Samsung Galaxy S10's Bixby Remapping Feature Is Coming to Older Phones Running Android Pie

Samsung Galaxy S10 introduced the ability to customise the Bixby dedicated key that has been a constant ever since the launch of Samsung Galaxy S8 series two years ago. Instead of dealing with workarounds that allow users to disable or use third-party software that let users remap it, Samsung has now introduced an inbuilt method that will let them remap it to launch an app, or use it as a shortcut to enable quick commands. We already knew the remapping was available for the newly launched Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and Galaxy S10e smartphones. What's even better, Samsung says that this functionality is coming to all previous-gen devices as well, as long as they run on Android Pie OS.

Samsung has confirmed that all previous generation Samsung Galaxy devices with a dedicated Bixby button including Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, and Samsung Galaxy Note 9, will also get the option to customise their Bixby button with a future update. The company notes, "Bixby Key Customisation is compatible with the Galaxy S10, and will be available via a software update on previously released Android Pie-based One UI software. Bixby-enabled flagship smartphones running Android Pie OS." To recall, this was also confirmed by Samsung at the sidelines of its launch event on Wednesday.

All of the above mentioned phones have already been reported to get the Android Pie update, including the oldest of the lot Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. There's no word from Samsung when it will roll out native Bixby key customisation feature on old phones, but it has confirmed its arrival.

Explaining how the customisation feature works, Samsung says that with Bixby key customisation feature, users can customise the button to launch Bixby with either a single or double press, and map the other option to launch an app or Quick command. Bixby has also received several new features including Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision, Bixby Routines, and new languages support.

With Galaxy Fold, has Samsung kicked off a revolution in smartphone tech? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.