How to disable Bixby (Samsung voice assistant)

Tired of Bixby showing up when you least expect it? Samsung's Virtual Assistant has a lot of cool features, but some Galaxy smartphone users would prefer to disable this feature.

The instructions in this article apply to the Samsung Galaxy Note10, Note10+, S10e, S10 , S10+, Fold, Note9, S9, S9+, Note9, S8 and S8+.

Read on to learn how to disable Bixby features on Samsung smartphones and tablets.

How to Login to Samsung Account to Disable Bixby Features

Before users can disable Bixby features, they must first sign in to their Samsung account to access Bixby settings.

Select the Bixby or swipe right on your device screen to access Bixby Home .
Select Next .
Select a language for Bixby Voice.
Select Sign in .
Enter your Samsung account username and password, then confirm your login.
Read also: How to block calls from an unknown number on Android

Which models do not have Google Assistant?

Owners of those versions of smartphones that are considered outdated are luckier, since they will not need to look for ways and waste time to disable the voice assistant. Some gadgets simply do not provide such a function, and if you want to use it, you will have to turn to third-party software.

So, Google Assistant has its own requirements :

operating system Android version 5.0 and higher with memory from 1 GB (or Android 6.0 and higher with memory more than 1.5 GB);
Google application updated to at least version 6.13;
a full package of Google services;
screen resolution 720p and higher;
voice input language selected in the smartphone settings.

If your mobile gadget does not meet any of the listed criteria, you will not be able to find Google Assistant on it.

There are no other requirements for a smartphone for the voice assistant to work. The above list is officially provided by Google developers, and changes to it are not possible, at least until a major feature update.

How to disable the Bixby button - step by step instructions

Users may accidentally press the Bixby key, located on the left side of many Samsung devices and under the volume keys. If you haven't set up Bixby, this will prompt users to set up the feature. If you've set up Bixby, the Bixby home page will open. Either way, this action usually distracts from what users were doing on their smartphones.

Disabling the Bixby key on the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 is easy; Settings are easily accessible from Bixby Home. This feature also allows you to turn the Bixby button back on.

If you don't have a Samsung account, you'll have to create one. The login window also includes the option to create an account. Select this option, fill out the required information and confirm the terms. You will receive an email to confirm your account setup. Once verified, you will be able to sign in using the instructions above.

Select the Bixby or swipe right on your device screen to access Bixby Home .
Select the Settings icon in the top right corner of the screen.
Switch Bixbait key option disabled.

Why disable Google Assistant?

The benefits of Google Assistant are truly invaluable. Thanks to it, owners of modern gadgets can ensure the convenience of working with them by launching applications, dictating text or searching for information on the Internet, receiving voice responses to queries. However, there are a couple of good reasons that can make people refuse such an assistant.

Saving resources

First of all, the reason to remove the voice assistant on Vivo is accelerated battery consumption . Like any application, the Assistant requires certain resources to function, which is why the battery begins to drain faster. Following from this, if the battery on your Vivo smartphone is not very capacious, and there is not always access to the network for recharging, it is advisable to disable the voice assistant.

Egor Borisov

Tech blogger, I test gadgets, help in setting up and optimizing smartphones and wearable devices.

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Among other things, the function in question additionally loads the system, thereby consuming memory and processor power. This slows down the operation of the gadget as a whole, which is why there is a high probability that some applications will refuse to launch altogether if you frequently “communicate out loud” with your smartphone.

User safety

Google has long admitted that all user queries from the voice search history are saved in the cloud and analyzed . Experts assure that this is only necessary to optimize search results, select suitable advertising and recommendations based on the user’s interests.

However, many people are convinced that the information sent to the server may well be used for other purposes. In addition, it is worth considering the fact that Google Assistant is often activated suddenly, when you accidentally press the corresponding button, or even by itself. For this reason, users are uncomfortable keeping a gadget nearby that “listens” and analyzes every phrase.

How to disable the Bixby Home shortcut feature (instructions)

Even after the Bixby home screen is disabled using the Bixby button, users can still access it by swiping right on the left side of the screen.

To disable Bixby Home on Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9:

Long press any empty space on your device's screen.
Swipe left until you see the Bixby Home screen .
Switch Bixby Home .

Disable Google Assistant on Android phone

In order to completely disable Google Assistant on most Android phones, including pure system and Samsung smartphones, you will need to follow these steps:

Go to Settings - Google.
Go to the “Account Services” section - “Search, Assistant and Voice Control”.
Open Google Assistant, then scroll down to All Settings to open General Settings.
Turn off the switch in Google Assistant.
Confirm the action in the “Turn off Google Assistant” window.
If your phone does not have the “Google” item, enter Voice Match in the search for your phone’s settings and, if such an item is found, open it and turn off the “Ok Google” switch.
There is also a separate option to disable Google Assistant in Chrome: go to the main page of the browser, click on your profile icon, and then go to the “Google Assistant in Chrome” section to disable it.

After this, Google Assistant will be turned off. For some phones, for example Xiaomi and Huawei (Honor), the procedure is slightly different:

On Xiaomi, go to Settings - Advanced settings - Language and input and in the "Manage keyboards" section, find the "Settings" item below "Google Voice Input". On the next screen, disable "Access via Voice Match".
On Huawei and Honor smartphones, the following options exist: removing the Google Assistant application from the phone in Settings - Applications; Go to Settings - Applications - Default applications (this item can be opened through the gear icon or menu at the top of the screen) - Assistant and voice input, and then click on “Assistant” and select “None” instead of “Google”.

How to disable Bixby Voice - step-by-step instructions

Disabling Bixby Voice has a few more steps, but is also relatively simple.

To disable Bixby Voice on Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9:

Select the three dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
Select Settings .
Switch Bixby Voice Turned off.

Uninstalling Google Assistant updates

Virtual Assistant is a relatively new software development that was not available in previous versions of Google. Therefore, you can get rid of Google Assistant by deleting all updates. This approach has one drawback: new application features that the user liked will also become unavailable.

In the Settings menu, find the Applications tab, then Application Manager, and click Google.
When the application opens, a menu icon in the form of three small dots will appear on the screen. After entering it, you need to find and click the “Uninstall updates” button.
A pop-up window will ask you to confirm the deletion action; you must click “Yes”.

Navigation

By uttering a voice command, you can find out your current location, navigate the area, and find your way to an object of interest.

The route is built based on the means of transportation: on foot, by bicycle, by car, by public transport.

The system can show photographs of nearby buildings and significant landmarks.

Search commands can be as follows:

map of London;
get directions to st. Obraztsova, house 12;
restaurants, cafes, shops, pharmacies nearby;
where is Mount Everest located.

It is especially convenient to use voice control when driving a car. You can set a driving route without taking your hands off the steering wheel .

Function value

In order to further carry out the deactivation procedure more quickly and naturally, it is suggested that you first understand what talkback is. If you are aware of the localization of the option in the phone parameters, you can easily find other controls.

Voice guidance mechanisms are designed for users with poor vision or no vision at all, while the system somewhat simplifies interaction by reproducing all manipulations by voice. In practice, the option is predisposed to people who have previously sat at the computer a lot, since all operations are more reminiscent of clicks with a regular mouse.

Before you turn off voice guidance on Android, you should understand that the function provides voice acting for actions performed with one click. Additionally, there is a notification about incoming calls, and during the shaking process it reads all the information displayed on the interface.

If you hold down any letter for a few seconds, talkback will first announce the symbol, followed by the word it refers to. The function allows the listener to understand certain sounds for correct typing. Among other features, it is necessary to highlight voice prompts, which demonstrate some information regarding various components of the interface. Moreover, gestures and rewriting of voiced speech into text format can be used for control.

Sending SMS

This is how messages are written and sent. The procedure will be as follows:

Say “Ok Google”.
Then say: write “contact name” + message text + send .
The message will be sent to the specified subscriber.

If you need to send a text through a third-party application, you should dictate the command in this order: message + application name + subscriber name + text.

As a result, the voice request will be as follows: Viber message, Andrey, I’m driving now, I’ll call you back later. To forward, add “Send”.

How to get Google Assistant back

Method 1 . You can reactivate the assistant using the Home button.

Launch Assistant by holding the Home button.
In the settings menu, open the “Phone” tab.
Set the slider next to Google Assistant to the “Enable” position.

Method 2 . You can restore Google Assistant in another way:

Launch the Google application.
Open the menu and select “Settings”.
In the "Google Assistant" section, enable the assistant.

If this function is not available or the assistant has been completely removed from the system, you can download and install it again from the official Google Play website.

What can you use instead of Google Assistant?

In addition to Google Assistant, other assistant applications are also popular, which can be used instead of the standard Android component. Let's look at them.

Yandex Assistant (Alice)

Artificial intelligence Alice from Yandex has wide functionality and performs a large number of different actions. The main list is:

searching for information on the Internet;
application management;
answers on questions;
providing information about the weather, exchange rates, time, traffic conditions, etc.;
making calls to specified numbers;
turning on music;
games and communication.

Apple's Siri voice assistant

The Siri assistant was initially available through the App Store for iOS, but then Apple bought it and began using it in its gadgets. Siri features are:

making calls and sending messages via voice commands;
information about weather conditions anywhere in the world;
playback of any musical composition available on the device;
management of alarm clocks and timers;
connection to the Smart Home system, control over sockets, switches, air conditioners, etc.

Amazon Alexa virtual assistant

Amazon Alexa works on many mobile devices and is constantly being developed and updated. Using the application you can:

make a to-do list for the day or week;
connect to the Smart Home system;
listen to your favorite music;
gain access to entertainment services of other developers;
find out the results of sporting events;
search for information on the Internet;
work with various Google services.

The application works (for now) only in English.