Long-Press Power Button Opens Gemini or Bixby? How to Make It Useful Instead
You held the power button to restart your phone and got a chat window instead. Android reassigned that gesture to the assistant a few versions ago. You can give it back to the power menu, or give it a better job entirely.
Shagun Verma · · 2 min readOption 1: bring back the power menu
On a Pixel, open Settings > System > Gestures > Press & hold power button and turn off the assistant option; a long press shows the power menu again. On Samsung, open Settings > Advanced features > Side button and set Press and hold to Power off menu. Other brands hide the same switch under Buttons or Gestures.
The trade-off: you lose the quickest gesture on the phone for nothing more than a menu you use once a week.
Option 2: keep the gesture, change who answers
Android does not insist on Gemini or Bixby; it asks the default digital assistant app to respond. Set a different app there and the long press opens that app instead. Long Press Menu is built exactly for this slot: it opens a small menu of your chosen apps and shortcuts, plus screen actions like Copy Text and Search Image, and closes the moment you tap elsewhere.
- Install Long Press Menu and tap Set as assistant.
- In Default apps, pick Long Press Menu as the Digital assistant app.
- Leave the power button gesture set to the assistant.
- Add your apps. If you still want Gemini or Assistant sometimes, enable the assistant row in the menu.
Samsung: a note about Bixby
Samsung phones route the side button hold to Bixby by default. In Side button settings, choose Open app or the assistant option, then set the Digital assistant app to Long Press Menu in Settings > Apps > Choose default apps. If your model always shows the power menu on hold, use the bottom-corner swipe gesture to open the menu instead; it triggers the same assistant.
Where the power menu went
With the assistant on the long press, the power menu lives on a power + volume up press on Pixels, on the power icon in the notification shade on Samsung, and on a similar combination on most other phones. Learn the combination once and you will not miss the old gesture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use voice commands?
Yes. Say "Hey Google" for the voice assistant, or enable the assistant row in Long Press Menu to open it from the menu.
Does changing the assistant affect Android Auto or headphones?
Headset buttons and Android Auto call the default assistant too. If you rely on voice there, keep the assistant row enabled or switch the default back while driving.
Is this safe to change?
Yes. It is a standard Android setting, and you can switch the default assistant back at any time.