How to change what the side button does on a Samsung Galaxy
By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 5 October 2026
Open Settings, Advanced features, Side button. Under Double press, choose an app such as Camera or Flashlight. Under Long press, choose the digital assistant, Bixby or the Power off menu. Choosing Power off menu makes a long press switch the phone off again.
- Device
- Android
- Shown on
- Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Advanced features
- Real screenshots
- 5 of 5 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 1 official, linked below
Step by step
Open Advanced features
Open Settings and tap Advanced features.
Tap Side button
It is in the second group of the page.
Choose the double press
Tap Double press. Switch it on and pick what it opens, such as Camera or Flashlight. Ours opened the Camera.
Choose the long press
Tap Long press. Ours was set to Digital assistant (Google). Choose Power off menu to get the familiar switch-off and restart buttons back.
Forgot how to switch off?
How to power off your phone, on the same page, explains the other ways to switch off.
About this guide
On a new Galaxy, holding the side button wakes an assistant instead of showing the power menu, which surprises many people. Both presses can be changed in a minute.
The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy A57 5G with One UI 8.5 and Android 16. Other Galaxy phones on One UI 8 use the same menus; on older One UI versions a few names and positions differ. We only looked at these screens on our phone and changed nothing.
Good to know
On some phones the long press offers Bixby instead of a digital assistant. Bixby has to be set up with a Samsung account.
In short: Settings, Advanced features, Side button: set Double press and Long press. Power off menu for a normal switch-off.
Links checked on 4 October 2026. Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.