In my job as a smartphone tester, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to turn off a phone (by pressing and holding the side power button) only to find that it’s asking instead an intelligent assistant to answer questions I didn’t even have in mind.
I don’t remember when it all started, but there seems to be no end in sight. Newer iPhones, Samsung Galaxys, and even Google Pixels all have the power button set by default to trigger your voice assistant. In the worst case, you cannot change this setting.
In defense of phone makers, the likelihood of someone using a voice assistant is much higher than turning off a phone. I’m guilty of frequently asking Siri or Google Assistant for the week’s weather, nearby restaurants, and how to get from point A to point B. But when it comes time to use the power button for what it does is known, I’m not happy.
Fortunately, there are solutions to this problem.
How to switch from side key to power off
1. On Android
Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or OnePlus mobile, here’s how to change the default side key long press so that it no longer activates the voice assistant but displays the power options.
On a Samsung device, open your settings menu and scroll down to side key configuration. Then select the shutdown menu under the line Press and hold.
On a Google Pixel or other Android device, open the settings menu scroll down to System > tap Gestures > scroll down to Long press on the On/Off button > disable Hold down for Assistant.
Now when you press and hold the power key, your phone should offer you the power off options instead of the voice assistant.
2. On iOS
Although Apple doesn’t let you change the side key’s function, you can use the voice assistant it enables, Siri, to turn off the iPhone for you.
When the Siri icon appears at the bottom of the screen, simply ask it to turn off your iPhone. It will ask for your confirmation before doing so.
Otherwise, you’ll have to stick with the manual method of pressing and holding the side power key and the volume down button simultaneously.
Source: “ZDNet.com”