On modern Android smartphones (particularly Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 12 or newer), the physical power button on the side of the device no longer functions purely as a power button. By default, if you press and hold the power button for a few seconds in an attempt to turn off or restart your phone, a massive Google Assistant overlay violently hijacks the screen, waiting for a voice command.
While Google implemented this to make their AI assistant more accessible, it completely breaks decades of muscle memory. If your phone is frozen or you simply want to access the emergency restart menu quickly, pressing the hardware button intended for power management should not launch a web search. To restore the traditional functionality of your phone’s physical hardware and ensure that a long press always brings up the Power Off / Restart menu, you must completely disable the Assistant power button binding.
Disabling the Assistant Power Button Shortcut
You can easily remap the physical button’s behavior from within the core Android settings menu.
- Open the main Settings app on your Android smartphone.
- Scroll down the main menu and tap on System (on Samsung devices, tap on Advanced features instead).
- Tap on Gestures (on Samsung devices, tap on Side key).
- Look for an option labelled Press and hold power button. Tap it.
- You will see a menu explaining the current button behaviour. It will likely be set to “Digital assistant.”
- Select the radio button (or toggle) for Power menu instead.
The change takes effect instantly. You do not need to restart your device. Test it by firmly pressing and holding the physical power button on the side of your phone for two seconds. Instead of a glowing Google Assistant microphone popping up, the screen will dim slightly, and the classic, reliable Power off, Restart, and Emergency buttons will instantly appear in the center of the display.