Samsung Note 7s that have not already been returned will be killed off by a software update released later this month.
About 2.5 million Note 7s were recalled in September after reports some had caught fire because of faulty lithium batteries.
In October, Samsung confirmed it was stopping production of the device just two months after it was launched.
On Friday, Samsung Electronics said that the software update, to be released in mid-December in the US, would prevent the devices from charging and functioning as mobile phones, leaving them useless.
One US mobile provider, Verizon Communications, said it would not take part in the update, however.
It said it would be risky for those Note 7 users who do not have another device to use instead.
In a statement, they said: “We will not push a software upgrade that will eliminate the ability for the Note 7 to work as a mobile device in the heart of the holiday travel season.
“We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation.”