Samsung Bixby

What is Bixby?

Samsung Bixby is a virtual assistant developed by Samsung Electronics. Bixby, which was released in 2017, was designed to make it easier for users to interact with their Samsung devices by using simple voice commands.

Unlike Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Bixby cannot be downloaded and installed as an app. It comes pre-installed on new Samsung devices and is technically an operating system (OS) feature. While Bixby can perform some basic tasks offline, most of its features and capabilities require an active Internet connection to function properly.

What Can Bixby Do?

If you have used other voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, you will probably find Bixby relatively easy to understand and use. Many of the core concepts and functionalities of these virtual assistants are similar, but Bixby is known for its ability to interact with device settings at a more granular level.

Here are just some of the things Bixby can do with voice commands:

• Write text messages and send them.
• Read incoming text messages aloud.
• Write emails and send them.
• Read incoming emails aloud.
• Make phone calls.
• Set reminders.
• Create calendar events.
• Set timers and alarms.
• Use voice search to answer questions.
• Open apps and navigate within apps.
• Play music, videos and control media playback.
• Control Samsung TVs and Samsung smart home devices.
• Take notes and save them.
• Perform simple calculations without using a search engine or calculator app.
• Track workouts and monitor health stats.
• Open device cameras and take photos, record video, or apply filters.
• Adjust device settings and enable or disable features.
• Translate spoken or written phrases into different languages.
• Interact with Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, and Samsung SmartThings.
• Create new custom voice commands that can perform multiple tasks with a single command.

What Devices Have Bixby?

Bixby is available on a variety of Samsung devices, including:

• Galaxy S series (from S8 onwards)
• Galaxy Note series (from Note 8 onwards)
• Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series
• Galaxy A series (select models)
• Galaxy Tab S series (select models)
• Galaxy Tab A series (select models)
• Galaxy Watch
• Galaxy Buds (select models)
• Samsung Smart TVs
• Family Hub Refrigerators through Samsung SmartThings Hub

How to Set Up and Use Bixby

On most Samsung devices, you can activate Bixby by pressing the Bixby button, swiping right on the home screen, or by saying “Hi Bixby.”  The first time Bixby opens, you will be prompted to log in with your Samsung account.

Once you are logged in, you can follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.

It’s important to note that virtual assistants like Bixby collect user data to function effectively. Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to enhance privacy and protect your data while using Bixby on mobile devices.

What are Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision, and Bixby Text Call?

Bixby offers three key features to enhance your interactions with your Samsung device: Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision, and Bixby Text Call.

What are Bixby Cards?

Cards are a core component of Bixby’s user interface (UI). Essentially, they are the primary way Bixby communicates information to the user on the home screen.

Cards can display a variety of content, including search results, weather forecasts, news articles, or restaurant recommendations. They usually contain text and images. They may also include hyperlinks so users can explore the card’s content more deeply.

Cards can be accessed by swiping right on a Samsung device’s home screen. This opens Bixby and displays a personalized card feed based on user preferences and usage patterns.

What are Bixby Capsules?

Bixby capsules are essentially apps or mini-programs designed specifically for the Bixby platform. They are developed by Samsung or third-party developers to extend Bixby’s functionality and provide more specialized services or interactions. Capsules can be acquired through Bixby marketplace.

How to Change Bixby Settings

To change Bixby settings, simply follow these steps:

How to Turn Off and Disable Bixby

If you want to turn off and disable Bixby on your Samsung device, you can follow these steps:

This will completely disable Bixby and remove your Bixby account from the device. Note that you can re-enable Bixby later if you change your mind.

The Future of Bixby

At the beginning of 2024, some industry experts wondered if Samsung was going to retire Bixby and roll it into Galaxy AI.

In July, however, Samsung executives clarified that Bixby would continue to be developed and in fact, the virtual assistant would receive a major update before the end of the year.

Specific details about the update have not been revealed, but it’s been confirmed that the next version of Bixby will use a proprietary large language model (LLM) that will provide Bixby with generative AI capabilities.

The integration of generative AI through the LLM is expected to complement Samsung Galaxy AI and provide users with multiple options for completing actions and automating tasks.

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