CAPE TOWN - Bixby, the virtual assistant developed by Samsung Electronics was inroduced to the world in March 2017 with the launch of the Samsung S8.
Bixby was made to compete with the likes of Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Apple’s Siri.
When Samsung launched the S8 smartphone last year, users felt that the Bixby button was inconveniently placed as it it right below the volume button.
In the S8, the Bixby button was initially unable to be deactivated, but shortly after user complaints, the company created an update to disable the button.
Here's how to disable just the Bixby button off:
The bellow steps will stop the Bixby button from performing any corresponding action;
1. From the home screen, hit the Bixby button to bring up the main Bixby app. (You can also get here by holding down the button and saying “Bixby settings.”)
2. At the top right, you should see three icons: a globe, a gear, and the three-dot menu.
3. Tap the gear icon, and then turn off the “Bixby key” option.
However, Bixby will still remain functional and can be used either by using your voice or by swiping over to Bixby Home to the left of your main home screen.
How to disable Bixby completely:
1. You need to disable both Bixby Voice and Bixby Home.
2. Select the 3 dotted menu in the Bixby app,
3. Inside that settings menu is a simple toggle for whether you want your Samsung phone listening for Bixby requests.
4. Once you turn it off, you’ve eliminated another way of bringing up Bixby.
5. The last step is getting rid of the Bixby Home side screen.
6. Tap and hold on an empty section of your home screen, and then swipe right to reach the leftmost panel, which is Bixby Home.
7. To get rid of it, toggle the button up top to the off position.
Here are what some Users have said about Bixby Via Twitter:
Yeah Samsung has their own thing going on. Also disable Bixby, that thing sucks compared to Google Assistant.
— 🎧 Soniq Stylz 🎧 (@soniqstylz) March 21, 2018
I have mine disabled. I use Google Assistant instead.
Bixby is better at some stuff (social media), but is generally worse for most other tasks.
— Lycan (@LycanDeseBeats) March 20, 2018
You can skip Bixby if you're satisfied with Google assistant. Other than that, I'll recommend you watch some videos on YouTube with detail tutorials and features. For me, it's an all rounder.
— Lakshay Patney (@LakshayPatney) March 20, 2018
To be honest I hate Bixby and I hardly used It. The first thing I did on my S9 was to disable it. I don't get influenced by marketing of the heavy weights that easily. It's the most useless and painfully slow voice assistant anyone has ever made.
— J TheAndroidFreak (@cjunaid3) March 20, 2018
Actually I think Bixby is really smart. The stuff that you can do with Bixby you can just dream if you have Siri or Google Assistant. Bixby is still new. Coming from an IPhone X user! pic.twitter.com/6ojDEYGIy5
— G4shi1 (@g4shi1) March 20, 2018
@Samsung Kill Bixby. Nobody in the world wants it or needs it. Use the button to map directly to @Google Assistant. Your phones are lovely - but you need to push out the bloatware and other rubbish.
— Dave Cochrane (@onetwtuser) March 18, 2018
Lol no one uses bixby
Bixby.. so sad... Always waiting to hear your voice but.... That never happens..
The Google Assistant has been taking over the smart assistent industry and leaving everyone to fail.
— doopioli (@doopioli) March 22, 2018
I still see a Bixby button. #Fail
— Roy R. (rwilco12) (@rwilco12) February 24, 2018
24 hours in and there is now a button on my Note 8 that doesn't do anything. Guys, Bixby is doomed to fail. I'm sorry. It just is. Trying to force it on people won't work. Please, let me assign that button to something else.
Thanks.
— Phil Hare (@mrlepus) December 19, 2017
yes, Bixby isn't bad. Actually it has some features which are not available in Google assistant and Siri yet. I've seen in a review that it does some advanced task very well but often fails at basic 😛
— Indronil Anik (@SeriousHoax) December 18, 2017