How to Completely Disable ‘Bixby’ (Virtual Assistant) Globally on Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy smartphones ship with their own proprietary virtual assistant known as Bixby. By default, Samsung heavily integrates Bixby into the core operating system, overriding standard Android behaviours. On many modern Galaxy devices, pressing and holding the physical power button on the side of the phone will not bring up the standard “Power Off / Restart” menu; instead, it aggressively launches Bixby. Furthermore, swiping right on the home screen often launches a dedicated Bixby feed, consuming valuable battery and system resources.

For users who prefer Google Assistant, or for those who simply despise voice assistants entirely, Bixby is an incredibly frustrating bloatware application. It accidentally triggers during meetings, intercepts your hardware buttons, and duplicates functionality already handled better by Google. If you want to reclaim your power button and completely silence Samsung’s virtual assistant, you must systematically disable Bixby’s hardware hooks and background services.

Reclaiming the Power Button (Side Key)

The first and most crucial step is to unbind Bixby from your physical hardware buttons.

1. Open the main Settings app on your Samsung Galaxy device.
2. Scroll down and tap on Advanced features.
3. Tap on Side key (or “Side button”).
4. Under the “Press and hold” section, change the selection from “Wake Bixby” to Power off menu.
5. (Optional): Under the “Double press” section, if it is set to open Bixby, change it to “Quick launch camera” or toggle it off entirely.

Your power button will now behave exactly like a normal Android phone, allowing you to easily restart the device without speaking to an AI.

Disabling the Bixby Home Screen Feed

Next, you must eradicate the dedicated Bixby panel from your primary launcher.

1. Return to your main Home Screen.
2. Pinch inward with two fingers on any empty space (or tap and hold) to enter the Home Screen editing mode.
3. Swipe to the far left screen, which is currently occupied by “Samsung Free” or “Bixby Home.”
4. At the top right of this panel, toggle the master switch to the Off position.

Revoking Bixby’s App Permissions

Finally, to prevent the underlying Bixby services from silently running in the background and draining your battery, you must revoke all of its permissions.

1. Open the main Settings app and tap on Apps.
2. Scroll down until you find the various Bixby services (e.g., Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision, Bixby Routines).
3. Tap on Bixby Voice.
4. Tap on Permissions and methodically change every single permission (Microphone, Location, Camera, etc.) to Deny.
5. Go back one screen to the app info page, scroll down to the bottom, and tap Disable (if available) or Force Stop.
6. Repeat this process for any other Bixby-branded applications in the list.

While you cannot uninstall Bixby entirely without rooting the device or using advanced ADB commands, following these steps effectively lobotomizes the assistant. It can no longer hear you, it cannot see you, it has been banished from your home screen, and you have successfully reclaimed your physical power button.