby button, Bixby will launch first, close, then the selected action will launch.
Custom Bixby Button
Setting up Custom Bixby Button is not unlike the others. Open the app and toggle on the switch in the upper right corner of the app. After that, choose one of the available methods: Event, Polling or Read logs. Depending on which version of the Galaxy S8 you have and which firmware your phone is on, you will need to select a different method. (The Event method, for instance, did not work on my T-Mobile Galaxy S8 running build version NRD90M.G955USQU1AQGA, so I had to use the Polling method.)
Finally, choose which action you want the Bixby button to be used for, such as opening the notifications panel or switching to the previous application.
The developer notes that other features could be added in the future, such as actions for long presses or double presses of the Bixby button.
A temporary solution
Whether you choose to remap the Bixby button because you prefer Google Assistant or because you’d rather have a physical camera button, the workaround might not last forever. Samsung nixed a similar workaround once back in April, then once again in July in a more recent firmware update, stating it is “exploiting a system-level behavior.”
In truth, it’s not nearly as nefarious as that sounds. These remapper applications are simply waiting (or listening) for the Bixby button to be pressed or for Bixby to be opened, immediately terminating Bixby, then launching whatever action the user chose instead.
Not only that, Samsung wants people to use the software it has worked hard to create — software that it believes improves the user experience on its phones. Now that all facets of Bixby are working , Samsung will likely take a more aggressive stance against such workarounds.
Check out more Samsung Galaxy S8 tips in our complete guide.
On February 20, Samsung launched its latest Galaxy S10 flagship smartphones. The new smartphones by Samsung have a feature using which users can remap the Bixby button. Samsung also rolled out the same feature for its older Galaxy flagships including Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9. So, the update would roll out to all Samsung Galaxy smartphones that have a dedicated Bixby button and have the One UI based on Android Pie running on them.
With the update, you can remap it to launch any other app of your choice including camera, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps.
However, you will not be able to re-program the Bixby button to launch another digital assistant of your choice. So, if you have a preference for Google Assistant or Cortana, you would still have to rely on apps to use them as they can’t be made to work via the Bixby button.
But even then, this update is a welcome change for most Samsung Galaxy flagship mobile users as Bixby never really became a favourite among masses. Other digital assistants from Google, Amazon and Apple have always garnered more appreciation.
Here’s look at how you can remap the Bixby button on your Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Note 8:
- Update your Bixby app to version 2.1.04.18 or higher. You can only remap the button with this version.
- Launch the Bixby app on your Samsung smartphone and press on the three-dot icon on the right side of the screen.
- Click on the Settings option.
- Scroll down and click on the configuration options under Bixby key.
- Here, you will find the option of launching Bixby on a single press or on a double press. It is worth noticing that Bixby cannot be disabled completely. It will either launch at a single press or a double press. You would also be able to choose from here which app you want to launch instead.
We really hope to see an option of launching Google Assistant or Cortana or Amazon’s Alexa via the Bixby button too. However, for now, this cannot be done as the update does not support it.
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No, you still can’t disable it completely.
Joe Rice-Jones
With the number of resources that Samsung must be pouring into its Bixby voice assistant, the company is probably disappointed that owners of Bixby-enabled Galaxy S handsets are trying everything to not have to use it.
Samsung has slightly relented with the dedicated Bixby button on Galaxy S8 and newer handsets, finally allowing users to remap that button to other functions. That update for Galaxy S8, and S8 Plus, S9, and S9 Plus, Note 8 and Note 9 users should be available from today.
If you have a compatible device that’s already running Samsung’s One Touch UI version of Android Pie (9), you should be getting an update. This does come with some restrictions, so while it’s great that Samsung offered the feature, it won’t be to everyone’s satisfaction.
Here’s what you can and can’t do with the updated Bixby button
You still can’t disable the button entirely, with Samsung only letting you have two choices for activation: Single-press or double-press to open Bixby. The option you don’t choose for Bixby can then be remapped to open the camera, or most apps, or even a “quick command.”
You can’t turn that button into the Google Assistant or Alexa, or any other voice assistant, as shown by The Verge‘s Dan Seifert. I guess Bixby is insecure and in today’s crowded labor market, who can blame them?
my S10+ review unit has received an update to the Bixby app that lets me natively remap the button to a more useful command. guess what app CAN’T be mapped to it?
How to remap the Bixby button to do something useful
Remapping will let you use that Bixby button to open any app you want (unless the app you want is Google Assistant, or Alexa, or any of the other apps blocked by Samsung).
You can map the new function to either a single-press or a double-press. Long-pressing the button will always invoke Bixby, so expect lots of butt-dials (probably).
To remap your favorite app to the Bixby button, it’s pretty easy:
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy device
- Tap on Advanced Features
- Tap Bixby Key
- Choose your preferred mode for Bixby, either single-press or double-press.
Now tapping the Bixby button will open your app of choice, and not the omnipresent Bixby, ready to listen to your demands like a low-rent genie in-the-lamp.
Quick commands
Samsung’s “quick commands” are pre-set Bixby instructions like “call Dad” or “turn on silent mode.” You can set the Bixby button to do this instead of opening an app, in the same way as you’d remap to an app above. When you get to the last couple of steps, tap on Run quick command instead of Open App and set your preferred command.
Since you can’t disable the Bixby button, maybe it’s time for you to learn how to coexist with the voice assistant. Check out our handy guide on some of the nifty features it can do.
What do you think? Plan on using the feature to remap your Bixby button? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek. Hardware guy here at KnowTechie, if it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn’t) I probably have one around here somewhere. My hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 includes a dedicated button to launch Bixby, the personal assistant that’s somewhat similar to Google Assistant. The good news is that you can reconfigure the button to do other things.
By default, the Bixby button launches Bixby with a single press of the button. You can remap the button to launch a different app, or assign a quick command to it with a double-press.
If you prefer, you can make the app of your choice launch via the single press, and relegate Bixby to a double press. Either way, you can’t get rid of Bixby entirely.
How to remap the Bixby button on a Samsung Galaxy S10
1. Press the Bixby button to start Bixby.
2. Tap the three dots to open the Bixby menu.
3. Tap “Settings.”
4. Tap “Bixby key.”
5. Decide how you want to use your Bixby key. Choose “Single press to open Bixby” (which is the default) or “Double press to open Bixby” depending upon how frequently you expect to start Bixby via the button.
6. Whichever you choose, you can assign an app to the button’s other mode (single or double press). If you selected “Single press to open Bixby,” assign an app to the button by tapping “Use double press.”
7. On the Use double press page, turn on the double press by sliding the button to the right.
8. Tap “Open app” to choose the app you want to run when you double press the button.
How to assign a quick command to the Bixby button
You can also choose to assign one of Bixby’s quick commands to the button, instead of an app. Quick commands are routines that often include multiple actions in a single step. The “Let’s go run” command, for example, starts the running tracker, changes the media volume, and starts playing music from your running playlist.
To assign a quick command, follow the steps above, but when you reach the Use double press page, tap “Run quick command” instead of “Open app.” Choose a quick command you’ve enabled.
If you haven’t yet enabled quick commands, tap “Go to Quick commands,” choose a command, and save it. After you do that, it’ll be available in the list of commands to assign to the button.
Author: Josh Hendrickson / Source: How-To Geek
We’ve said before, and we’ll say it again: Bixby sucks. You’re better off using Google Assistant any day of the week. The good news is, it’s now possible to remap the pointless Bixby button without using a third-party app.
You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bixby
Bixby is a pretty pointless addition to Galaxy Phones, and you’d be hard-pressed to name anything Bixby can do that Google Assistant can’t do better. Disabling Bixby typically tops our list of how to improve a new Samsung phone.
Unfortunately, until recently, you couldn’t do much about the Bixby button that Samsung insists slapping on phones like the Galaxy S8, S9, S10, Note 8, and Note 9. You could turn it off, but then you’d be left with an equally pointless button that does nothing. The good news is, with new updates you can now remap the Bixby button without having to resort to other apps. The bad news is, you can’t turn it off entirely anymore. But there’s a second best option. Here’s what to do.
Note: It’s not currently possible to remap the Bixby button to invoke the Google Assistant (or any other digital assistant). Just another app.
Remapping the Bixby Button
The first thing you’ll have to do is open the Bixy app, so go ahead and hit that Bixby button to launch it. Once the app opens…
Samsung first introduced the now infamous Bixby button on its Galaxy S8 and in the time since, users have been actively looking for ways to use it for other purposes. Now, Samsung has finally made that functionality available on several devices. Here’s how to remap the Bixby button on the Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, and Note 8.
Remap the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, Note 8
Thanks to an official software update and an app update from Samsung, Bixby button remapping is available on every Galaxy flagship that has the hardware baked in. This means users can easily remap the Bixby button on their shiny new Galaxy S10, or do the same on the Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, as well as the Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8.
- Update Bixby via Samsung Galaxy Store
- Access Bixby button settings
- Customize Bixby button actions
1. Update Bixby via the Galaxy Store
The first thing you’ll need to do is update Bixby itself from the Samsung Galaxy Store. Luckily, doing this is quite easy. Simply head to the app drawer and locate the Store. From there, go to My Page and then Update. On this screen, you’ll likely see a few Bixby apps in need of updates. To do them all at once, simply hit the Update All button at the top of the screen.
2. Access Bixby button Settings
After you’ve updated all of Bixby’s apps, head to the Settings menu on your Galaxy device. You should then see a section titled Advanced Features and under that, Bixby Key. This process should be the same for the Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, and Note 8, but you’ll need to ensure that the device is on the latest system update. If you’re still on a beta version, this won’t work.
Note: If you were previously using an app to remap the Bixby button, you’ll need to disable it to access this setting.
3. Customize Bixby button actions
The last step to remapping the Bixby button on your Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, or Note 8 is to pick what action you’d like it to serve. You can customize the button to perform a different action with either a single or double tap of the button. Shame is, you can only do one or the other. If you use the single tap, for example, Bixby Home will still launch on a double-tap. Regardless, a long-press will always open Bixby Voice.
Despite that, being able to remap the Bixby button without the need for a third-party app is a welcome change, and something we’ve been waiting a couple of years for. It’s just a shame that you can’t remap it to Google Assistant.
With the recent Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8, Samsung has introduced a new physical hardware button dedicated to the Bixby virtual assistant. For several months, the South Korean manufacturer has fought to prevent it from being remapped or reprogrammed, but thankfully Samsung now finally allows you to disable the Bixby button. Find out how to do it in this article.
When Samsung first introduced Bixby, we’d imagined it would be introduced quickly on the brand’s smartphones. Unfortunately, more than 6 months after its announcement, Samsung’s digital assistant still isn’t available in many languages, to the disappointment of many around the globe. Available only in Korean and English, Bixby is keeping a lot of users waiting. For some US users, even though it’s available in English, it’s a disappointment because it doesn’t work very well.
Why is Bixby so slow to learn new languages, and why can’t it handle English well? It is simply a big data problem: it needs a bigger store of data to analyze via machine learning in order to improve.
Samsung was wrong to dedicate the button exclusively to its virtual assistant Bixby. As is often the case, community developers found a way to remap the Bixby button on the Galaxy S8. Surprisingly, Samsung immediately blocked this, but after a few months, the mobile giant has finally allowed the possibility to deactivate the Bixby button. Here’s how to do it.
How to disable the Bixby button on a Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8
- First of all, it’s necessary to have Samsung’s latest update. Be sure to check Settings > Software Update > Download updates manually to see if it’s up-to-date.
Make sure your smartphone is up-to-date. © NextPit
- Then, open Bixby as you normally would, by clicking on the physical button on the left.
- Download the latest update (if not already done).
- From the main Bixby screen, tap the Settings icon in the upper right corner of your screen. A window will open at the top with the slider set to the On position. You can then choose to disable the Bixby key by setting it to the Off position.
Click on the slider at the top right to activate or deactivate Bixby. © NextPit
However, please note that long pressing the Bixby button will still activate Bixby Voice. This can’t be disabled, as of now. But, at least accidental short presses of the key won’t launch anything once you disable the key with the steps above. Finally, if you want to reactivate the Bixby button, simply swipe right on the home screen to open the digital assistant and reactivate it.
Did you disable the Bixby button? If so, why?
Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8+ release was pretty much only a affirmation of all of the rumours and leaks that were circulating all over the internet. So even as all and sundry changed into prepared for the “Bixby Button”, the confirmation felt simply as horrific. A dedicated hardware button for an AI assistant that humans won’t even use much? It sounded peculiar, and it nevertheless does, which is why a variety of attempts were made to remap the Bixby Button to some thing more… practical and beneficial. We had simply that, before Samsung went beforehand and broke the capability of that app by means of ensuring that the key activities for the Bixby button get swallowed up by the OS before it could be intercepted by way of any app. But, we have lots more solutions available now, and even as it’s effortlessly feasible to remap Bixby to Google Now, you may now remap the Bixby Button to almost something you want. So, in case you’re interested by that, here is how you can remap the Bixby Button to any application:
Bixby Remapping History
Earlier than we get to the trendy method to remap the Bixby button, allow’s talk a little bit about the history of remapping the Bixby Button, and the attempts (and how feeble they grew to become out to be) that Samsung made to save you this “misuse” of a hardware button that became in any other case completely useless anyway.
The first technique that developers had come out with involved intercepting the key events that happen on pressing the Bixby Button, and using them to open a different (user-selected) app, instead. However, Samsung soon pushed an update to both the phones that broke this app. Samsung confirmed that in the new update, the key events from the Bixby Button will no longer even reach Accessibility Services, thereby preventing any apps from using those key events for releasing custom applications.
Even as this surely felt like a “win” for Samsung, it become nothing however a mistake, due to the fact developers quickly found out other ways of remapping the Bixby Button. Samsung ought to’ve without problems prevented the bad PR had it allowed users to remap the Bixby button. Positive, the new technique to remap the Bixby Button is not as stylish as the only before it, however it works. BixBye (free) is one utility that could allow you to remap the Bixby Button for your Galaxy S8 and S8+ to any application you need. So, permit’s speak how you could use BixBye to remap the Bixby Button in your device.
Using BixBye to Remap Bixby Button on S8 and S8+
You can simply use the BixBye app to remap the Bixby Button to a variety of different features, and applications.
Note: The BixBye app is still in its early stages, and neither the developer, nor I can assurance that it’ll work perfectly fine on your device. That said, I tried it out on the Galaxy S8, and it worked perfectly okay. Use at your own discretion, and only if you understand the risks involved with alpha software.
- Install BixBye ( free ) from the Play Store, and launch it. You will have to grant it access to “Services” under “Accessibility“.
- Once you’ve done that, you can simply tap on the text that says “Voice Assistant” by default, and modify it to one of the available options. Then, you can just turn the toggle on the top right to on, and you can begin playing with the Bixby Button.
I attempted out all the alternatives available, and even as number of them work good, the Voice Assistant doesn’t seem so one can get Google Assistant at the display screen, although it does release Assistant in the background, that is weird. additionally, in case you set the Bixby Button to “camera“, pressing it while the cellphone is locked does launch the digital camera, however you’ll should liberate the cellphone to be able to get to it. But, seeing because the app continues to be in its early stages of development, we are able to anticipate to look plenty more feature updates, and overall performance improvements over the years.
Use BixBye to Remap the Bixby Button to Any App
When there are plenty of apps available in the Play Store that will let you remap the Bixby Button to another app, or some service, but BixBye is the only one providing not only Google Assistant, but a excess of services that you can allow with the Bixby Button. Plus, it also gives the option to release any installed app from your Galaxy S8 or S8+, so you can assign the Bixby Button to an app that you use very often and quickly release it with just a press of a button.
The customization app will also allow users to share their “Quick commands” with their friends and family.
- StaffStaff –>
- Published: February 23, 2019 12:19 PM IST
Image credit: Samsung
Samsung just revealed its latest Samsung Galaxy S10 line to the world. As part of the lineup, the company announced its Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and the iPhone XR competitor Galaxy S10e. As part of the Galaxy S10 lineup, the company brought back a feature that most of the world is not so pumped about, to give you a hint, it has to do something with a button. Also Read – Samsung showcases 200MP camera sensor with a giant cat billboard: Watch video
If you still have to guess, the company included the Bixby button on the new Galaxy S10 lineup. A feature that is not used as much as Samsung may hope for its users to use. However, during the event, the company revealed that it will now allow users to remap the Bixby button to launch any app or bunch of actions that the users may want quick access to. The company has termed the chaining of different actions together as Quick commands . The functionality will be baked in the Android 9 Pie-based One UI operating system. Also Read – Exynos 2300 is in works, likely for the 2023-due Galaxy S23 flagship
Watch: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 First Look
After the event, the company also confirmed that this feature will not be limited to Galaxy S10 lineup as Samsung is planning to bring it to its older premium flagship smartphones. According to an official release by the company, the company claims that users can Make Bixby they own . The company will essentially allow users to change how the button works on single or even double press.
Also Read
The customization app will also allow users to share their Quick commands with their friends and family. Users can also save the Quick commands as shortcuts on the home screen of their smartphone. Samsung also announced that it will bring the Bixby Key Customization on previously released Bixby-enabled flagship smartphones running Android Pie OS . This means that the feature will come to older flagship smartphone devices that the company launched including Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy Note 9.
When the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Galaxy Note 8 launched in 2017, they included a new hardware button on the left side dedicated just for activating the company’s Bixby digital assistant. However, there was no official way in the phones’ software to disable the Bixby button for people who didn’t want or need it. This caused many third-party software makers to create apps and root methods to shut down the Bixby button.
Despite this obvious desire from customers to add such an option officially, Samsung did nothing for months on this front. However, things changed in September 2017. Samsung quietly pushed out a software update specifically for Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8 owners that finally included an official way to (sort of) cut down the use of the Bixby button. Specifically, you can change its settings so you have to double press the button to activate Bixby. This will be a big help for owners of those phones who might have been accidentally accessing Bixby by pressing the dedicated button.
Here’s how it works:
- Tap on the Settings icon.
- Scroll down and tap on the Advanced Features selection.
- Tap on the Bixby Key option.
- Finally, tap on the Double Press to open Bixby selection.
You can also make use of a number of third-party apps that have created ways to use that Bixby button for things other than activating Bixby. You can check those out at the link below.
Some of you may be wondering if Samsung provided a way to completely disable the Bixby button on those phones. The answer is that the company did release an update that handled that job. Unfortunately, the company chose to get rid of that feature in a subsequent software update. It doesn’t seem likely that will change before these phones reach their software update limits.
by Radu Nicolae · May 5, 2017
Even if the brand-new Galaxy S8 seems to be more than what we have expected in terms of design and performance, one major complain is related to the inability to freely remap the dedicated Bixby button to launch other apps and features. Is there any way to remap the Bixby Button on your Samsung Galaxy S8? I can assure you that there is and BixRemap is here to help you.
Yes, there is a free utility called BixRemap from developer Dave Bennett seems to fix that problem by allowing users to remap the Bixby button to launch any other app.
Before the latest update, it only allowed users to remap Bixby button to launch Google Assistant. However, it seems that more features may be added in the future seeing the amazing user response and now and the latest update includes the ability to launch any installed apps with the Bixby button.
Bennett is clear about the fact that the app was created in “20 minutes” and is meant to serve more as a proof of concept in its current stage. Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to discover that it is a bit sloppy, with the remapped button still launching Bixby first before actually routing you to your desired app. And if this is no serious issue, I have to warn you about the fact that BixRemap must access to usage tracking permissions to function, which is a fairly large amount of data that you’re giving the app.
Still, for any Galaxy S8 owners who would prefer to get more utility out of the extra hardware button, BixRemap seems to be the ideal choice. However, I don’t know about you, but I feel that it’s frustrating that Samsung is forcing users to find such solutions instead of just allowing them to use their devices the way that they’d like.
Take BixRemap from here.
Speaking of Galaxy S8, you can get the same experience on other devices too. These guides might help you:
- Take Galaxy S8 Plus ROM port on your Galaxy S7 Edge device;
- Get Samsung Galaxy S8 Weather Widget and Soft Keys on any of your Galaxy devices;
- You may also grab Zooper Widgets that Replicate Galaxy S8 Weather Widget and Search Bar;
- Get Galaxy S8 Navbar Keys on Galaxy Note 5.
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hoaivu1508
Senior Member
- Nov 30, 2018
Only work Samsung Galaxy devices which has physical Bixby button (Samsung Galaxy S and Note series: S8/S8+, S9/S9+, S10E/S10/S10+, Note 8, Note 9)
☆ Bixby Remap Button is one of the best useful tool which can help you remap/custom physical Bixby button to many Actions or Applications
☆ Easy to setup and work well on latest version of Bixby app, work with high performance
Main Features:
Remap to Actions:
✔ Disable Bixby button
✔ Open Google Assistant
✔ Enable Silent mode
✔ Toggle Flashlight
✔ Notification Panel
✔ Quick Settings
Remap to Keys:
✔ Power Menu
✔ Back Key
✔ Home Key
✔ Recent Apps
✔ Wake Up
Remap to Applications:
✔ Camera
✔ Google Now
✔ Gallery
✔ Google Maps
✔ Or any apps
Remap to control Media:
✔ Volume Up/Down/Mute
✔ Play/Pause Song
✔ Next/Previous Song
Permissions:
This app uses Accessibility services.
– android.permission.BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE: To detect user press Bixby button to custom it
Note:
– You may need RESTART the Accessibility service (by turn off then turn on) after phone REBOOT
– If you have any problem, questions or feedback about this app please contact us at [[email protected]]
The Samsung Galaxy S10 phones will let you remap the Bixby button, well, sort of. You can’t completely evict the Samsung digital assistant, but what you can do is assign an app of your choice to the button.
Here’s how it works. The button can be single and double pressed. You can assign your app to one of those options, Bixby will move to the other option. Note that a long-press always launches Bixby in voice command mode.
The Bixby button supports single, double and long presses
So, it’s not perfect, but those of you who hate the maligned digital assistant can at least get some utility out of the key. It’s not clear if the Galaxy S9 and Note9 will get a similar option in a future update.
Related
Bixby beta now speaks Italian, German, French and Spanish
Samsung Galaxy Note9 updated to disable Bixby button (kind of)
Samsung’s Bixby to support third-party apps by the end of this year
Samsung Galaxy Home: a Bixby-powered smart speaker is on the way
Reader comments
“I’m not that lazy to touch my phone to set a clock or search an adress” Who’s talking of those simple 1 task commands kid? Watch the linked video above and get a clue. For example, I simply say to Bixby “I’m on a Journey” to do ALL of the follo.
- Reply
- 06 Mar 2019
- ke>
Ok seems like there’s 1 person between on this planet, that is in LOVE with Bixby. Dude Bixby is a trash, just simply google the reviews about Bixby. I have had S8+ and S9 and the only thing what I can say about Bixby is “IT IS A PIECE OF TRASH SPYWA.
- Reply
- 05 Mar 2019
- 3SE
How ironic and hilarious of you to be calling Bixby, which offers the user the choice of personalizing content, a useless spyware. Yet I bet you’re proudly using the scroogle assistant or siri, both of which come from organizations that are under scr.
- Reply
- 05 Mar 2019
- Yde
One of the software improvements that Samsung announced when it launched the Galaxy S10 on February 20 was an option to reassign the Bixby key.
As you probably already know if you are a user of any of the latest Samsung flagships, the latest Galaxy S and Galaxy Note models from the company come with a dedicated button to open the Bixby digital assistant.
So far, reassigning this button to another function has been a challenge. Although some third-party applications were able to do this, most were based on accessibility services and many users prefer to avoid these solutions while waiting for an official.
In some cases, the problem was not that people did not want to use Bixby, but the fact that many users accidentally activated the digital assistant by clicking on this button by error.
Samsung tried to solve this problem with a software update that allowed us to configure a double tap to start Bixby, but there was still no option to assign this button to a different action.
During the launch of the Galaxy S10 on February 20, Samsung made an unexpected announcement: not only that the new model came with options to reassign the function of this button, but the company planned to extend this function to all models with Bixby button: Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+, Galaxy S9 / S9+ and Galaxy Note8 / Note9.
Today Samsung has released this update, so you can now reassign the Bixby button in both the Galaxy S10 and previous models.
First of all, you have to make sure that you have the latest version of the Bixby application installed. You have to update both the Bixby Service and Bixby Home to the latest versions.
Once this is done, you can proceed to customize the Bixby button in Settings> Advanced functions> Bixby key. If you choose the option Press once to open Bixby, you can click on Use double click to assign another action. Similarly, if you choose Press twice to open Bixby, you can click on Use simple click to assign another action.
In short, the Bixby button offers two types of keystroke – single or double – and the one you do not use for Bixby is available for another application or a quick command. For example, you can make a single press opens Bixby and double press open the camera.
The most questionable decision made by Samsung in the recent few years was the introduction of the Bixby button to their Galaxy flagships. What bugged out most Samsung users was the fact that the Bixby button was not remappable and via any official means and Samsung released an update to disable the Bixby button remapping for un-rooted devices by third-party apps.
Samsung also has placed the Bixby button in such a location where you might often rest your fingers or grip the device to take it out from your pocket, this causes accidental activation of the Bixby voice assistant which can be pretty annoying.
Fortunately, Samsung has rolled out an update to Bixby which lets you remap the button or simply change the Bixby activation trigger to a double tap rather than a single press or a press and hold to activate Bixby.
So let’s check out the simple process to avoid the accidental Bixby activation.
How to avoid accidental Bixby activation
The steps are pretty straightforward, simply follow along to hopefully get rid of the annoyance altogether.
- You would first have to update the Bixby related apps and services via the Galaxy Apps store.
- Simply visit our guide on how to get the latest Bixby update which brings along the button remapping option by clicking this link
- Once you’ve installed the latest Bixby update, open the System Settings on your device.
- Now tap on Advanced features and tap on the Bixby key option.
- By default, the Bixby trigger is set to Single press to activate.
- However, to avoid the accidental Bixby activation, select Double press to openBixby.
- Leave the Use single press option off since you might end up opening the selected app accidentally as well, however, you could use the option if you don’t mind the selected app of your choice opening up accidentally.
That’s it. You could finally reach for your phone without having Bixby pop-up all the time. It’s also better than having to disable Bixby entirely since you could still bring up Bixby by double pressing the Bixby key on your device.
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Dwayne
Used to be a Windows Phone fan until I got my first Android Phone. Never looked back since. When I’m not writing, I’m gaming. Email: [email protected]
by Ben Madison · May 2, 2017
Galaxy S8 has been praised, but the truth is that there is one feature that hasn’t received many compliments in the past few days: I am talking about Bixby, Samsung’s answer to Google Assistant. This is indeed a disappointment for users who realized that this button could be made to launch any other app as well. Samsung jumped in with a quick update patch to prevent users from remapping the button, but it might be too late for that.
Here I am to encourage you to remap Bixby Button on Samsung Galaxy S8 with the help of an app known as Bixby Button Remapper. After all, you have seen that Bixby remapping apps appear from nowhere and people are so anxious to do something useful with that button they’ll be capable to try them all.
You don’t have to do that since Bixby Button Remapper is the perfect choice. This allows you to remap the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S8 to something other than Bixby! Unlike some other Bixby Button Remapping apps, this one doesn’t actually monitor keypresses, but it actually detects when the Hello Bixby app is on screen and instantly kills it and triggers whatever action you set within the app instead.
And there are other options that you should know about from the start: I am referring to the ability to simulate navigation keys presses – back, home, recents – toggle flashlight, not to mention that it lets you launch any app of your choice. However, I must warn you about the fact that Bixby Home panel still pops up when you hit the button. Even this is not nice, it just closes after a fraction of a second, then your chosen action is triggered.
And even if you might not like the sound of it, this app is still experimental, so send the developers an email at [email protected] if you experience any problem.
Grab Bixby Button Remapper and enjoy what the app has to offer.
· Updated 4 February 2022 ·
(Pocket-lint) – Voice assistants are taking over our devices, but there are three main contenders for the crown, if you’re a Samsung user: Google Assistant, Bixby and Alexa.
Whether you have a Galaxy S21, or an older Galaxy model there’s a way you can set Alexa as the default assistant on Samsung Galaxy devices.
How to set Alexa as your voice assistant on Samsung Galaxy phones
- Make sure you’ve installed the Amazon Alexa app and signed in on your Galaxy phone.
- Check and install the latest updates to your phone.
- Open the Settings menu and select Apps > Choose default apps. If you can’t find it, just search for “default apps” in the settings menu.
- In “Default apps” you’ll see an option called Digital assistance app, select this.
- Tap on the box that says “device assistance app” and it opens with a range of options.
- Select Alexa from the list.
Launching your voice assistant will then depend on various factors. If you’re using the on-screen buttons, a long press on the home button will launch your virtual assistant – in this case Alexa – which is nice and easy.
If you’re using the swipe gestures that were introduced into Android 10, then the action will depend on how old your phone is. If you’re using a recent device you’ll have to swipe in from the bottom corner of the screen. This will then launch Alexa. For older phones (like the Note 8 for example), you’ll have to swipe up slowly from the centre. Both work, you just have to figure out exactly what you need to do on your phone.
While this method won’t give you the “Alexa” wake word from your phone, you can long press that button, or swipe, and start talking as if you did. You can use the Alexa wake word if you have the Alexa app open on your phone already.
Why would you want Alexa as your default assistance app?
It means that you can use Alexa – and all the things that Alexa knows – quickly from your phone, without having to open the app.
You can use Alexa to control all of your smart home devices or interact with services that you’ve setup through the Alexa app. this means you can setup your home around your Amazon Echo devices and then have your phone offering the same things, without having to think about setting everything up with Google or SmartThings. Sure, Google Assistant offers many of the same functions, but if you’ve already got it running with Alexa then there’s no need to setup with Google.
You can also use it for Alexa Calling. Just long press that button and say who you want to call (it could be an Echo within your own home). If you’re calling an Echo Show or Echo Spot, it will then be a video call.
So, it’s easy to do – if you’re not a user of Google Assistant and are a fan of Alexa then it’s worth doing, as it’s a neat little shortcut into Alexa on your Samsung phone!
Or, if you really want, you can have the Google Assistant open on the Ok Google hotword and have Alexa on the home button. The choice is yours.
Justin Duino is the Reviews Director at How-To Geek (and LifeSavvy Media as a whole). He has spent the last decade writing about Android, smartphones, and other mobile technology. In addition to his written work, he has also been a regular guest commentator on CBS News and BBC World News and Radio to discuss current events in the technology industry. Read more.
Unlike many other Android handsets, the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra all launch Samsung’s Bixby virtual assistant by default when the side button is long-pressed. Thankfully, you can change the button’s action so that it pulls up the power menu instead. Here’s how.
Start by opening the Galaxy S20’s Settings menu. The easiest way to do this is by swiping down from the top of the phone’s display and pulling down the notification shade. From here, tap the Gear icon in the top-right corner.
Alternatively, you can swipe up from the handset’s home screen to open the app drawer. Here, you can either use the search bar at the top of the screen or swipe between panels to locate the “Settings” app.
Scroll down and then select the “Advanced Features” option.
Next, tap the “Side Key” button at the top of the list.
You can now adjust the press and hold and double-press actions. Select the “Power Off Menu” option if you want the side button to act as a traditional power button when long-pressed.
You can also modify what double-pressing the side button does. By default, just like on other Android smartphones, the action quickly launches the camera. You can change this to open Bixby or open any app installed on your Samsung Galaxy S20.
Updated on May 18, 2018
Bought a Samsung Galaxy device and facing issue with the Power Button? Then, here in this guide, we will try to fix the Samsung Galaxy Power Button Problems.
Samsung launched its first smartphone in 2009. Since then Samsung hit the market with so many series and Galaxy series is one among them. It’s one amongst the leading smartphone manufacturers across the globe. Samsung Galaxy series is a set of mobile computing devices from Samsung company. Galaxy S series, J series, A series, C series, E series, R series, Y series, Galaxy Core/ Grand series, Galaxy Tab, Note, Mega, Mini, Ace, Galaxy On, Pocket, so many other Galaxy smart devices are currently ruling the market.
There are situations when the power button on your smartphones stop functioning. It is quite embarrassing when the power button is not working on your device unless you have a device with a physical home button or a double tap screen wake-up feature in it. You will be aware that your phone is not having a problem, but it’s just the power button who stopped working with which you could wake up your device. So this guide is exclusively for you. We are here with a quick guide to fix Samsung Galaxy Power Button not working issue.
Quick Guide to fix Samsung Galaxy Power Button not working issue.
If your Samsung Galaxy Power Button is not working, it’s for sure that it is a hardware issue and it can’t be fixed unless it’s sent to your Samsung service centre for a repair. But wait!! It’s not completely over. If you are unable to repair or your device is out of warranty, this quick guide to fix Samsung Galaxy Power Button not working issue will definitely help.
1. To restart your device.
If your Samsung Galaxy device is not switched off, it’s very simple to wake up your phone using the physical home button or a double tap to wake up your device when the power button is not working. But when your device is not having both the aforesaid features, you need to simply connect your device to a charger or a PC with USB cable, or can even ask a friend to call you. All these will help you to wake up your device to let use it again.
But if the device is switched off, the situation is more knotty. You may need to Install some third-party apps on your device. We will have a look on to them in the following tips.
2. Turn on your Samsung Galaxy device without a power button.
- If your phone is switched off, you should try pressing and holding the volume down button along with the Home button.
- While you hold the volume down and home button, you should use a USB cable to connect your device to a computer.
- Keep on holding both the buttons till your device boot to the Download mode.
- Once your device boots to the Download mode, you should press the volume down button in order to cancel the Download mode.
- When the Download mode is canceled, your Galaxy device will reboot.
- You should wait patiently for your device to completely start.
3. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy device without a power button.
You can turn off your device without a power button using third-party apps such as “Button Savior”, Power Button to Volume Button, Gravity Screen, Proximity Actions etc. You can install all these apps from the Google Play Store.
Button Savior
When you open the app, you should select the “Kill/Start Button Savior Service. Then tap and hold the Power Button on the bottom part of the icon list. Select the Power Off option on the device option list.
Power Button to Volume Button
This app will allow you to use the volume button instead of the power button to wake up your device. But the device consumes a hell lot of battery charge.
Gravity Screen
With this app, the device screen gets automatically off when we put the device in our Pocket or a table and when we take up, it immediately gets wake up.
Proximity Actions.
Just with a simple hand wave, over the proximity sensor, you can lock and unlock the device using the Proximity Actions App.
4. Permanently fix the broken power button.
Even though the apps aforementioned might be helpful when your power button is not working, it is necessary that you get your power button fixed permanently. Because using the power mode we can take a screenshot, or even put the device in recovery mode. So contact your Samsung service provider or a professional to get your power button fixed permanently.
Hope all these solutions will help to fix Samsung Galaxy Power Button Not Working Issue. If you have any queries, feel free to ask via comment or contact us page.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade to Samsung’s latest?
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ represent updates to our favourite phones from 2017 – but what’s new? As predicted, and heavily leaked, there are no huge surprises this year. Instead, Samsung has tweaked and fine-tuned an already excellent phone by improving the camera and adding a few extras. Keep on reading for the full comparison.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs S8 design – What’s new?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 represented a huge step forward in industrial design for the South Korean company and signalled a shift in the way phones look. The awkward bezel was minimised, with metal and glass becoming the materials of choice.
After receiving such a makeover, it was always likely that the device that followed the S8 would look very much alike. That is indeed the case with the S9, which looks pretty much identical to its predecessor.
Samsung said it has reduced the top and bottom bezel slightly, and you’ll notice the fingerprint sensor has been shifted so that it sits below the camera module. There’s also now a front-firing speaker in the mic on the top, rather than just that middling bottom-facing one.
Both phones include a 3.5mm headphone jack, IP68 water-resistance, a microSD slot for storage expansion and a USB-C port for charging.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs S8 specs – What new features have been added?
While there are plenty of new features to get excited about with the S9, there’s also plenty that’s remained the same.
The 5.8-inch – or 6.2-inch, if you go Plus – is the same size and features the same quad-HD+ resolution as the previous device. Battery sizes haven’t changed either, so we wouldn’t expect too much improvement when it comes to endurance. Qi wireless charging remains, and we haven’t had confirmation yet on whether the charging speed has been altered.
Credit: Max Parker – Trusted Reviews
In probably the most predictable update, the S9 and S9 Plus improve upon the Snapdragon 835/Exynos 8895 chip with the latest versions. If you’re in Europe you’ll get the Exynos 9810, while the US will get the Snapdragon 845. Improvements with these new chips include faster download speeds, superior CPU and GPU performance along with better efficiency.
RAM on the regular S9 remains at 4GB like the S8, but the S9 Plus gets 6GB. Storage remains at 64GB, although there will now be a 256GB option for the S9 and S9+.
| Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S8 | |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 300mAh |
| Camera (Rear) | 12MP f/2.4 and f/1.5 | 12MP f/1.7 |
| Display | 5.8-inch OLED (1440 x 2560) | 5.8-inch OLED (1440 x 2560) |
| Processor | Snapdragon 845/Exynos 9810 | Snapdragon 835/Exynos 8890 |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
Among the bigger changes are the improved speakers, which now fire sound directly at you rather than into your palm. These new speakers have been tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos for 360-degree sound. On first listen not only do the speakers appear louder, they’re more more detailed than before too.
The other huge change, and the primary focus of the S9, is the camera. The 12-megapixel sensor now has a clever mechanical aperture shift that will move between f/2.4 and f/1.5, depending on your environment.
When it’s bright and sunny it will utilise the f/2.4 aperture, with the wider f/1.5 kicking in when things get darker or you’re inside. This should result in fantastic shots during the day, but equally impressive ones in the tougher conditions that most smartphone cameras would struggle in. The S8 did have a 12-megapixel sensor, but the aperture was a fixed f/1.7.
4K video can now be shot at 60fps, rather than just 30fps, and slow-motion can be cranked all the way up to 960fps for a very short time. Like the S8, the S9 can also shoot in 120fps and 240fps in 1080p.
Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant, is available on both phones and can be accessed via a dedicated button.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs S8 price – Which is better value?
Prices for the Samsung Galaxy S9 start from £739 for the 64GB model. That’s an increase over the £689 price of the Galaxy S8 at launch. Note, however, you’ll be able to pick up an S8 for a lot less than that now – and that price will likely further come down once the S9 hits shelves.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs S8 – Verdict
If you really value a great smartphone camera and are happy with the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S8 experience, then the S9 should make for a decent upgrade. There are plenty of tweaks that address issues we experienced with the previous handset – and that’s always a good thing.
Share your thoughts on the all-new Galaxy S9 with us @TrustedReviews.
Through an app, Bixby button could be customized to perform other functions than launching the digital assistant only.
- Marcia SekhoseMarcia Sekhose
- @marciasekhose –>
- Published: April 18, 2017 9:26 AM IST
Samsung s latest flagships, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will be available on April 21. Even as we are just three days away from its availability, Samsung is already making modifications to its AI-based assistant Bixby. It’s now learnt that you will not be allowed to remap the dedicated Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 series to perform functions other than launching the digital assistant. XDA Developers had devised a way to make Bixby s button perform almost any other action the user wanted it to. Samsung has however confirmed that through an OTA update, the option to do so will be completely removed. Also Read – Samsung showcases 200MP camera sensor with a giant cat billboard: Watch video
The dedicated Bixby button is located on the right side of the Galaxy S8 smartphones, and by pressing it the digital assistant is activated. Initially, one had to download an app called All In One Gestures and by altering the accessibility features, it would create a custom key within the app. After doing so, when the Bixby button is pressed, it would generate a key up and key down feature enabling a user to choose a different function. This could vary from activating Google Assistant, Gmail, camera and more. There was no requirement for rooting the smartphone to install this app and use the feature. This was considered useful since Bixby is currently available in two languages of US English and Korean only. More languages are said to roll out later this year.
Samsung through an OTA update has altogether removed the ability to remap the Bixby button. Samsung did so by denying access to alter the Accessibility Services option in the Galaxy S8 smartphones. The third party app would be installed on the smartphone only by turning on the accessibility to download foreign apps. Samsung has altogether removed the option to alter the accessibility for Bixby. Philip Berne for Samsung US has confirmed this by saying that It was exploiting a system-level behavior. That behavior has been changed. Can t say it will never happen, but we won t officially support . ALSO READ: From Samsung Bixby to Apple Siri, is Artificial Intelligence ready for primetime?
XDA Developers further reported saying that a Galaxy S8 user can still remap the Bixby button on his review unit which is currently up to date. However, the Galaxy S8 user from Canada received the update which blocked the smartphone from remapping the Bixby button. ALSO READ: Samsung Bixby: If done well, it might leave people impressed yet again
Last week, Samsung said that Bixby would launch without its highlight feature voice control. This feature would arrive on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ later via a software update. The other features of Bixby which are Vision, Home and Reminder would be available for use. ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S8 to launch globally without Bixby s voice feature
The Samsung Galaxy S8 (in its two variants) and the Galaxy Note 8 have received an update in our country and one of the new features offered is the ability to deactivate the Bixby button included on the left side of the terminal. We tell you the steps to take to get this simple.
Many have been attempts by independent developers to get this. And, almost all of them, have not settled since the Korean company has released corrections in their new versions of the software. To prevent it from deactivating the button without their consent. But, this has changed dramatically since the decision has been made by Samsung that users can do this in complete safety and are complications.
Update the wizard to disable the Bixby button
That, yes, a detail that must be taken into account. It is necessary to have the latest version of the voice assistant to include in the latest high-end models of the Korean company. Otherwise, it will not be possible to take advantage of the option of deactivating the Bixby button that is included in the update that reaches the devices.
SAMSUNG BIXBY, THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Usually, when entering the mentioned assistant a check is made and, automatically. The update notice appears … that you must accept, of course. If this does not happen, access the Galaxy Apps store and in the list of all the applications that have installed. So, check if there is an update for Bixby and Bixby Home. If not, you already have the latest version.
Steps to deactivate the button
To get this, you have to do what is indicated below. And, the truth is that it is nothing complex and much less jeopardizes the operation of models that include the voice assistant we speak of. Here’s what you need to do to disable the Bixby button:
You just switched to a Samsung Galaxy and you want to know more about Bixby. You’ve heard of Bixby before, but you aren’t quite sure what it does or how to use it. In this article, I’ll explain what Bixby on a Samsung Galaxy is, show you how to use it, and explain how it can be beneficial to you!
What Is Bixby?
Bixby is a virtual assistant that was created by Samsung. This voice-powered aid assists Samsung Galaxy owners in many different ways. From phone calls to dinner reservations, Bixby is there to help.
What Is Bixby Good For?
Bixby can be used to complete many different tasks. You can use your Samsung Galaxy voice assistant to complete voice searches, set alarms, manage your schedule, play music,В translate foreign languages, pick up calls, send messages, and much more.
How Do I Activate Bixby?
You can easily activate Bixby on a Samsung Galaxy by using the Bixby button or the Bixby Voice Wake-Up feature.
There are two ways to activate the Bixby button. You can set it up from Bixby Home or from the Settings app.
If you choose to set it up through Bixby Home, go to your home screen and swipe right to open Bixby Home. Next, tap the Settings icon (look for the gear). Finally, tap the slider to use the Bixby key to open Bixby Home.
If you choose to set it up in Settings, you must go to your home screen and swipe right to open Bixby Home. Next, tap more options, then choose settings. Finally, touch Bixby key, and then choose the appropriate option.
To activate Bixby Voice Wake-Up, follow these simple steps:
- Go to Bixby Home.
- Select more options.
- Choose settings.
- Turn on the voice wake-up feature by tapping the slider.
- Set up a wake-up command by recording your voice.
After following these steps, you’ll be able to use Bixby by simply saying “”Hi Bixby!”
What Is Bixby Home?
Bixby Home is essentially a list of information that Bixby can interact with. It allows you to access gadgets, like the weather and your fitness activity. In order to use Bixby Home, swipe left-to-right on the home screen or press the Bixby button.
What Is Bixby Vision?
Bixby Vision is built into the camera of your Samsung Galaxy. In order to use Bixby Vision, open Bixby Home and tap the Bixby Vision icon at the top of the screen.
Bixby Vision allows you to learn more about what you’re seeing through your Samsung Galaxy’s camera. You can scan QR codes, get more information about historical monuments, and find the nutritional information about the food you’re about to eat.
Can I Disable Bixby?
Yes, you can disable Bixby. Here’s how:
- Open your settings.
- Tap advanced features.
- Tap the Bixby key.
- Select double press to open Bixby.
Samsung Galaxy Bixby: Explained!
I hope this article helped you gain a better understanding of what Samsung Galaxy Bixby is and how to use it! Make sure to share this article on social media to teach your friends and family more about Bixby and how it’s beneficial to Samsung Galaxy users. If you have any other questions about Bixby or Samsung Galaxys, leave them in the comments section below.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s a WONDERFUL Monday morning. Over the course of last night, Samsung pushed a few updates to its Bixby suite of applications, which bring an amazing option to our Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 devices. As you likely know by now, the three latest Samsung devices feature a dedicated button on the side to activate Bixby, Samsung’s new personal assistant.
Samsung has been battling with third-party developers to prevent the ability to remap the button for Google Assistant (or other apps), but now Samsung has updated the Bixby app. The latest update, which is available via the “Galaxy Apps” store, now makes it possible for you to stop the button from activating Bixby at all.
After the Bixby suite of apps has been updated, you can disable the Bixby button via either the Bixby app itself or through Bixby’s settings. Here are the steps you need to take:
- Press the Bixby button
- Select the “Gear” icon at the top right-hand corner
- Toggle the switch for Bixby Key
Diable via Bixby Settings
- Press the Bixby button
- Select the three-dot menu button in the top right-hand corner
- Select Settings
- Scroll down and tap “Bixby key”
- Select “Don’t open anything”
- Profit!
According to the folks at SamMobile, the update is not rolling out to everyone just yet, but the update will definitely be coming. So in the meantime, just be patient, and then you can enjoy the world of not accidentally activating Bixby when you simply take your phone out of your pocket.
One thing to make note of, even if you deactivate the Bixby button but still want to be able to use Bixby, the Bixby Voice aspect is still enabled by default, so you can still get all of the hands-free help you need. If you run into any issues, feel free to ask us in the comments below, and we’ll be sure to try to answer any of the questions you have.
A firmware update blocks the ability to remap the Bixby button on the Samsung Galaxy S8. Prior to the update, the button could be remapped to launch Google Assistant.
Samsung put an extra hardware key on the Galaxy S8 and the S8+ which launches the company’s virtual assistant, Bixby. While there were speculations that this button could have the potential to be remapped, a report now confirms that it won’t be possible any more.
The company has blocked users from using the Bixby hardware button to trigger other apps and operations as confirmed by a representative on Twitter.
According to XDA Developers, a Galaxy S8 firmware update blocks the ability to remap the button. Prior to the update, the button could be remapped to launch Google Assistant.
The Samsung representative said, “It was exploiting a system-level behavior. That behavior has been changed. Can’t say it will never happen, but we won’t officially support.”
This means that Samsung will not allow you to change the functionality of the button, but maybe with a bit of tinkering, one could make the button perform different actions.
The company is already in a bit of trouble with its new AI assistant as recently we heard that it won’t be ready when the Galaxy S8 and S8+ hit the markets as the English version is having certain performance issues. Let’s hope that the company doesn’t disappoint customers when the phones finally launch.
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Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Galaxy Note 10, left, and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
- Samsung has ditched the controversial Bixby button that summons the company’s Bixby voice assistant on the Galaxy Note 10.
- The dedicated button was often reviled, as it didn’t let users do anything other than summon Bixby, which not all users wanted to use. And when Samsung did allow users to remap the Bixby button to quickly open an app of choice, it still didn’t allow users to remap the button to summon the superior Google Assistant.
- To summon Bixby on the Galaxy Note 10, users have to press and hold the Note 10’s power button. Users will also be able to remap the power button long-press to app shortcuts.
- Pressing and holding the power button is usually how a user turns off their phone. Instead, users will have to pull down the Android notification panel and tap a power symbol to turn off the Galaxy Note 10
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Samsung has removed the controversial dedicated Bixby button that summons the company’s own Bixby voice assistant in the Galaxy Note 10.
Now, to summon Bixby on the Galaxy Note 10, users can press and hold the power button. Samsung is also giving the option for users to remap the long-press on the power button to open another app.
However, it won’t let you change the power button setting to summon other smart voice assistants, like Google Assistant, which comes pre-installed on all Android phones, and is largely considered vastly superior to Samsung’s Bixby.
On previous Galaxy devices, the dedicated Bixby button was found on the right edge of Samsung’s Galaxy devices. It was a point of controversy for many Samsung smartphone owners, especially for those who didn’t want to use the Bixby voice assistant.
On some phone models and software versions, Samsung enabled users to remap the dedicated Bixby button to do something else, like act as a shortcut to open an app. But for some, Samsung didn’t let users remap the button to do something else they might like, depending on the phone model, or the software version a phone was running.
For many users and reviewers, the dedicated Bixby button was a dead and useless button that did nothing. Samsung often listens to feedback, and it looks the company heard those users and reviewers loud and clear when it came to the dedicated Bixby button.
Now, the Galaxy Note 10’s right edge is totally smooth and free of buttons.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The new Galaxy Note.
So how does a Galaxy Note 10 owner turn off the phone?
On most phones, pressing and holding the power button lets users turn off their phones. But on the Galaxy Note 10, that action will now summon Bixby.
That may lead you to wonder: How will you turn off your phone?
Galaxy Note 10 users will have to turn off their phones by swiping down the Android notification panel and tapping the power symbol, which will turn off the Galaxy Note 10. To turn the phone back on again, you can press the power button as your normally would.
The latest Samsung smartphones come with an all-screen display, with thin bezels across the top, bottom, and sides of their screens which makes them look stunning. However, don’t forget that up until 2016, Samsung phones were known for their signature home button.
Galaxy S7, launched in 2016, was the last Samsung phone with a physical home button.
Samsung S8 launched in 2017 and Samsung S9 launched in 2018 came with 3D touch or pressure-sensitive home button.
In 2019, Samsung announced the S10 lineup with a punch-hole display and one of the things that had to go away (though not totally) was the home button. However, you can still use the on-screen buttons.
In 2022 though, most of us are used to gestures already and I don’t think we will be going back to the days of buttons be it physical, 3D touch, or on-screen (still available as an option).
If I am to list out all the Galaxy devices that come with a home button, I will have to list almost all the phones that this manufacturer has ever announced. Most of which has been discontinued and most of which you can’t even see around talk of buying them.
So, for the purpose of this write-up, I will stick to those you can still get right now and are still receiving updates from Samsung, even if it is just a security update. And maybe some older ones that can still perform. But I will stick to the flagship lines (S and Note series).
Samsung Phones with Home Button
- Samsung Galaxy S9
- Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9
- Samsung Galaxy S8
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Samsung Galaxy S7
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Why Did Samsung Remove the Physical Home Button?
To give room for a better and modern design with thin bezels and more display real estate. If you check my previous write-up about Samsung phones with LED notification light, you will notice there are no recent phones there, that was because it was also removed. The front-facing camera is now housed in a small cut-out on the display.
Samsung Phones without Home Button
Like I said at the beginning of this write-up, the home button used to be physical on Samsung phones, then it becomes a 3D touch, then an on-screen button. Right now, you can either have an on-screen button or use a gesture.
So, all Samsung phones launched between 2017 and now, come without a physical home button starting with the S8 which only has a pressure-sensitive home button.
When Did Samsung Stop Using Buttons?
2016 (on the S7) was the last time Samsung used a physical home button on any of their flagship phones.
Does Samsung Galaxy S8 Have a Home Button?
Yes, but not a physical home button. It uses a 3D touch.
Does Samsung Galaxy S9 Have a Home Button?
Yes, but it comes with a 3D touch or pressure-sensitive home button. It was also the last with this kind of implementation.
Final Thought
It was a hard decision for Samsung to part ways with their signature home button in 2016 but right now in 2022, we all know that it was a great decision considering how stunning the latest smartphone looks.
The removal of the home button, cleared the pathway for more display real estate, thinning bezels, and overall great designs.
Samsung phone with physical home buttons won’t be making their way back because an all-screen display was a better design and worthy upgrade.
Samsung will be rolling out an update, which will prevent users of Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 from accidentally launching Bixby. However, users will still not be able to remap the button to desired application.
HIGHLIGHTS
Samsung will now allow Galaxy S8 and Note 8 users to disable the dedicated Bixby button. The company is rolling out a new update that will prevent users of Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 from accidentally launching Bixby.
Samsung has started rolling out a new update that allows Galaxy S8 and Note 8 owners to disable the dedicated Bixby button. The update is aimed at preventing users of the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 from accidentally launching Samsung’s digital assistant. However, there is still no way to reprogram that button to launch some other app.
Samsung debuted Bixby alongside the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones in March this year. In order to push its adoption, Samsung even added a dedicated button on these handsets to launch the assistant. Samsung pitched Bixby as a digital assistant that is capable of answering common questions and replacing all touch-based actions with voice. However, at the time of launch, Bixby didn’t support voice functionality and support was limited to English and Korean languages. Samsung delayed the launch of Bixby Voice until May and started beta access only in June with limited functionality. Last month, Samsung started rolling out Bixby voice feature for over 200 countries and it is expected to become available in India in the coming weeks.
At the time of launch, Bixby didn’t support voice functionality and support was limited to English and Korean. Samsung delayed the launch of Bixby Voice until May and started beta access only in June with limited functionality. Last month, Samsung started rolling out Bixby voice feature for over 200 countries and it is expected to become available in India in the coming weeks.
Sammobile notes that the update allowing users to disable Bixby button is not available on every device and it is being rolled out slowly to eligible devices. The option to disable Bixby button will be a welcome addition but Galaxy S8 and Note 8 owners will be interested in remapping the button to a more useful app.
