How to remap the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, Note 8

Ben Schoon | Feb 28 2019 - 11:39 am PT

Samsung first introduced the now infamous Bixby button on its Galaxy S8 and in the time since, users have been actively looking for ways to use it for other purposes. Now, Samsung has finally made that functionality available on several devices. Here’s how to remap the Bixby button on the Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, and Note 8.

Remap the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, Note 8

Thanks to an official software update and an app update from Samsung, Bixby button remapping is available on every Galaxy flagship that has the hardware baked in. This means users can easily remap the Bixby button on their shiny new Galaxy S10, or do the same on the Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, as well as the Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8.

Update Bixby via Samsung Galaxy Store
Access Bixby button settings
Customize Bixby button actions

1. Update Bixby via the Galaxy Store

The first thing you’ll need to do is update Bixby itself from the Samsung Galaxy Store. Luckily, doing this is quite easy. Simply head to the app drawer and locate the Store. From there, go to My Page and then Update. On this screen, you’ll likely see a few Bixby apps in need of updates. To do them all at once, simply hit the Update All button at the top of the screen.

2. Access Bixby button Settings

After you’ve updated all of Bixby’s apps, head to the Settings menu on your Galaxy device. You should then see a section titled Advanced Features and under that, Bixby Key. This process should be the same for the Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, and Note 8, but you’ll need to ensure that the device is on the latest system update. If you’re still on a beta version, this won’t work.

Note: If you were previously using an app to remap the Bixby button, you’ll need to disable it to access this setting.

3. Customize Bixby button actions

The last step to remapping the Bixby button on your Galaxy S10, S9, S8, Note 9, or Note 8 is to pick what action you’d like it to serve. You can customize the button to perform a different action with either a single or double tap of the button. Shame is, you can only do one or the other. If you use the single tap, for example, Bixby Home will still launch on a double-tap. Regardless, a long-press will always open Bixby Voice.

Despite that, being able to remap the Bixby button without the need for a third-party app is a welcome change, and something we’ve been waiting a couple of years for. It’s just a shame that you can’t remap it to Google Assistant.