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Bixby button can now be fully disabled on Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8

Samsung has finally begun rolling out a Bixby update that lets users fully disable the Bixby button on the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8.
By
November 6, 2017

It’s been a couple of months since Samsung finally gave in and let users disable the dedicated Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 and Note 8. Unfortunately, as has often been the case with Bixby’s tumultuous rollout, it didn’t quite live up to Samsung’s promise.

While the heavily requested update did stop the physical button from summoning the Bixby Home screen, it still had a nasty habit of waking the phone’s display like a power key.

Thankfully, Samsung has issued a fresh update that renders the button completely useless, so If Bixby still hasn’t won you over, you can now say goodbye to it for good.

To complete the divorce, S8, S8 Plus and Note 8 users will first have to update every Bixby-related app within the Galaxy Apps store. If you can’t see the updates just yet the you can grab the new versions of Bixby, Bixby Home, and Bixby Service from APK Mirror.

Once you know you have the latest version, head to Bixby home screen.

Browse your way to Settings, and look for the toggle to disable Bixby, and the Bixby button. Tap it to turn Bixby off.

The latest update should bring some closure to Bixby button haters who’ve had to put up with Samsung’s endless to-ing and fro-ing ever since the Galaxy S8 launched earlier this year.

Envisioned as a Samsung’s answer to AI-powered digital assistants from Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, Bixby endured a rocky road to market that included several launch delays and early reports that English voice-activation was failing because… it couldn’t fully understand English.

Even now, Bixby is still only available to English and Korean-speaking users, but this could’ve all been solved, or at least ignored, if it wasn’t for that pesky Bixby button.

A constant reminder of the phone’s one significant flaw, S8 and Note 8 owners sought to deactivate or remap the button using third-party apps. Samsung eventually fought back and had most of the apps shut down, however. In a particularly desperate move, there was even a crowdfunded case that sought to block out the button entirely.

For now, the Bixby saga is over for those that will want to forget the whole ordeal. Here’s hoping that Samsung’s fledgling AI can match or maybe even rival Google Assistant when the Galaxy S9 rolls around.