There was a time when turning off a phone was one of the easiest actions imaginable. You pressed and held the power button for a few seconds, and voilà a menu popped up asking if you wanted to shut down, restart, or maybe put the device into silent mode. Done. Easy. No learning curve required.
But then came the smartphone era, and companies like Samsung began cramming in more features, shortcuts, and “smart assistants” into every corner of the device. Somewhere along the way, the humble power button lost its one job. On many of the newer Galaxy models, pressing and holding what looks like a power button doesn’t actually turn the phone off anymore. Instead, you might find yourself staring at Bixby the voice assistant Samsung tried so hard to push into our lives.
Suddenly, something that once took a single instinctive motion now requires either a combination of buttons, a trip into the notification shade, or some menu reprogramming. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s one of those small design changes that leaves people scratching their heads.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the different ways you can turn off a Samsung phone, why it sometimes feels more complicated than it should be, and what lessons we can draw from this tiny yet telling feature of modern technology.
A Brief History of Samsung Power Buttons
To really appreciate the present, it helps to look back. Older Samsung devices, like the Galaxy S2 or even the Galaxy Note series in their early days, had one job for their side button, power. Hold it down, and you’d see “Power Off” or “Restart”. Some even had a physical home button at the bottom of the screen, but that was separate the power button was sacred territory.Fast forward to the Galaxy S8 and later models, and Samsung decided to experiment. They introduced Bixby, their own voice assistant, and they needed a way for users to summon it quickly. Their solution? Repurpose the power button as the “side key”, giving it dual functions. Long press meant Bixby, not power off.
The backlash was immediate. People didn’t want their phones suddenly talking back when all they wanted was to shut down. Samsung eventually gave in and added settings to let you reassign the button’s behavior. But the confusion stuck, and to this day, many people are unsure how to properly turn off their shiny new Galaxy device.
This shift is a perfect example of how tech companies often balance innovation with familiarity. Sometimes, in the rush to add features, they forget how much comfort people take in the little rituals like the reassuring long press of a power button at bedtime.
Why You Might Want to Turn Off Your Samsung Phone
Before we go into the “how”, let’s talk about the “why”. Turning off your phone isn’t just something you do when the battery is about to die. There are plenty of scenarios where shutting it down makes sense:- Saving battery on a trip: Maybe you’re camping, and you want to preserve power for emergencies. Shutting down completely keeps the phone alive longer than any battery saver mode.
- Air travel: Sure, airplane mode exists, but some travelers still prefer to power down entirely, especially on long international flights.
- Refreshing the system: Phones, like people, need rest. Turning it off and back on can clear out small glitches, free up memory, and improve performance.
- Privacy and peace: Sometimes you just don’t want to be reachable. Shutting down removes temptation and guarantees no late night notifications.
- Troubleshooting: If your device is acting up freezing, lagging, or refusing to respond a restart or shutdown can often be the simplest fix.
1. The Classic Way (Older Samsung Phones)
If you have an older Samsung model say, something before the Galaxy S8 consider yourself lucky. For these phones, the power button does exactly what you expect.Steps:
- Press and hold the power button on the side or top of the phone.
- Wait a few seconds for the power menu to appear.
- Select Power Off or Restart.
For many people, this is how it should always be. And to be fair, Samsung hasn’t removed the option entirely it just buried it behind additional steps for newer models.
2. The Side Key and Volume Down Combo (Modern Samsung Phones)
Here’s where things get interesting. On newer Samsung devices like the Galaxy S20, S21, S22, S23, and the Z Fold/Flip series the side key is no longer dedicated solely to powering down. By default, a long press summons Bixby.So what do you do if you actually want to turn off the phone? You press a combination:
Steps:
- Hold down the side key (power/Bixby button) and the volume down button simultaneously.
- After a moment, the power menu will appear on your screen.
- Select Power Off or Restart.
3. Using the Quick Settings Power Icon
Samsung realized not everyone loves button combos. So they added a software shortcut.Steps:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to pull down the notification shade.
- Swipe down again to expand into full quick settings.
- Look for the power icon (usually in the top right corner).
- Tap it, and the power menu appears.
4. Reprogramming the Side Key
If you miss the old way of doing things, good news you can bring it back.Steps:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Advanced Features > Side Key.
- Under the “Press and Hold” section, choose Power Off Menu instead of Bixby.
This is one of those small settings tweaks that can save you endless annoyance. It’s like rearranging the furniture in your house so things feel natural again.
5. Using Bixby or Google Assistant
Ironically, the very assistant that got in the way of turning off your phone can also help you do it.Steps with Bixby:
- Activate Bixby (by holding the side key or saying “Hi Bixby”).
- Say: “Turn off my phone”.
- Confirm when prompted.
- Say “Hey Google”.
- Then say “Turn off my phone”.
- Confirm.
6. Emergency Shutdown
Sometimes, your phone might freeze completely, ignoring taps and swipes. In those cases, you can perform a forced shutdown.Steps:
- Press and hold the side key and volume down button simultaneously.
- Keep holding until the screen goes black and the Samsung logo reappears.
- Release the buttons.
Common Frustrations People Face
Let’s be honest most of the complaints about Samsung’s shutdown methods boil down to one word: Bixby.When Samsung tied the power button to their assistant, they disrupted years of muscle memory. For many users, it felt like someone had changed the locks on their front door. Instead of the familiar action, they were greeted by a new system they didn’t ask for.
Another frustration is the button combo. While it’s not difficult once you learn it, it feels unnecessarily complicated. It’s like needing a cheat code to perform an everyday action.
This is one of those areas where user experience design and corporate strategy clash. Samsung wanted to push Bixby into the spotlight, but in doing so, they made basic functionality less intuitive.
Personal Observations: When Design Overcomplicates the Simple
I remember showing my grandmother how to use a newer Galaxy phone. She was fine with calling, texting, even browsing YouTube. But when it came time to turn the phone off, she froze.“I press and hold, and this strange thing starts talking to me”, she said, referring to Bixby.
To her, it wasn’t just confusing it was intimidating. She worried she’d “break” something.
Moments like that remind me of the balance tech companies have to strike. New features are exciting, but they shouldn’t come at the cost of alienating users who value simplicity. Turning off your phone should never feel like solving a puzzle.
Tips and Tricks for Easier Shutdown
- Reassign the side key immediately after setting up your phone. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.
- Memorize the button combo just in case. It’s useful when your phone is unresponsive.
- Use quick settings if you don’t want to fuss with buttons.
- Don’t forget about scheduled power on/off. Some Samsung phones let you set times for the phone to turn off and back on automatically a great way to enforce digital detox before bed.
- Teach family members. If your parents or grandparents have Samsung devices, walk them through the shutdown process. It prevents a lot of “Help, my phone won’t turn off!” calls later.
Relatable Scenarios: When Turning Off Matters
Imagine this, you’re at the airport, about to board a long haul flight. The flight attendant reminds everyone to switch devices off or put them in airplane mode. You press and hold the side button, expecting the power menu, but instead Bixby pops up. The people behind you are waiting to board, you’re fumbling with the screen, and suddenly it feels like a comedy sketch.Or maybe it’s late at night. You’ve decided to disconnect, so you try to power down before bed. Instead, your phone cheerfully launches the assistant, glowing back at you like a stubborn child refusing to sleep.
These little moments show how even small design choices ripple into everyday life. A shutdown button isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of those features that should “just work”.
Conclusion: The Irony of Modern Convenience
Turning off a Samsung phone in 2025 is no longer the single motion task it once was. Instead, it’s become a small dance of buttons, swipes, or voice commands. Some may see this as progress after all, we have more options than ever. But others rightly miss the days when one button did one job.The bigger lesson here is about technology itself. In the pursuit of innovation, companies sometimes overlook the beauty of simplicity. Features pile up, menus get deeper, and familiar rituals shift. For tech enthusiasts, it’s part of the fun. For everyday users, it can feel like an unnecessary hurdle.
At the end of the day, though, the methods are there whether through button combos, quick settings, reprogramming, or even asking your assistant to do it for you. Once you learn the trick, it becomes second nature again.
But the next time you hand your phone to someone unfamiliar, and they struggle just to turn it off, remember: even the smallest design changes can have the biggest impact on how we connect or disconnect from the digital world.