Galaxy S6 Guide

How to set Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, and how to disable Galaxy S6 touch key light?

Although Samsung disables it, you can still adjust touch key light duration, turn on and off touch key light in your Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge

Table of Contents hide
1) Where is the setting for Galaxy S6 touch key light duration?
2) How to use Galaxy Button Lights app to set Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, and to turn on/off Galaxy S6 touch key light?
2.1) Step 1: Install Galaxy Button Lights app from Play store
3) Step 2: Change settings for Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, and setting for on/off Galaxy S6 touch key light
3.1) Step 3: Save settings
4) How about Galaxy S6 edge touch key light?
4.1) Can you adjust Galaxy S6 touch key light duration? Can you turn on or off Galaxy S6 touch key light?

Where is the setting for  Galaxy S6 touch key light duration?

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, like its predecessors, have two capacitive touch buttons in the left and right side of the home button.

As detailed in Galaxy S6 layout and Galaxy S6 edge layout, the left button is called Recent Apps key (also can be used as multi window button), and the right one is called Back key.  You may check the detailed functions of these buttons keys in this page.

Once any of these two keys is touched, it lights up automatically for a short duration.  This is a useful visual feedback.

But sometimes, you may:

  • want to disable Galaxy S6 touch key light, e.g., when you are in a theater.
  • want to increase of decrease the Galaxy S6 touch key light duration.

In the predecessors of Galaxy S6,  you can change such settings easily in the Settings. For example, in Galaxy Note 4, you have full control over this touch key light as shown in this page.

But in your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge, you will NOT be able to find this setting unless you bought your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge from AT&T.

Basically, only AT&T’s  Galaxy S6 (SM-G920A)  and Galaxy S6 edge (SM-G925F)  have the touch key light settings.

In all other Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge models, Samsung removed the settings for Galaxy S6 touch key light duration. Of course, this means you then cannot turn off Galaxy S6 touch key light as well.

But don’t be panic. There is a free app that can do the job for you.

How to use Galaxy Button Lights app to set Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, and to turn on/off Galaxy S6 touch key light?

In Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge, if you need adjust the Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, or want to turn on/off the touch key light, you can use a free app: Galaxy Button Lights.

Step 1:  Install Galaxy Button Lights app from Play store

In your Samsung Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge, start Google Play store app.

Search Galaxy Button Lights as shown below.

Tap the Galaxy Button Lights app as shown below.

In the app details page, tap INSTALL as shown below to install the app.

Just like other Android apps, you need acknowledge permissions the app requires. For Galaxy Button Lights app, it requires no special permissions at all.

Tap ACCEPT as shown below to install the app.

samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_1_galaxy_button_lights samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_2_install_galaxy_button_lights

samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_3_app_permission samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_4_touch_button_light_settings

Step 2: Change settings for Galaxy S6 touch key light duration,  and setting for on/off Galaxy S6 touch key light

Once the Galaxy Button Lights app is installed,  you can use the app to adjust the settings for Galaxy S6 touch key light duration. Of course, you can use this app to turn on/off Galaxy S6 touch key light as well.

Start the Galaxy Button Lights app in your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge.

There app interface is very simple as shown above. You have 3 mutually exclusive options:

  1. Time to remain on. This is the default setting (1.5 seconds). You can adjust how long the touch key lights after it is touched. When you move the slider, the exact light duration will be shown (as shown above, it is 3 seconds).
  2. Always on. You are essentially turn on the Galaxy S6 touch key light. It will be turned off automatically only when the Galaxy S6 screen is off.  In other words, if you choose this option, the Galaxy S6 touch key lights whenever the screen is on. This may drain battery noticeably.
  3. Always off. This option will turn off the Galaxy S6 touch key light totally. The touch key will not light at all.

Step 3: Save settings

After changing the settings for Galaxy S6 touch key light,  you must tap Save button backlight behavior as shown above to save the settings.

Actually, a feedback message will be splashed once the settings are saved as shown below.

Please note, you must tap Save button backlight behavior to save the Galaxy S6 touch key light settings. Otherwise, nothing will be changed.

samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_5_save_touch_button_light_settings samsung_galaxy_s6_touch_key_light_duration_6_turn_off_touch_key_light

How about Galaxy S6 edge touch key light?

Galaxy S6 edge touch key light settings are identical to those of Galaxy S6 as indicated in the previous text.

So, this guide equally applies to Galaxy S6 edge touch key light.

Can you adjust Galaxy S6 touch key light duration? Can you turn on or off Galaxy S6 touch key light?

Please let us know in the comment box below, if you have any questions or encounter any problems on how to adjust Galaxy S6 touch key light duration, or how to turn on or off Galaxy S6 touch key light in your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge.

We will try to help you.

For other features of Galaxy S6, please check Galaxy S6 online manual page.

For detailed guides on how to use Samsung Galaxy S6, please check Galaxy S6 how-to guides page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. w.tanadi says

    Do you know how to set the lights on these two buttons to only turn on when you press it, not when you touch the touchscreen??

    The S4 light button only turns on when you press it and not when you touch the touchscreen.

    I find this new setting very irritating on my s6 edge because it keeps on turning on and off when I touch the touchscreen.

    thanks

    Reply

  5. trina genova-bitara says

    My touch key light does not turn on
    Works perfectly fine but there is no light. I downloaded the app and followed the instructions. But it still isn’t working. The touck key light is one of the features i loved about the design. It’s really frustrating that the light isn”t working. I hope you can help me out. It’s been a few days now and i tried to search the net and i get the same advice from the forums. I really hope you can offer a solution. Thank you.

    Reply

  6. Trina says

    Hi. Just a few weeks ago i turned off my phone for 30 minutes and when i turned it on, the key lights started working already. Try turning it off and leave it for 30 mins – 1 hour and turn it on again, Hope it works for you

    Reply

  7. Brett says

    will try that at a later date, don’t really want to reinstall everything again.. it’s not that important to have the backlights working, it’s just sometimes convenient in the dark.

    Reply

  8. Glen says

    Galaxy Button Lights doesn’t work for me. I can’t get either the “back” or “recent apps” buttons to light no matter what I do.

    Reply

  9. Brett says

    I think they did, but can’t really remember now. I only noticed a couple of weeks ago that they weren’t working, which is probably why it’s not that important… lol..

    Reply

  11. Crystal Reynolds says

    I just found this and it worked

    ” style=”box-sizing: border-box;”>ow to fix Touch Key light not working on Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge:

    Turn on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 EdgeOpen the Menu pageGo to SettingsSelect on “Quick Settings”Select on “Power Saving”Go to “Power Saving Mode”Then go to “Restrict Performance”Uncheck the box next to “Turn off touch key light”

     

    Now the lighting of the two touch keys on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge will be turned back on.

    Reply

  12. Stacie says

    I’m having another problem with these buttons that I can’t find a solution listed anywhere. When I hit the ‘recent apps’ or ‘back’ key, there is a sound that plays. I have all the settings for touch sounds, dialing tone, screen lock, and keyboard sounds all turned off, but it still makes a sound when I hit these two buttons, even if I have the phone set to silent. Is there anything I can do about this?

    Reply

  16. Weh says

    For those having the problem where your back light keys are not illuminating anymore… I have had the same issue and mine are now working again. All I did was go to Settings–>Battery–>Power saving mode and if you’re not on power saving mode… toggle it on and then off. This fixed my problem. So even though I wasn’t in power saving mode, by toggling it on and then off it essentially reset my back light buttons back on. So for me at least, there was a little haywire glitch that just required, for a lack of better words, “power saving mode reset.” Hope this helps!

    Reply

  17. Kathleen says

    Oh my goodness THANK YOU!!! I just installed the app and turned those suckered COMPLETELY off. I am no longer blinded by them flashing every time I scroll on Facebook in a dark room. The photos in your article were super helpful, although the app has changed its picture slightly. However I knew it was still the correct one because your pic showed the company name. Thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply

  20. Pramod says

    I have a problem with recent apps button. The recent apps tabs are opening by without selecting the recent apps button. Sometimes the app screen is minimizing automatically. How to fix this problem.

    Reply

  23. Contijn Buijs says

    Thanks for this! Just got my s6 and after a few hours of setting up the apps and going through the settings this was the only thing I couldn’t find.

    Weird design decision to not include a option. Got it fixed now. Thanks a lot.

    Reply

  25. Jan Langhave says

    Hi
    I am sorry for my English. I am from Denmark
    My son broke the front of his Samsung S6 Edge. I got it changed and since then the back and resent push-button light is not working
    It did before, and the buttons lights up when the phone is turned on, so they work
    I tried the app, with no luck
    Any ideas
    Best regards

    Reply

  27. SEC says

    Some how my soft keys stopped working. Tried other sites with no help. You did it thank you. Also very easy directions to follow if you are not tech savy.

    Reply

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