Bixby Is Still Around, And Samsung Just Updated It Ahead Of Galaxy S26 Launch

Ahead of its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event, Samsung has announced an upgraded version of Bixby AI voice assistant. Currently available in beta via One UI 8.5, Bixby can now understand natural language, adjust device settings, and fetch answers directly from the web.

Samsung’s Friday press release mirrors the one it reportedly pulled after posting in January. The new Bixby can understand problems people are facing on their devices and suggest appropriate changes. Users don’t need to mention specific terms or menus to get their job done; they just need to describe their problem in simple language.

For example, ask Bixby, “Why is my phone screen always on when it’s inside my pocket?” and the assistant will present them with an option to enable Accidental Touch Protection.

In some cases, Bixby will also be able to execute the action. If a user says they don’t want the screen to time out while they are looking at it, the assistant will immediately enable the Keep Screen on While Viewing setting.

The other big upgrade is its ability to fetch answers from the web. This takes Bixby closer to AI chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT. People could ask the updated assistant questions about a topic and receive responses in a single chat thread, without being redirected to a browser.

Samsung demonstrated this with a query about the best hotels with a pool in Seoul. Bixby provided a few options in its chat interface, each with detailed descriptions. We haven’t had a chance to test the new Bixby yet, so we can’t confirm its accuracy. We’ll have a better idea when the feature rolls out with OneUI 8.5 in the coming weeks.

Samsung said the new capabilities are powered by AI but didn’t name its partner on the project. Rumors have long suggested a partnership with Perplexity AI. We expect to learn more about this at the Feb. 25 Unpacked event.

Recommended by Our Editors

“Since we introduced our first AI phone in 2024, we’ve been committed to making them easier to use so more people can benefit from AI — that’s why we decided to integrate a device agent directly into the experience,” said Won-Joon Choi, Samsung’s chief operating officer.

Samsung’s footnote also warns that Bixby may ask for location access if it is essential for a response. The assistant will delete location data immediately after use, and it will only be used to generate responses, the company adds.

The refreshed Bixby will be available to logged-in Samsung Account users in select markets, including Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK, and the US. Samsung warns that support may vary depending on region and dialect. Supported languages include English (UK, US, India), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish (Spain and Latin America), and Portuguese (Brazil).