# What Is Bixby? Samsung's Assistant Explained (and How to Disable It)

URL: https://upfour.online/samsung/what-is-bixby
Category: Samsung
Tags: bixby, assistant, samsung, voice, routines
Published: August 28, 2026
Last updated: August 28, 2026

**Short answer:** Bixby is Samsung's own voice assistant, comparable to Siri on iPhone or Google Assistant on other Android phones. It is strongest at controlling phone settings, and it can be disabled or remapped if you prefer Google's assistant.

Bixby is Samsung's voice assistant, built into Galaxy phones, tablets, watches, TVs and appliances. If you are looking for "Siri on Samsung", Bixby is the closest equivalent — though most Galaxy owners use Google's assistant instead.

> **The part of Bixby actually worth keeping**
>
> Most people turn Bixby off and never look back, which is fair — it is well behind Google for general questions.
> But **Bixby Routines** is genuinely capable and needs no voice interaction at all. Battery under 20 per cent, turn on power saving. Car Bluetooth connects, open maps. It quietly does more useful work than the assistant ever did.

## What Bixby is good at

Bixby's genuine strength is **device control**. It can reach settings that Google's assistant cannot, because Samsung built it with access to its own system:

- "Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot"
- "Take a screenshot and share it with Sam"
- "Turn on dark mode at sunset"
- "Open the camera in Pro mode"
- "Read my last message"

Multi-step commands touching Samsung apps and settings work notably better in Bixby than in general-purpose assistants.

## Where it is weaker

**General knowledge and web search.** Ask Bixby a factual question and it is generally behind Google Assistant and Gemini. That is the main reason most people default to Google's assistant.

## Bixby versus Google Assistant and Gemini

| | Bixby | Google Assistant / Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| Device and settings control | Excellent | Limited |
| General knowledge | Weak | Strong |
| Samsung app integration | Deep | Partial |
| Smart home | SmartThings | Google Home |
| Availability | Samsung devices only | Any Android phone |

You can run both. Many people set Google's assistant as the default for the power button and voice queries, and keep Bixby Routines active in the background for automation.

## Bixby Routines: the part worth keeping

Even if you never speak to Bixby, **Bixby Routines** is a genuinely capable automation engine — and arguably the best reason Bixby exists.

**Settings › Modes and Routines › Routines.**

Set conditions and actions, such as:

- When connected to the car's Bluetooth, open the maps app and raise the media volume.
- When battery drops below 20%, turn on power saving and reduce screen refresh rate.
- When Wi-Fi connects to the office network, silence the ringer.
- Between 11pm and 7am, enable dark mode and greyscale.
- When a specific app opens, block notifications and lock screen rotation.

This runs without any voice interaction at all, and it is more capable than most third-party automation apps.

## Remap the power button away from Bixby

On phones where a long press summons Bixby:

**Settings › Advanced features › Side button** — set **Press and hold** to **Power off menu** or **Wake Bixby** as you prefer.

Many people set press-and-hold to the power menu and use a double-press for the camera. On stock Android the equivalent is *Settings › System › Gestures › Press and hold power button*.

## Turn Bixby off

You cannot fully uninstall it, but you can stop it appearing:

1. **Disable voice wake-up** — *Bixby › ⋮ Settings › Voice wake-up* → off. This stops "Hi Bixby" from listening.
2. **Remap the side button** as above.
3. **Remove Bixby Home / Bixby Today** — long-press an empty area of the home screen, swipe to the leftmost panel and toggle it off.
4. **Disable the apps** — *Settings › Apps › ⋮ Show system apps*, then open **Bixby Voice**, **Bixby Vision** and **Bixby Home** and tap **Disable** where offered.

> Disabling Bixby Voice may also disable **Bixby Routines**, since they share components. If you use Routines, disable only voice wake-up and leave the rest alone.

## Set Google as your default assistant

**Settings › Apps › Choose default apps › Digital assistant app** → select **Google**.

This changes what the assistant gesture and button summon. Bixby remains installed but stops being the default.

## Bixby Vision

Samsung's camera-based recognition — text extraction, translation, QR codes and product lookup. Samsung has scaled it back on newer models, and **Google Lens is now the more capable option** for most of these tasks. See [scanning QR codes on a Samsung phone](/how-to/scan-qr-code-samsung).

## Is Bixby being discontinued?

Samsung has continued developing Bixby while simultaneously deepening its Google partnership, with Gemini available on recent Galaxy phones. The practical position: Bixby persists for device control, appliances and Routines, while Google's assistant handles general queries. Samsung has not announced its retirement.

## In short

Bixby is Samsung's assistant — **good at controlling your phone, weak at answering questions**. The most valuable part is **Bixby Routines** for automation, which works without ever speaking to it. Turn off voice wake-up and remap the side button if it gets in your way, and set Google as your default assistant if you prefer it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Bixby on a Samsung phone?

Bixby is Samsung's own voice assistant, the equivalent of Siri on iPhone. It is built into Galaxy phones, tablets, watches and appliances, and is strongest at controlling device settings and Samsung apps.

### How do I turn off Bixby?

Open Bixby › Settings and disable Voice wake-up, then remap the side button under Settings › Advanced features › Side button. You can also disable the Bixby apps under Settings › Apps with system apps shown.

### Is Bixby better than Google Assistant?

Bixby is better at controlling phone settings and Samsung apps because it has deeper system access. Google's assistant is considerably better at general knowledge and web search. Many people use both.

### What are Bixby Routines?

An automation feature under Settings › Modes and Routines that triggers actions based on conditions such as time, location, battery level or Bluetooth connection. It works without any voice interaction and is more capable than most third-party automation apps.

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