Bixby is Samsung’s virtual assistant, designed to help users control their Galaxy devices with voice commands, interact with apps, and get personalized information. Introduced in 2017 with the Galaxy S8, Bixby aims to provide a more intuitive and integrated experience across Samsung’s ecosystem. While some users find Bixby incredibly helpful for setting routines, making calls, or controlling smart home devices, many others prefer to use Google Assistant or simply want to reclaim the functionality of their phone’s buttons without accidental Bixby activations.
The good news is that while you can’t entirely uninstall Bixby from your Samsung Galaxy phone (as it’s deeply integrated into the One UI operating system), you can significantly disable its various components and even remap the Side key (formerly known as the Power or Bixby button on older models) to prevent accidental launches or assign it to a different function. This guide will walk you through the various methods to effectively disable or customize Bixby to your preference.
Understanding Bixby’s Components
Bixby isn’t just one single feature; it’s a suite of interconnected services:
- Bixby Voice: The voice-activated assistant you interact with by saying “Hi Bixby” or holding down the Side key. It handles voice commands for tasks, apps, and settings.
- Bixby Home (or Samsung Daily/Samsung Free): A customizable screen to the left of your main Home screen that displays information cards, news, and personalized content. On newer devices, this has evolved into “Samsung Free” or “Google Discover.”
- Bixby Routines: An automation feature that uses machine learning to perform actions based on your usage patterns, location, or time (e.g., automatically turn on Wi-Fi when you get home). While Bixby-branded, it often functions somewhat independently and is usually considered a useful feature by many users.
- Bixby Vision: An augmented reality feature that uses your camera to identify objects, translate text, find products, or scan QR codes.
Our focus here will be on disabling or remapping Bixby Voice and Bixby Home, which are often the main sources of user frustration.
How to Disable Bixby Voice and Remap the Side Key
On newer Samsung Galaxy phones (running Android 9.0 Pie and newer, with One UI), the dedicated Bixby button has been merged with the Power button, now called the Side key. This means you’ll typically long-press the Side key to activate Bixby Voice by default. This is often the most annoying aspect for users.
Step 1: Access Side Key Settings
- Open Settings: Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel, then tap the gear icon (⚙) to open Settings.
- Go to Advanced Features: Scroll down and tap on Advanced features.
- Select Side Key: Tap on Side key (or “Bixby key” on older models with a dedicated button).
Step 2: Remap “Press and hold” for the Side Key
- Under the “Press and hold” section, you will typically see “Wake Bixby” selected by default.
- Tap Power off menu.
- Now, when you press and hold the Side key, it will bring up the power options (Power off, Restart, Emergency mode) instead of launching Bixby Voice. This is often the primary goal for users who want to “disable” Bixby.
Step 3: Customize “Double press” (Optional)
You can also customize what happens when you double-press the Side key. By default, it might be set to quickly launch the camera or open Bixby.
- Under the “Double press” section, you can choose:
- Quick launch camera
- Open app (tap the gear icon next to it to select any app on your phone)
- Nothing (if you prefer no action)
- Open Bixby (if you still want quick access to Bixby via double-press).
This step effectively “disables” Bixby from its default activation on the Side key.
How to Turn Off Bixby Voice Wake-Up (“Hi Bixby”)
Even after remapping the Side key, Bixby Voice might still respond if you say “Hi Bixby.” To turn off this voice activation:
- Launch Bixby Voice: Press and hold the Side key briefly to launch Bixby Voice, or open the Bixby Voice app from your app drawer. You might need to go through the initial Bixby setup if you’ve never used it before.
- Access Bixby Settings:
- From the Bixby Voice screen, tap the compass icon (🧭) at the bottom.
- Then, tap the gear icon (⚙) at the top right (or three vertical dots and then Settings).
- Disable Voice Wake-Up:
- In Bixby Voice settings, find and tap on Voice wake-up.
- Toggle the switch Off.
- You can also disable “Use while phone is locked” and “Use for calls” if those options are present.
This will stop Bixby from activating when you say “Hi Bixby.”
How to Disable Bixby Home (or Samsung Free/Samsung Daily)
Bixby Home (now often rebranded) is the customizable card-based screen that sits to the far left of your main Home screen. If you don’t use it, you can disable it.
- Access Home Screen Settings:
- Pinch in on your Home screen with two fingers, or long-press on an empty space on your Home screen.
- This will bring up the Home screen editing options (Wallpapers and style, Widgets, Settings).
- Swipe to the Left Panel: Swipe right (towards the far-left screen) until you see the Bixby Home/Samsung Free/Google Discover panel.
- Disable the Panel:
- At the top of this panel, you will usually find a toggle switch. Tap it to turn it Off.
- On some newer devices with One UI 3.1+, you might have the option to switch between Samsung Free and Google Discover. If you want neither, select “None” or ensure the toggle is off.
This will remove the Bixby Home/Samsung Free/Google Discover panel from your Home screen carousel.
How to Clear Bixby Data (Reset Bixby)
If you’ve used Bixby in the past and want to clear all its learned data and settings, you can reset it. This can also help if Bixby is behaving erratically.
- Open Settings: Go to Settings (⚙).
- Go to Apps: Tap on Apps.
- Find Bixby Voice: Scroll down or use the search bar to find and select Bixby Voice.
- Clear Data:
- Tap on Storage.
- Tap Clear cache.
- Then, tap Clear data and confirm by tapping Delete.
- Disable (Optional): After clearing data, you might see a “Disable” button on the Bixby Voice app info page. Tapping this might prevent Bixby Voice from launching the initial setup screen if you accidentally press the Side key in the future, effectively silencing it further without remapping.
Note: Clearing data will revert Bixby Voice to its initial setup state. If you decide to use it again, you’ll have to go through the setup process.
Disabling Bixby Routines (if desired)
Bixby Routines is a powerful automation feature that many users find useful. If you wish to disable specific routines or the feature entirely:
- Open Settings: Go to Settings (⚙).
- Go to Advanced Features: Tap on Advanced features.
- Select Bixby Routines: Tap on Bixby Routines.
- Manage Routines:
- To disable a single routine: Go to the “My routines” tab and toggle off the switch next to the routine you want to deactivate.
- To completely disable Bixby Routines: There’s usually a main toggle switch at the top of the “Bixby Routines” screen that you can turn Off.
Alternative: Using Google Assistant
Many users prefer Google Assistant over Bixby. You can set Google Assistant as your default digital assistant.
- Open Settings: Go to Settings (⚙).
- Go to Apps: Tap on Apps.
- Choose Default Apps: Tap on Choose default apps (or “Default apps”).
- Digital Assistant App: Tap on Digital assistant app (or “Assistant app”).
- Select Google: Choose Google as your default assistant.
Now, holding down the Home button (if you use navigation buttons) or saying “Hey Google” (if enabled) will activate Google Assistant.
Why Can’t I Completely Uninstall Bixby?
Bixby is deeply embedded into Samsung’s One UI Android overlay and its core services. Unlike a regular app, it’s considered a system application. Removing it entirely could potentially destabilize system functions or lead to unexpected behavior. Samsung integrates Bixby into various aspects of the phone’s functionality, making full uninstallation impractical without significant modifications (like rooting), which can void your warranty and pose security risks. The methods outlined above are the official and safest ways to manage its presence on your device.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage Bixby’s presence on your Samsung Galaxy phone, reassigning buttons and silencing voice commands to better suit your preferences and usage habits.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1: Can I completely uninstall Bixby from my Samsung Galaxy phone?
A1: No, you cannot completely uninstall Bixby from your Samsung Galaxy phone without rooting your device. Bixby is deeply integrated into Samsung’s One UI operating system as a system app. However, you can significantly disable its various features and remap its activation button, effectively making it dormant.
Q2: How do I stop Bixby from activating when I press and hold the Side key (Power button)?
Go to Settings > Advanced features > Side key. Under “Press and hold,” select Power off menu instead of “Wake Bixby.” This will make the Side key bring up the power options instead of Bixby Voice.
Q3: How do I prevent Bixby from waking up when I say “Hi Bixby”?
A3: To turn off the voice wake-up feature, you need to:
- Launch Bixby Voice (e.g., by briefly holding the Side key).
- Tap the compass icon (🧭) at the bottom, then the gear icon (⚙) for settings.
- Go to Voice wake-up and toggle the switch Off.
Q4: What happened to Bixby Home? Why do I see Samsung Free or Google Discover instead?
Samsung has evolved the Bixby Home screen. On newer devices, it has been replaced by Samsung Free or you’ll have the option to choose Google Discover as the left-most Home screen panel. You can disable this panel by pinching in on your Home screen, swiping to the far-left panel, and toggling its switch off.
Q5: Can I remap the Side key to open Google Assistant instead of Bixby?
While you can remap the “Double press” action of the Side key to open any app (including the Google app, which then launches Google Assistant), you generally cannot directly assign Google Assistant to the “Press and hold” action. The “Press and hold” option is usually limited to “Wake Bixby” or “Power off menu.” You can still set Google Assistant as your default digital assistant in Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > Digital assistant app.
Q6: Will disabling Bixby affect other functions on my Samsung phone?
Disabling Bixby Voice, remapping the Side key, or turning off Bixby Home will generally not negatively impact other essential functions of your Samsung phone. Features like Bixby Vision and Bixby Routines are somewhat independent and can be used or disabled separately based on your preference.
Q7: I have an older Samsung phone with a dedicated Bixby button. How do I disable it?
On older Samsung phones with a physical, dedicated Bixby button (like the Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, Note 9):
- Press the Bixby button to open Bixby Home.
- Tap the gear icon (⚙) at the top (or three dots for settings).
- Look for “Bixby key” or “Bixby button settings.”
- You might have options to change it from a single press to a double press for Bixby, or to set “Do nothing” for the single press, forcing a double press for Bixby activation. Some older models allowed for full remapping via third-party apps, but official support is limited to changing activation methods.
Q8: What are Bixby Routines, and should I disable them?
Bixby Routines (now often called Modes and Routines) is a smart automation feature that learns your habits or allows you to set up custom rules (e.g., “If I arrive home, then turn on Wi-Fi and set volume to loud”). Many users find these routines highly useful for optimizing their phone’s behavior. You only need to disable them if you don’t use them or prefer manual control. They are generally considered a beneficial feature by most users.