Samsung blocks the ability to remap the Galaxy S8’s Bixby button
We all know that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will launch with a dedicated button to open Bixby. However, thanks to the Android community being so awesome, this button was already able to be remapped to something else if you chose to do so.
Unfortunately, Samsung isn’t playing around and has seemingly ruined the party by pushing an OTA update which disables the ability to remap the Bixby button. Considering that the Galaxy S8 is not in the hands of everyday consumers just yet, you’ll likely have a day-one update at the ready once you receive your new device.
https://twitter.com/philipberne/status/854020503908089862
Phillip Berne, Samsung’s US PR Manager, has confirmed that the company will not be supporting an app that remaps the Bixby button. So we’ll have to wait and see if there are any workarounds available once the Galaxy S8 is put in the hands of more users.
I know that if I was looking to get the Galaxy S8, I’d want the option to use the Bixby button for something else if Bixby turns out to be a dud. But I also understand that Samsung wants to lock down all the fun and is making sure that the phone is running as it should at launch.
Let us know what you think about these changes and if Samsung should reverse its course or not.