Where to find the voice control settings

Samsung TVs have a voice assistant built in—usually Bixby or Google Assistant depending on your model year—and it can be turned off entirely or set to respond only when you press the remote button. The setting lives in your TV's main menu under Settings, then General or Device Manager, then Voice or Voice Assistant. The exact path varies slightly by model, but those are the sections where Samsung groups voice controls.

If you cannot find it in those locations, try Settings > Apps > System Apps and look for Bixby or Google Assistant there. You can disable the app from that menu as well, though turning it off in the Voice settings menu is cleaner and leaves the app installed in case you want it later.

Key Takeaways

  • Voice assistants on Samsung TVs are turned off through Settings > General > Voice or Settings > Device Manager > Voice, depending on your model.
  • You can disable voice entirely, or keep it active only when you press and hold the microphone button on your remote.
  • If your TV responds to voice commands you did not give, check whether voice wake-up is enabled—this lets the TV listen for your voice even when the remote is not in use.
  • Disabling voice does not remove the app from your TV; it straightforward stops the microphone from listening.

Turning off voice wake-up and always-listening

Many Samsung TVs have a feature called Voice Wake-Up or Always Listening that makes the TV respond to your voice without you pressing a button first. This is what causes the TV to react to words spoken nearby, even if you were not trying to control it. To stop this, go to Settings > General > Voice and look for an option labeled Wake Up, Voice Wake-Up, or Listening Mode. Turn that toggle off.

Once you disable wake-up, the TV will only respond to voice commands when you hold down the microphone button on your remote. This is the middle ground most people prefer—you keep voice control available when you want it, but the TV stops listening all the time.

Completely disabling the voice assistant

If you do not want voice control at all, you can turn off the entire voice assistant. In the same Voice menu, look for a toggle labeled Voice Assistant, Bixby Voice, or Google Assistant (whichever your TV uses). Switch it to Off. The microphone will no longer respond to any voice input, and the TV will not process voice commands even if you press the remote button.

This is the cleanest option if voice control frustrates you or if you live in a noisy environment where the TV keeps triggering accidentally. The voice assistant app remains on your TV, but it is dormant and will not consume resources or listen for input.

What to do if voice keeps activating despite being turned off

If your TV still responds to voice after you have disabled it, the setting may not have saved properly. Go back to Settings > General > Voice and confirm the toggle is actually in the Off position. Sometimes the menu shows the setting as off but the change does not stick until you confirm it a second time or restart the TV.

If the problem persists, try unplugging the TV for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. This performs a soft reset and often clears stuck settings. If voice still activates after that, your TV's microphone hardware may have a fault, and you should contact Samsung support or a technician—this is rare, but it does happen.

Disabling voice through the remote itself

Some Samsung remotes have a dedicated microphone button (usually marked with a microphone icon). If you want to prevent voice input without going into the menu, you can physically disable the remote's microphone by holding down that button for a few seconds until you see a notification that the microphone is muted. The remote will show a muted microphone icon, and voice commands will not work until you unmute it the same way.

This method does not turn off the TV's voice assistant entirely—it just prevents the remote from sending voice input to it. If your TV has a built-in microphone (some newer models do), the TV itself can still listen if wake-up is enabled. For complete control, disable voice in the TV settings menu as described above.

Checking your TV model if you cannot find the voice settings

The exact menu path depends on your TV's model year and software version. If you have a 2020 or newer Samsung TV, the settings are almost always in Settings > General > Voice. Older models sometimes put voice controls under Settings > Sound or Settings > Advanced Settings.

To find your exact model number, go to Settings > Support > About This TV. Write down the model number (it usually starts with "QN" or "UN"), then search Samsung's support website for your model plus "voice settings" or "disable voice assistant." Samsung's support pages have screenshots of the exact menu for your TV, which makes the process much faster than hunting through menus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off voice delete my settings or data?

No. Disabling voice is a straightforward toggle that stops the microphone from listening. Your TV settings, apps, and saved preferences remain unchanged. If you turn voice back on later, everything will work exactly as it did before.

Will disabling voice affect other features like picture settings or apps?

Not at all. Voice is a standalone feature. Turning it off does not change how your TV displays picture, sound, or apps. You can still use your remote normally to change channels, adjust volume, and open apps.

Can I turn off voice for Bixby but keep Google Assistant?

This depends on your TV model. Some newer Samsung TVs run both assistants, and you can disable one while keeping the other active. Go to Settings > Apps > System Apps and look for both Bixby and Google Assistant. You can disable either one individually from that menu.

What if my remote does not have a microphone button?

Older Samsung remotes and some budget models do not have a microphone button. In that case, the TV's built-in microphone is the only way voice input reaches the TV. Disabling voice in the TV settings menu will stop all voice control, and there is no remote-level mute option.

Does the TV use less power if voice is turned off?

Slightly, but the difference is negligible. If voice wake-up is enabled, the microphone stays active and uses a small amount of power. Disabling it saves a few watts, but you would not notice the difference on your electric bill. The main reason to turn off voice is to stop unwanted set up, not to save energy.