How to remap the Bixby button on your Galaxy S or Note phone

It's been two years since Samsung debuted Bixby, and the dreaded Bixby button, alongside the Galaxy S8, and the company has taken until now, 2019, to provide a way to remap it. Thanks to a software update, the feature is now available on all phones that have the Bixby button, from the Galaxy S8 and S8+ to the Note 9, S9 and S9+, Note 9, and all S10 models. Here's how to do it!

Products used in this guide

• Samsung: Galaxy S10 ($900)
• Amazon: Galaxy S9 ($600)

What does remapping do?

Simply, you're now able to launch any app you want by single or double-pressing the Bixby button on the left side of your Galaxy phone. If you want to load the Google app, or the camera, or whatever you want, you now can!

How to remap the Bixby button

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Advanced Features.

3. Tap Bixby key.

   

4. Select Double press to open Bixby.
5. Enable Use single press toggle.
6. Tap inside Use single press area.
7. Tap Open app.
8. Tap on the Settings button (cog icon).
9. Select the app you want.

That's it! Now you can double-press the Bixby button to open the app, and single-press it to open anything you want.

What if I want to run a "quick command"?

In addition to opening any app you want, Samsung also allows you to map the Bixby button to run a "quick command," which is a pre-set number of Bixby commands like "turn on flashlight" or "call Mom." You can also create your own. Here's how to do it.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Advanced Features.

3. Tap Bixby key.

   

4. Select Double press to open Bixby.
5. Enable Use single press toggle.
6. Tap inside Use single press area.
7. Tap Run quick command.

8. Tap on the Settings button (cog icon). 9a. (If blank) Tag Go to Quick Commands. 9b. Select Quick command.

   

9. Tap Plus sign at top right of screen.
10. Give title to Quick Command.
11. Add command.
12. Tap Save.
13. On new screen, select quick command.

Bixby Quick Commands are shortcuts that combine one or more Bixby commands into a single phrase. The Bixby button remapping literally activates one of these phrases and puts it into motion. Pressing the button, therefore, can do a lot — put the phone into Car Mode, which shuts off Wi-Fi, turns on Bluetooth, opens Spotify and plays a playlist, turns down brightness, etc. — or just one thing, like activate the Google app. It's very flexible and would benefit from a lot of experimentation, so try it out and see what works for you.

What are you going to open?

The Bixby button is always going to be controversial, but now that it's remappable, it's actually useful. It's too bad that you can't activate Google Assistant directly, or disable the button entirely, but at least it's now... useful.

What are you going to do with your Bixby button?

The new hotness

Galaxy S10

Three cameras, zero compromises

$900 at Samsung

Samsung's latest smartphone is one of the best out there, with incredible power, three cameras, and now with a Bixby button that can be remapped.

High end

Samsung Galaxy S9

$600 at Amazon

A great 2018 smartphone

The Galaxy S9 may not have the power or the number of cameras as its S10 counterpart, but at a discount it's still one of the best, and best-looking, phones on the market.