Samsung has Removed the Ability to Remap the Bixby Button on the Galaxy S8/S8+

[donm527]

I have not seen any indication you can disable the button.

I don't think you can disable the swipe left from the home page into Bixby... at least by Samsung.

So you can disable bloatware... but not Bixby

Which is why you have to have the ability to disable it.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

I have not seen any indication you can disable the button.

I don't think you can disable the swipe left from the home page into Bixby... at least by Samsung.

So you can disable bloatware... but not Bixby

I have not seen anyone confirm or deny it yet, because as of now, Bixby isn't completely ready anyway lol

 

[Rumline]

Hopefully you can disable it in the applications menu under setting.

On the phones I played with at BB and Verizon stores, the various Bixby apps (there are 3 or 4) are not disable-able through the Application Manager.

 

[EMGSM]

It's amazing how Bixby has generated so much discussion. Would it be the same had there not been a dedicated button? As I said from the beginning, it was a big risk for Samsung to do this.

 

[zipro]

It's amazing how Bixby has generated so much discussion. Would it be the same had there not been a dedicated button? As I said from the beginning, it was a big risk for Samsung to do this.

It wasn't a big risk. It was the Samsung of old shining through again. S-Voice anyone? No one ever used it so I guess they thought: hey, why the heck don't we make it even more invasive and give it a stupid name? And a dedicated button that'll annoy the shnikies out of people? And why do we do it? Because we wouldn't be Samsung if we didn't put a superfluous, crappy and annoying as frak feature in every otherwise extremely attractive handset we sell.

Why did they have to do this? We already have Amazon Echo, Google Home and Microsoft's Cortana on Android. All of these are leaps and bounds better than anything that has ever come out of Samsung software-wise. And Bixby will be yet another thing that'll keep Samsung from releasing timely updates as it's so deeply integrated in the phone. As Samsung has the tendency to never release security updates for some people, it's also a complete security nightmare.

Honestly, I've been looking forward to the S8+ ever since it's been announced, but I think after having thought about it today, I'll cancel my pre-order and go with an LG G6 instead, despite the latter's slow camera software and more boring design. Damn you Bixby. Damn you.

 

[EMGSM]

It wasn't a big risk. It was the Samsung of old shining through again. S-Voice anyone? No one ever used it so I guess they thought: hey, why the heck don't we make it even more invasive and give it a stupid name? And a dedicated button that'll annoy the shnikies out of people? And why do we do it? Because we wouldn't be Samsung if we didn't put a superfluous, crappy and annoying as frak feature in every otherwise extremely attractive handset we sell.

Why did they have to do this? We already have Amazon Echo, Google Home and Microsoft's Cortana on Android. All of these are leaps and bounds better than anything that has ever come out of Samsung software-wise. And Bixby will be yet another thing that'll keep Samsung from releasing timely updates as it's so deeply integrated in the phone. As Samsung has the tendency to never release security updates for some people, it's also a complete security nightmare.

Honestly, I've been looking forward to the S8+ ever since it's been announced, but I think after having thought about it today, I'll cancel my pre-order and go with an LG G6 instead, despite the latter's slow camera software and more boring design. Damn you Bixby. Damn you.

Oh man...you had to bring S voice back from the dead. I hated that thing. However, I am one of the few looking forward to giving Bixby a try.

 

[Ry]

If you don't want Bixby, don't but a Galaxy S8.

 

[Aquila]

If you don't want Bixby, don't but a Galaxy S8.

Or buy it and disable the app and don't use it. The swipe left thing is easily countered by a launcher, which almost everyone here will be using anyways. The button... ok, so there's a button. Try not to press it.

But if it's that much of a deal breaker, then Ry is right... buy a better phone. There are several out there if Sammy's not singing your song.

 

[donm527]

You make it sound like you can't own an S8 as one of the best Android phones without the option of disabling Bixby or bypassing it. Man I really hope that the news of the latest update possibly disabling the Google activation by voice was an... accident... in Samsung's rush to fix their button and that we do have fully operational options to Bixby if we choose.

I will concede that if you're going to own an S8, don't expect to use the Bixby button for anything else but Bixby or be able to disable it.

If you don't want Bixby, don't but a Galaxy S8.

 

[Ry]

You make it sound like you can't own an S8 as one of the best Android phones without the option of disabling Bixby or bypassing it. Man I really hope that the news of the latest update possibly disabling the Google activation by voice was an... accident... in Samsung's rush to fix their button and that we do have fully operational options to Bixby if we choose.

I will concede that if you're going to own an S8, don't expect to use the Bixby button for anything else but Bixby or be able to disable it.

If someone is complaining so hard about Bixby, they probably shouldn't buy a phone with Bixby.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

If someone is complaining so hard about Bixby, they probably shouldn't buy a phone with Bixby.

Agreed.

 

[EMGSM]

If someone is complaining so hard about Bixby, they probably shouldn't buy a phone with Bixby.

I don't own the phone yet but personally I don't think Bixby will be that big of an issue.

 

[donm527]

Me neither. As long as Google Assistant is fully operational.

That's been my go-to on Android and even on the iPhone with the Google app. Missed the voice activation on Android but put the icon at thumb reach to open, say "OK Google" and works just as well as Android and brings up Google Maps when I as for directions.

I don't own the phone yet but personally I don't think Bixby will be that big of an issue.

 

[EMGSM]

Me neither. As long as Google Assistant is fully operational.

That's been my go-to on Android and even on the iPhone with the Google app. Missed the voice activation on Android but put the icon at thumb reach to open, say "OK Google" and works just as well as Android and brings up Google Maps when I as for directions.

I haven't used AI much so my experience is going to be different than others. I'll try both Google Assistant and Bixby to see which I like best.

 

[zipro]

If someone is complaining so hard about Bixby, they probably shouldn't buy a phone with Bixby.

Indeed - I've decided to go with the LG G6 instead.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

Indeed - I've decided to go with the LG G6 instead.

Nice! : D

Whew...

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Indeed - I've decided to go with the LG G6 instead.

The G6 is a sweet phone.

Safe to say that LG made a pretty compelling Galaxy alternative.

 

[BratPAQ]

"Flar2 was in the process of updating his Button Mapper application to support remapping the Bixby button soon after he received his Samsung Galaxy S8 from Telus in Canada. He was able to get the application working initially, but after he downloaded the latest system update from Samsung (build version NRD90M.G950WVLU1AQD9), he discovered that his application was no longer working. It turns out that Samsung has modified the system to consume the Bixby button’s key events before it reaches the Accessibility Services, effectively making it impossible to remap the Bixby button as of now (at least without root access)."

maybe instead of linking to the button event, they can replace the bixby app with a shortcut to call the app you want, but that may warrant the phone to be rooted.