If you’ve just picked up a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and aren’t feeling Bixby, you’re in luck.
There’s an app for remapping the Bixby button called ‘bxActions’ which was recently updated to support the Note 9.
bxActions now supports launching apps from the lock screen. Furthermore, the app supports setting different actions for short and long press.
Users can set up the button to turn on the flashlight or take a screenshot. Alternatively, they can open the Google Assistant with it.
It’s important to note that Samsung removed the option to disable the Bixby button. Thankfully, bxActions lets you customize the button instead.
Unfortunately, bxActions isn’t a perfect solution. According to the app’s Play Store listing, not all features are supported with Bixby 2.0.
Furthermore, the developer recommends users don’t update Bixby, as the app may lose functionality. The developer also warns that Samsung may block the app with a future update.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Samsung wants people using Bixby. The company put a lot of effort into the assistant.
However, when it comes to physical buttons on the phone, customizability is important. Not everyone will want to use the Bixby button.
There are a number of good reasons for that too. For one, its placement underneath the volume button makes it easy to press accidentally. Furthermore, some users may be invested in other ecosystems.
Regardless of the reason, hopefully Samsung doesn’t shut out apps like bxActions. Apps like this go a long way in making Samsung phones usable for a lot of people.
You can download bxActions from the Google Play Store.
Source: Android Authority
