Bixby is Samsung's voice assistant, and you can disable it in a few minutes

Bixby is the voice assistant that comes built into most Samsung phones. It listens for voice commands, answers questions, and can control your phone's settings. Many people find it useful; others find it gets in the way. If you want to turn it off, you have several options depending on which Samsung phone you own and which version of Bixby is running.

The fastest route is to disable the Bixby button — the physical button on the side of your phone that launches Bixby when you press it. You can also turn off voice wake-up so Bixby does not respond to "Hi Bixby" commands. On some phones, you can disable Bixby entirely through the app settings. The steps differ slightly between older and newer Samsung models, but the process takes less than five minutes on any phone.

Key Takeaways

  • The Bixby button on the side of your phone can be remapped to do something else or disabled completely through Settings > Advanced Features > Bixby Key.
  • You can turn off voice wake-up by opening the Bixby app, going to Settings, and toggling off "Voice Wake-up" so the assistant does not respond to "Hi Bixby."
  • Disabling the Bixby button does not delete the app — it just stops the physical button from launching it.
  • On newer Samsung phones running One UI 5.0 or later, you may not be able to fully uninstall Bixby, but disabling the button and voice wake-up removes most of its presence.

Disable the Bixby button through Settings

The Bixby button is the quickest way to launch Bixby, and disabling it is the most direct way to stop using the assistant. Open Settings on your Samsung phone. Scroll down and tap Advanced Features (on some phones this is under System or Device Care). Look for Bixby Key or Side Key — the name depends on your phone model and Android version.

Tap that option. You will see a menu with choices for what the button does. Select Off or Disable to stop the button from launching Bixby. Some phones let you reassign the button to open a different app instead — if you see that option and want the button to do something else, select it. Once you confirm, the button will no longer trigger Bixby.

Turn off voice wake-up in the Bixby app

Even with the button disabled, Bixby will still respond if you say "Hi Bixby" out loud. To stop that, open the Bixby app directly (look for it in your app drawer or on your home screen). Tap the menu icon — usually three horizontal lines or three dots in the corner — and select Settings.

Look for Voice or Voice Wake-up and toggle it Off. Some phones also have a Microphone toggle in the same menu — turning that off will also prevent Bixby from hearing voice commands. Once you disable voice wake-up, Bixby will not respond to "Hi Bixby" anymore, even if the app is still installed.

Disable Bixby permissions to limit what it can do

If you want to keep Bixby installed but prevent it from accessing your phone's features, you can remove its permissions. Open Settings and go to Apps or Application Manager. Find Bixby in the list and tap it. Select Permissions.

You will see a list of things Bixby is allowed to access — microphone, camera, location, contacts, and others. Tap each one and select Don't Allow. Removing microphone permission is the most important step, as it prevents Bixby from hearing anything. Without these permissions, Bixby cannot function even if the app is still on your phone.

Uninstall or disable the Bixby app if your phone allows it

On older Samsung phones (running Android 10 or earlier), you may be able to uninstall Bixby completely. Open Settings, go to Apps, find Bixby, and look for an Uninstall button. If it appears, tap it and confirm. The app will be removed from your phone.

On newer Samsung phones (One UI 5.0 and later), Bixby is a system app that cannot be uninstalled. Instead, you can disable it. In the same Apps menu, tap Bixby and look for a Disable button. This will turn off the app and prevent it from running in the background, though it will still take up storage space. If you do not see an Uninstall or Disable button, the app is locked by Samsung and cannot be removed — in that case, disabling the button and voice wake-up (as described above) is your best option.

What happens after you disable Bixby

Once you disable the Bixby button and voice wake-up, you will notice Bixby no longer appears when you press the side button or say its wake word. The app may still be installed on your phone, but it will not be active. You can still open it manually from your app drawer if you ever want to use it again — disabling it does not permanently delete it.

If you disabled permissions instead of turning off the app, Bixby will not be able to hear you or access your phone's features, so it will be effectively unusable. Either approach removes Bixby from your daily experience without affecting any other phone functions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Bixby slow down my phone?

No. Turning off the button and voice wake-up will not affect your phone's speed. If you fully disable the app on newer phones, it stops running in the background, which may free up a small amount of memory, but the difference is usually not noticeable.

Can I turn Bixby back on later?

Yes. If you disabled the button, go back to Settings > Advanced Features > Bixby Key and select a different option. If you disabled the app, open Settings > Apps > Bixby and tap Enable. Voice wake-up can be turned back on in the Bixby app settings the same way you turned it off.

What if I do not see a Bixby Key option in Settings?

Some Samsung phones do not have a dedicated Bixby button. If yours does not, you can still disable voice wake-up through the Bixby app itself. Check your phone's model number (usually on the back or in Settings > About Phone) to confirm whether it has a physical Bixby button.

Does disabling Bixby affect Google Assistant?

No. Google Assistant is a separate app and will continue to work normally. Disabling Bixby does not change Google Assistant's settings or performance.

Why does Bixby keep coming back after I disable it?

If Bixby reappears after you disable it, a Samsung system update may have re-enabled it. Repeat the steps above to disable it again. You can also check if your phone has automatic app updates turned on — if so, Bixby may be updating itself. Turn off auto-updates for Bixby in the Google Play Store if you want to prevent this.