Samsung Wallet keeps popping up? How to turn off the swipe up

Samsung Wallet (the app that replaced Samsung Pay) has a shortcut called Quick access. A thin handle sits at the bottom of your screen, and a swipe up from it opens your payment cards so you can pay fast at a store.

The problem is where that handle lives. With gesture navigation, swiping up from the bottom edge is also how you go to your Home screen. Swipe a little too far to the middle and your cards slide up instead. Leave the Screen off option on and it can even open in your pocket or during a workout. The fix is inside the Wallet app itself, not in your phone's main Settings, which is why many people cannot find it.

How to stop Samsung Wallet from opening when you swipe up

Keep the gesture, but only where you want it

You do not have to turn it all off. Each switch controls one place, so you can keep fast payments and still stop the pop-ups that annoy you most.

Also on the Swipe up gesture screen there is a Handle transparency slider. It only changes how visible the handle is. It does not make the gesture harder to trigger, so it will not stop the pop-ups on its own.

Why does Samsung Wallet keep opening by itself?

If Wallet opens even when you are sure you did not swipe, one of these is usually behind it:

• Pocket and bag touches. The Screen off gesture reacts to movement against the screen. Turn it off, and turn on Settings › Display › Accidental touch protection, which blocks touches when the phone is somewhere dark like a pocket.
• The side button shortcut. Some Galaxy phones can open Wallet with a double press of the side button. If you press it twice to wake the phone, you may be opening Wallet. Check Settings › Advanced features › Side button and change Double press to Quick launch camera or turn it off.
• A thick case or screen protector. A raised lip at the bottom edge can make your swipes start higher up the screen, right on the handle. Swiping from the very edge helps.
• Your hand while exercising. Sweat and a loose grip on a treadmill or bike can register as swipes. The Screen off and Home screen switches are the ones to turn off.

If your phone also unlocks, calls people or opens other apps in your pocket, the cause is broader than Wallet. Our guide to a Samsung that keeps unlocking in your pocket covers Extend Unlock and the other pocket settings.

Want Google Wallet instead of Samsung Wallet?

Many people search for a way to change the swipe up so it opens Google Wallet. That is not possible: the gesture belongs to Samsung Wallet and only opens Samsung Wallet. You can still make Google Wallet your main way to pay, and give it an equally fast shortcut.

Wallet notifications popping up instead?

Sometimes “popping up” means notifications, not the card screen: offers, points reminders or transit messages from Samsung Wallet. These have nothing to do with the swipe gesture. To turn them down, press and hold one of the notifications and tap the settings icon, or go to Settings › Notifications › App notifications › Samsung Wallet. Turn off the categories you do not want, such as marketing or events, and keep payment and security alerts on. Those tell you when a card is used, which is worth knowing.

Inside the Wallet app, the Settings screen may also have its own notification or marketing options. Turning off marketing there stops promotions at the source.

Swipe up keeps turning back on?

A few people find the handle comes back after a phone or app update. If that happens, work through these:

Is the swipe up gesture a security risk?

Not really. Opening the Quick access screen only shows your cards. To actually pay, Samsung Wallet asks for your fingerprint, face or PIN. Someone who picks up your locked phone can see which cards you have, but they cannot spend with them.

If even that bothers you, turning off the Lock screen switch removes the handle from your Lock screen completely. Losing your phone is a bigger worry, so make sure you know how to find and lock a lost Android phone. That lets you lock it and wipe it if it goes missing.