How to Disable Bixby Button on Samsung Galaxy S20 (Complete Guide)

 Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup introduced several advanced features and one familiar tool — Bixby, Samsung’s built-in voice assistant. While Bixby offers useful shortcuts, reminders, and AI automation, not every user enjoys its constant presence — especially when the Bixby button gets triggered accidentally.

If you’ve ever launched Bixby unintentionally by pressing the Side Key or holding the power button too long, you’re not alone. Many Galaxy S20 users prefer to disable the Bixby button entirely or reassign it to other functions like launching the camera or turning off the phone.

In this detailed step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to disable or remap the Bixby button on your Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, or S20 Ultra, along with tips to prevent Bixby from activating accidentally — no root or third-party apps required.

🧠 What Is the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S20?

The Bixby button (also called the Side Key) is located on the right-hand side of your Galaxy S20. On older Galaxy models, Bixby had a dedicated button, but on the S20, Samsung combined it with the Power button.

By default, pressing and holding this button launches Bixby Voice, while double-pressing it opens Bixby Home or Samsung Pay.

If you prefer using Google Assistant or want a more traditional power menu, you can easily change this configuration using the phone’s Side Key settings.

⚙️ How to Disable Bixby Button on Samsung Galaxy S20

To stop Bixby from opening every time you press the Side Key, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Settings

• Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the ⚙️ Settings icon.

• You can also access Settings directly from the app drawer.

Step 2: Go to Advanced Features

• Scroll down and tap Advanced features.

• This section includes gesture controls, Bixby routines, and side key settings.

Step 3: Tap on Side Key

• Here you’ll see customization options for double press and press and hold actions.

Step 4: Customize Double Press

• You can either turn off double press entirely or assign it to open your favorite app instead of Bixby.

• Toggle Double press → Quick launch camera or Open app, and choose something like Google Chrome, Spotify, or any other app you use often.

Step 5: Change Press and Hold Action

• Under Press and hold, you’ll notice Wake Bixby is selected by default.

• Tap Power off menu instead — this will restore the traditional behavior when you hold down the side key (showing Power Off and Restart options).

Congratulations 🎉 — Bixby is now fully disabled from being triggered via the Side Key!

🔇 How to Disable Bixby Voice and Bixby Home

Even after disabling the Bixby button, you may still get Bixby Voice prompts or see Bixby Home appear on your screen. To completely turn it off:

Disable Bixby Voice

1. Launch the Bixby app.

2. Tap the ☰ (menu icon) in the top-left corner.

3. Go to Settings → Voice wake-up → Toggle it off.

4. You can also turn off “Use while phone locked” to prevent accidental voice triggers.

Disable Bixby Home / Samsung Daily

On older One UI versions, Bixby Home appears when you swipe right on your home screen.
To turn it off:

1. Touch and hold an empty space on your Home screen.

2. Swipe to the leftmost page (Bixby Home / Samsung Daily).

3. Toggle it off.

This completely removes Bixby panels and stops the assistant from popping up unintentionally.

🔁 Optional: Remap Bixby Button with Samsung’s Built-In Settings

Instead of disabling Bixby entirely, you can remap the button to something useful.
Here’s how:

1. Open Settings → Advanced features → Side key.

2. Under Double press, choose Open app.

3. Tap the ⚙️ gear icon and select your preferred app — for example, Camera, Google Assistant, YouTube, or Notes.

This is a great way to turn an annoying feature into a productivity shortcut.

💡 Tip: Use Google Assistant Instead of Bixby

Many Galaxy S20 users prefer Google Assistant over Bixby because it integrates more smoothly with smart devices, Android apps, and search results.

To use Google Assistant instead:

1. Launch the Google app.

2. Tap your profile photo → Settings → Google Assistant.

3. Under Assistant devices, select your phone.

4. Turn on Hey Google and voice match.

Now, you can use “Hey Google” instead of pressing the Side Key to activate an assistant.

🔋 Does Disabling Bixby Improve Battery Life?

While Bixby isn’t a major power drain, turning it off can slightly reduce background activity and improve standby battery life, especially if you disable Bixby routines and voice wake-up.

If you’re optimizing your Galaxy S20 for performance or battery longevity, disabling Bixby is a small but effective step.

🧩 Bixby Routines: Keep the Useful Part

Bixby Routines is a separate feature under Settings → Advanced features that allows automation (like enabling Wi-Fi when you arrive home or lowering brightness at night).

Even if you disable the Bixby button, you can keep Bixby Routines active — it’s independent and can improve your experience if you like automation.

🧱 Common Questions About Bixby on Galaxy S20

1. Can I uninstall Bixby completely?

No. Bixby is a built-in system service on Samsung phones. However, you can disable all its triggers and remove it from your home screen, making it effectively invisible.

2. Will disabling Bixby affect Samsung Pay or Power Menu?

No. Disabling Bixby won’t impact Samsung Pay, your power menu, or other One UI features. It only affects Bixby activation methods.

3. Can I use third-party apps to remove Bixby?

You can, but it’s not recommended. Apps that claim to remove Bixby can cause instability or break system updates.

4. Is it reversible?

Yes. You can re-enable Bixby anytime by following the same steps and toggling Wake Bixby back on.

✅ Summary: How to Disable Bixby on Galaxy S20

🏁 Final Thoughts

While Bixby has evolved over the years, many Galaxy S20 users still prefer to use their phone without it. Whether you find it intrusive, redundant, or simply unnecessary, Samsung gives you full control to disable or repurpose the Bixby button to suit your needs.

With the steps above, your Galaxy S20 will no longer launch Bixby unexpectedly — giving you back full control of your Side Key and a cleaner One UI experience.

So go ahead — reclaim that button and enjoy your Galaxy S20 your way! 🚀