How To Turn Off Or Restart The Samsung Galaxy S21 And S22

Turning off or restarting the Galaxy S21 or S22 series should not be that difficult. However, a small change from Samsung to trigger Bixby makes this simple task unnecessarily complicated.

If you are looking to turn off or restart your Galaxy S21 or S22, follow our guide below.

Customize the Side Key on Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22

The power key on the Galaxy S21 and S22 series is known as the Side key. This button's primary function in older smartphones was to bring up the power menu. On the Galaxy S21 and S22 though, long-pressing this button brings up Bixby, Samsung's voice assistant.

If you don't use the voice assistant, this can be frustrating. Thankfully, you can tweak the Side key settings to bring up the power menu instead, so you can easily power off the device, restart it, or trigger the emergency mode when required.

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Advanced features > Side key.
2. From the Press and hold section, select the Power off menu option.

Close

Now, whenever you long-press the Side key on your Galaxy S21 or S22, it will bring up the power menu.

How to Restart the Galaxy S21 and S22

If you have customized the Side key functionality, you can easily switch off or restart the Galaxy S21 or S22 in a few steps.

1. Long-press (hold down) the Side key on your Galaxy S21 or S22.
2. Your phone will vibrate, and you should see the power menu pop up on the screen.
3. Select the Power off or Restart option depending on your preference.
4. Confirm your selection by tapping Power off or Restart again.

If you use Bixby on the Galaxy S21 or S22, you can also say, "Hey Bixby, turn off the phone" to bring up the power menu from where you can switch off the device. This is the easiest way to turn off your Galaxy S21 or S22 without having to press any button.

Use the Quick Settings Panel

Another way to turn off your Galaxy S21 or S22 is to use the quick settings panel.

1. Swipe down on the status bar to expand the notification shade.
2. Swipe again to bring up the quick settings panel.
3. You should see the virtual power button right beside the search icon at the top of the panel.
4. Tap on it to bring up the power menu. From there, select the Power off or Restart option. You will again have to confirm your selection to switch off or restart the device.

Close

The above methods to turn off and restart are applicable across Samsung's flagship lineup, including the S21 FE, S21 Ultra, and S22 Ultra.

Turning Off or Restarting Your Galaxy Phone Shouldn't Be This Difficult

Samsung should not make accessing the power menu so difficult from the Side key. This small change from the company to promote Bixby will confuse many new Galaxy users.

The Korean company should instead offer an option to customize the Side key during the initial device setup process so that new users are aware of how to access the power menu.