The Bixby button is remappable in the Samsung Galaxy S10

The release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 series may have come with good news for many. Its CPU's performance may have vast improvements over that of the Galaxy S9 sieries. The S10 has also introduced Wireless PowerShare, WiFi 6 and the triple rear camera to this premium line of phones. However, it still have one characteristic that have been there since the launch of the Galaxy S8. This is an extra hardware key that activates a proprietary virtual assistant, Bixby.

It has often been a source of consternation for Samsung fans that this button has never been remappable, or re-assignable to a non-Bixby function. This could be useful for those who would prefer to open an app or turn on WiFi with a click of a convenient button. However, the OEM has persisted in locking the button to the assistant for years.

This is going to change soon, however,. The OEM has announced Bixby Key Customization in conjunction with the Galaxy S10 series. This allows a user to expand the button's use cases, so that it can launch different apps or services (via Quick Commands) with single- or double-press gestures. This feature is baked into Samsung's version of Android 9.0 (Pie).

Therefore, other phones that have the button and are in line for an upgrade to Pie will also acquire this ability. Samsung has stated that this will be done via a software update, but did not specify when this would occur, and which older flagships would be eligible for the Bixby button's increased flexibility first.