Samsung Now Allows Users to Disable Bixby Button on Galaxy S8 Handsets

Samsung introduced its Bixby digital assistant with its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones earlier this year, and as the company adamantly ensured that the dedicated physical button cannot be remapped, there was little choice left for customers. However, it seems like the South Korean company is loosening up its stance a bit, as it has added the option to disable Bixby button with its latest update. While we were able to see the toggle option at first, it seems to have disappeared since then. So if you want to disable the option, it would be wise to use the option right away - your mileage may vary.

To be clear, after disabling the Bixby button, the button will not launch Bixby Home but a long press will still initiate Bixby Voice, as pointed out in a report by The Next Web. If you are wondering how to get the option to disable the service launch, you first need to make sure that you have the latest version of various Bixby services. In order to get the updates, you need to head to the Galaxy Apps and access the My Apps section from the three dots on the top-right of the screen.

After heading to My Apps section, you need to go to All apps and download the latest updates to all Bixby services. After this, users can head to Bixby Home and find the toggle to disable the option from the menu. As of now, it seems like a major step from Samsung to allow users to disable the Bixby button but most users have instead been demanding the company to allow them to remap the button to launch other apps and services.