What Bixby Is and Why You Might Want to Disable It

Bixby is Samsung's voice assistant built into most Samsung phones and tablets. It works similarly to Google Assistant or Siri — you can speak commands to it, ask it questions, or use it to control your device. Unlike those assistants, Bixby is harder to avoid because Samsung makes it the default on the Bixby button (a physical button on the side of many Samsung phones) and integrates it deeply into the system.

Many people disable Bixby because they prefer Google Assistant, find the Bixby button launches it accidentally, or straightforward don't use voice commands. The good news: you can turn it off without affecting any other phone functions. Your phone will work exactly the same, and you'll still have access to Google Assistant if you want a voice assistant.

Key Takeaways

  • You can disable Bixby through Settings on any Samsung phone, and the process takes less than two minutes.
  • Turning off Bixby does not affect Google Assistant, which remains available if you want a voice assistant.
  • The Bixby button on the side of your phone can be remapped to launch a different app or disabled entirely.
  • If you only want to stop Bixby from launching by accident, disabling the button is often faster than disabling the whole service.

Disable Bixby Through Settings

The most direct way to turn off Bixby is through your phone's Settings app. Open Settings, then scroll down and tap Apps (on some Samsung phones this is labeled Applications). Find and tap Bixby in the list. At the top of the screen, tap the three dots or the menu icon, then select Disable. Your phone will ask you to confirm — tap Disable again.

After you disable Bixby this way, the app will no longer run in the background, and the Bixby button will stop working. If you change your mind later, you can re-enable it by going back to Settings > Apps > Bixby and tapping Enable. This method works on most Samsung phones running Android 9 or later.

Remap or Disable the Bixby Button

If you want to keep Bixby but stop the physical button from launching it, you can remap the button to do something else instead. Open Settings and search for Bixby Key. Tap the result, then select Remap Bixby Key. You'll see options to launch a different app, open a contact, or disable the button entirely. Choose what you want, then confirm.

This approach is useful if you like having Bixby available but don't want to accidentally trigger it. You can set the button to open your camera, a messaging app, or any other app you use frequently. If you choose Don't use, the button will do nothing when pressed.

Turn Off Bixby Voice Wake-Up

Even if you keep Bixby installed, you can prevent it from responding to your voice. Open the Bixby app by swiping right on your home screen or tapping the Bixby icon. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right, then go to Settings. Look for Voice Wake-Up and toggle it off. This stops Bixby from responding when you say "Hi Bixby" or similar commands.

This is a middle-ground option: Bixby stays on your phone and the button still works if you press it intentionally, but it won't set up by accident when you're talking nearby. You can still use Bixby by opening the app or pressing the button directly.

Disable Bixby Notifications and Suggestions

If you want to keep Bixby but reduce how much it appears on your screen, you can turn off its notifications and suggestions. Open Settings, go to Apps, find Bixby, and tap Notifications. Toggle off Allow notifications. Then go back and tap Permissions to review what Bixby can access — you can restrict its access to your location, contacts, or other data.

You can also disable Bixby Home, the screen that appears when you swipe right on your home screen. Go to your home screen, swipe right, tap the menu icon at the top, and toggle off Bixby Home. This removes the Bixby feed without disabling the app itself.

What Happens When You Disable Bixby

Disabling Bixby does not affect any other phone functions. Your phone will run normally, your other apps will work the same, and you'll still have access to Google Assistant by holding down the home button or saying "Hey Google." You won't lose any data, and you can re-enable Bixby at any time if you change your mind.

The only thing that changes is that Bixby stops running in the background and the Bixby button stops working. If you've remapped the button to another app, that app will launch instead. Your phone's performance may even improve slightly because Bixby is no longer using system resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Bixby affect Google Assistant?

No. Google Assistant is a separate app and will continue to work normally. You can still use Google Assistant by holding the home button, saying "Hey Google," or opening the Google app. Disabling Bixby does not change how Google Assistant works.

Can I disable Bixby on older Samsung phones?

On very old Samsung phones (Android 8 and earlier), you may not see a Disable option in Settings. Instead, you can remap the Bixby button to do nothing, or you can uninstall updates to the Bixby app by going to Settings > Apps > Bixby > three dots > Uninstall Updates. This removes recent changes but keeps the base app.

What if the Bixby button keeps launching Bixby even after I disabled it?

Restart your phone. Sometimes the system needs to refresh after you change settings. If it still launches Bixby, go back to Settings > Apps > Bixby and make sure the Disable button was actually tapped. If Disable is grayed out, you may need to go to Settings > Apps > Bixby > Permissions and remove all permissions first.

Can I delete Bixby completely?

On most Samsung phones, Bixby is a system app and cannot be fully deleted. You can disable it, which removes it from running, but the app files remain on your phone. This is normal for Samsung devices and does not affect performance or storage in any noticeable way.

Does disabling Bixby save battery?

Slightly. Bixby runs in the background and uses a small amount of battery and processing power. Disabling it may extend battery life by a few percent, though the difference is usually not dramatic unless you have a very old phone or limited storage.