Samsung’s Bixby is the tech giant’s answer to voice assistants like Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. Pre-installed on a wide array of Samsung devices, from smart TVs and refrigerators to the ubiquitous Galaxy phones and tablets, Bixby aims to be your go-to for hands-free device control. It’s important to distinguish Bixby from Galaxy AI, Samsung’s cutting-edge generative AI technology featured in their latest premium devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Despite its deep integration within the Samsung ecosystem, Bixby hasn’t quite reached the household name status of Siri or Google Assistant. Whether you are a new Samsung user or a long-time Galaxy owner, this guide will explore in detail what Bixby is, what it does, and how it stacks up against its voice assistant competitors.
What is Bixby Exactly?
Bixby, at its core, is Samsung’s intelligent voice assistant designed to simplify how you interact with your Samsung devices. Think of it as your voice-activated command center. By simply speaking, you can instruct Bixby to perform a multitude of tasks, from sending text messages and checking the daily weather forecast to making calls, launching your favorite apps, and managing your music playback.
What truly sets Bixby apart from other digital assistants like Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Amazon Alexa is its deep level of integration with Samsung devices. Bixby can access and control a wider range of system settings and even interact with certain third-party applications in ways its competitors often can’t. For instance, Bixby can adjust your screen brightness, toggle auto-rotate, snap a selfie, play your Spotify playlists, respond to emails directly in Gmail, and much more. Furthermore, Bixby allows for the creation of custom “routines,” where a single voice command can trigger a sequence of actions across your device and even smart home ecosystem.
Leveraging Samsung’s SmartThings platform, Bixby extends its reach to control your smart home devices through voice commands. This seamless integration allows you to manage compatible lights, thermostats, and other smart appliances effortlessly.
While other voice assistants offer basic system control and communication features, Bixby goes further. It can perform actions within specific apps, such as opening Instagram direct messages or displaying your YouTube subscriptions – functionalities not commonly found in Google Assistant or Siri. This enhanced app integration is a key differentiator for Bixby.
Another significant advantage Bixby holds over Google Assistant is its capability for on-device processing for numerous basic commands. This means Bixby can operate offline, processing everyday tasks without needing an internet connection. To enable this offline functionality, you need to download an on-device Bixby package.
To begin using Bixby and personalize your experience, you’ll need to sign in or create a Samsung account.
How to Get Started with Bixby: Setup and Usage
Bixby comes pre-installed on all Samsung smartphones, eliminating the need for a separate download from the Google Play Store. There are several convenient ways to activate Bixby on your Samsung phone:
- Side Key Activation: Press and hold the side key (formerly the Bixby button on older models) for a few seconds.
- Voice Wake-Up (“Hi, Bixby”): Simply say “Hi, Bixby” from any app or your phone’s home screen. This requires initial setup within Bixby settings.
- App Drawer Shortcut: Locate and use the Bixby app shortcut within your app drawer.
If the side button isn’t currently configured to launch Bixby, follow these steps to customize its function:
- Open Settings on your Samsung phone.
- Navigate to Advanced features.
- Select Side key.
- Ensure the Double press toggle is turned on.
- Select the radio button next to Open app, then tap the Settings gear icon.
- Choose Bixby from the list of apps.
- You can also configure the Press and hold action to activate Bixby if preferred.
Upon your first Bixby launch, you’ll be prompted to choose a voice for Bixby’s responses. Select your preferred voice sample by tapping the corresponding radio button and then tap Continue. Review the permissions Bixby requires to operate effectively and tap Continue again to grant access.
With setup complete, you’re ready to explore the capabilities of Samsung’s digital assistant. Here are a few example commands to get you started:
- “Record a video.”
- “Show me the emails I received today.”
- “Ask Google Duo to call my wife.”
- “Show the files in the document category.”
- “Ask Netflix to play Sacred Games.”
- “Start a five-kilometer run.”
- “Transfer data from my old phone.”
- “Make the screen darker.”
The Bixby experience is composed of several key components: Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision, Bixby Routines (formerly Bixby Commands), and Bixby Text Call.
Bixby Voice: Hands-Free Control
Bixby Voice is the core of the assistant, enabling voice interaction using the “Hi, Bixby” wake-up command. Initial setup of Bixby Voice is necessary to activate the hotword. During setup, you’ll be asked to say “Hi, Bixby” multiple times so the assistant learns to recognize your voice accurately. Follow these steps to activate and configure Bixby voice wake-up:
- Activate Bixby on your phone (using any of the methods described earlier).
- Tap the Settings gear icon within the Bixby interface.
- Select Voice wake-up.
- Toggle the option to turn voice wake-up on and choose your preferred wake-up phrase. You can select between “Hi, Bixby” or simply “Bixby“.
- Activate the “Respond to my voice” toggle to train Bixby to specifically recognize and respond to your voice, improving accuracy and personalization.
- The system will prompt you to say “Bixby” five times to complete the voice training process.
Enabling the “Speak seamlessly” toggle allows you to issue consecutive commands without waiting for Bixby’s confirmation after each one, streamlining your interaction. Once Bixby Voice is set up, you can ask questions or issue commands naturally.
For added convenience, Bixby offers context-aware commands that don’t always require the wake-up phrase. In certain situations, you can directly issue a command. For example, during an incoming call, you can simply say “Answer phone” or “Reject call.” Similarly, you can dismiss or snooze alarms by saying “Dismiss alarm” or “Snooze.” To enable this feature:
- Go to Bixby Settings.
- Select Talk to Bixby without wake-up.
- Turn the feature on.
Bixby Vision: Intelligent Image Recognition
Bixby Vision is Samsung’s equivalent to Google Lens, offering powerful image recognition capabilities. By pointing your camera at an object, Bixby Vision can provide information about it. You can also use it to scan images for text extraction, real-time translation, object identification, and even text-to-speech functionality.
- Open the Camera app on your Galaxy phone.
- Swipe to the More tab (or find ‘More’ options).
- Tap Bixby Vision in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- To identify an object, point your camera towards it and wait for Bixby Vision to analyze the scene.
- For real-time translation, select the Translate tab within Bixby Vision.
- To extract text from images, choose the “T” (Text) option.
- Explore “Discover” mode to find relevant information and product details about scanned items.
- For wine enthusiasts, the “Wine” tab offers specific information about scanned wine bottles.
Bixby Routines (Commands): Automating Tasks
Samsung’s Bixby Routines, previously known as Bixby Commands, are similar to Google Assistant Routines, allowing you to automate tasks on your phone with custom voice commands. This feature lets you create shortcuts for frequently performed actions. Here’s how to use Bixby Routines:
- Launch Bixby and tap Discover.
- Tap the three-dot menu (More options) at the top and select Quick commands (now Routines).
- Review the suggested routines or create a new one from scratch.
- Tap the “+” icon to create a new routine and enter or speak a quick command phrase (e.g., “Good Morning”).
- Tap Add a command and select the desired action from the list of supported apps and system functions.
- You can add multiple actions to a single routine. Once configured, tap Save to activate your custom routine.
The possibilities with Bixby Routines are vast. For example, saying “Good Morning” could be programmed to turn off Do Not Disturb mode, enable Always On Display, provide a weather update, read your daily schedule, and more – all with a single voice command.
How to Automate Your Samsung Galaxy Phone with Bixby Routines
Unlock your phone’s full potential by making it work smarter for you.
Bixby Text Call: Screening Calls with Text
Similar to Google Pixel’s Call Screen feature, Samsung offers Bixby Text Call for screening incoming calls. Introduced initially in South Korea with the Android 13-based One UI 5 update and later expanded to English support in One UI 5.1, Bixby Text Call helps you manage calls from unknown numbers or when you prefer to communicate via text first.
Bixby Text Call answers the call and transcribes what the caller is saying in real-time on your screen. You can then respond by typing messages or selecting from pre-written quick responses. This is particularly useful for screening calls from unfamiliar numbers and deciding whether to engage in a voice conversation. Bixby Text Call is supported on most Samsung devices running One UI 5.1 and later, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.
Activating Bixby Text Call: Step-by-Step
- Open the Phone app on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
- Tap the three-dot menu (More options) in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Tap Bixby text call.
- Turn the toggle to activate Bixby Text Call.
- Customize the Bixby language and voice in the Language and Voice section. You can choose from several Bixby voices.
- Edit the pre-set responses used by Bixby Text Call using the Quick responses option to personalize the interaction.
Using Bixby Text Call During Incoming Calls
Once activated, the Bixby Text Call option will appear when you receive an incoming voice call.
- When a call comes in, tap the Bixby Text Call option displayed on the call screen.
- Confirm your choice by swiping the incoming call button on the screen.
- The caller will hear a message from Bixby, asking for the reason for their call.
- Bixby transcribes the caller’s response in real-time text on your screen.
- Respond using the provided quick responses or type your own messages for Bixby to relay to the caller.
- If you decide to switch to a voice conversation, tap the Voice call button at the top. Until you select this, your microphone remains muted to maintain privacy.
It’s important to note that Bixby Text Call is designed for standard incoming voice calls only and does not function with VoIP or video calls.
Bixby Device Compatibility: Where Can You Use It?
Bixby is pre-installed on a wide range of Samsung devices, including mid-range and flagship Galaxy phones and tablets released from 2017 onwards. Beyond mobile devices, Bixby extends to Samsung smart TVs, Galaxy Home smart speakers (though availability may vary), Family Hub refrigerators (version 2.0 and Bespoke models), and Galaxy smartwatches. On these non-mobile Samsung devices, Bixby often stands as the sole voice assistant option.
Interestingly, Bixby is often deactivated by default on newer devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24. Users need to manually activate the voice assistant to begin using it. Older Samsung models, such as the Galaxy S8, Note 8, S9, and S10 series, featured a dedicated physical Bixby button. However, Samsung has since removed this dedicated button on newer devices, integrating its functions into the power/side key.
Bixby’s Ongoing Evolution
While Bixby has faced challenges in gaining widespread adoption compared to Google Assistant in the Android ecosystem, Samsung continues to invest in and improve its voice assistant with new features and updates. Ultimately, you aren’t limited to choosing just one voice assistant. If you’re undecided between Bixby and Google Assistant, you can easily enable and use both, leveraging the strengths of each to best suit your needs.
