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Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus – How to Disable Bixby Assistant

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus were launched in 2017 with a dedicated hardware button for activating Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant. However, many users find Bixby frustrating or unnecessary and want to disable it. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to disable or limit Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

Why Disable Bixby?

There are a few key reasons why you may want to disable or limit Bixby:

  • Accidental button presses: The Bixby button is located right below the volume keys, making it easy to accidentally trigger.
  • Prefer other assistants: Many users prefer Google Assistant or Alexa over Bixby. Disabling Bixby allows you to avoid accidentally launching it.
  • Improve battery life: Having Bixby constantly listening for the “Hi Bixby” wake command can drain battery. Turning this off can help conserve battery life.
  • Simply don’t use it: If you just have no need for Bixby, disabling it removes clutter.

Limitations of Disabling Bixby

While Bixby can be limited, there is no way to completely uninstall or remove the Bixby app from Galaxy S8 devices without rooting. The best you can do is disable or remap the Bixby button and turn off Bixby Voice.

How to Disable the Bixby Button

The easiest way to avoid accidentally triggering Bixby is to disable the functionality of the physical Bixby button:

  1. Open the Bixby app
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon) > Voice wake-up
  3. Toggle the “Wake with Hi Bixby” switch to the OFF position.

This prevents Bixby from listening for the “Hi Bixby” trigger phrase.

To disable the button completely:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps
  2. Tap the 3-dot menu and choose “Show system apps”
  3. Search for and select the “Bixby” app
  4. Tap Disable

The button will now do nothing when pressed.

Remap the Bixby Button

If you don’t want to fully disable the button, you can choose to remap it to open a different app:

  1. Open Bixby and go to Settings (gear icon)
  2. Tap Bixby key
  3. Choose either “Single press” or “Double press”
  4. Select the app you want it to open

This will allow you to launch apps like the camera with a single or double press.

Disable Bixby Voice

To prevent Bixby from responding to voice commands:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps
  2. Tap the 3-dot menu and choose “Show system apps”
  3. Search for and select the “Bixby Voice” app
  4. Tap Disable

Note this disables voice control but not other Bixby services.

Disable Bixby Home Screen

The Bixby Home screen shows personalized content and recommendations from Bixby. To remove it:

  1. Long press on an empty area of your home screen
  2. Swipe right to access the Bixby Home screen
  3. Tap “Settings” in the top right
  4. Toggle “Show Bixby Home” off

This will remove the Bixby panel from your home screens.

Conclusion

While Bixby cannot be completely removed from the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus without rooting, there are ways to effectively disable Bixby Voice, limit accidental button presses, remap the button to other apps, and remove Bixby Home.

These tips should allow you to avoid Bixby if you have no use for Samsung’s virtual assistant on your Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus. Let me know if you have any other questions!

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