Samsung has remained adamant with one of its software related decisions to either only allow Bixby to launch after a long-press of the power button, or to access the power menu. However, that could soon change as Samsung could allow users to long-press power button to access Gemini instead of Bixby.
Samsung may soon finally let you long press the side button to launch Gemini instead of Bixby, as reported by Android Authority. The publication discovered strings in the latest Google app APK teardown which are part of the Gemini intro screen that’ll appear in the setup wizard for Samsung devices.
The strings inform the user that they can “hold down the Side button to talk to Gemini.” Samsung likes to call the power button as ‘Side button’. These strings are specifically aimed at Samsung devices as their names have “_samsung” in them.
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The presence of strings in the Google app, explaining how users can long-press power button to access Gemini, hints that Samsung may introduce this functionality soon. While the exact timeline remains unclear, it’s likely to debut with the upcoming One UI 7 release. It might even appear in the setup wizard for the new Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which is rumoured to launch on January 22.
It would be a major software change in Samsung devices if the information holds any truth. This change, however, doesn’t indicate that Samsung is giving up on Bixby in any form. In fact, the company debuted the next-generation Bixby earlier last month. The new Bixby debuted alongside the Samsung W25 and the W25 Flip in the country, which are China’s version of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and the Galaxy Z Flip 6.