After third-party apps had been released to try and remap the Bixby button on Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 handsets, Samsung worked hard to stop such apps from functioning. Now, it seems as though the company has finally made a small concession for their customers and will allow the Bixby button to be disabled via a new setting. A toggle is now available at the top of Bixby Home that allows the button to no longer activate Bixby.
The update is still rolling out to all of Samsung's devices, so it may take time before all users can access the new option. Disabling Bixby should alleviate complaints of accidental activation of the digital assistant in pockets and purses. Bixby Home is likely to remain Samsung's assistant of choice for the foreseeable future, but allowing end users to disable the dedicated button should be a much welcomed and long overdue addition.
Is Bixby ever going to be a viable assistant for everyday use? At this point it is a little too soon to tell since competing digital assistants have had several years to mature. Regardless, if you are a Samsung device owner, will you disable the Bixby button yourself or will you continue to use it as intended?
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