Fans of mobile devices often hear about the benefits of voice assistants, which are constantly developing rapidly with the advent of new technologies and the entry of revolutionary smartphones into the market. Probably, some people find these technologies useless and think that they could never use them. We assure you that this is before the first use. Bixby.

A worthy competitor to Siri and Google

One of distinctive features the latest, revolutionary device Galaxy S8 from a South Korean company Samsung was an innovation that had not previously been seen in more than one solution from the giant. Meet Bixby, voice assistant, which will simplify the use of the smartphone and help with solving problems associated with it.
Bixby was developed at Samsung not from scratch, but based on the technologies of the previous assistant. You probably don't know about it because few people have used it. But it was installed in almost all “smart” devices from the company, even watches. It can be said that S Voice(this was the name of the first voice assistant on the devices of the South Korean company) became an excellent help for Bixby, which the world saw quite recently. However, this is not a continuation of the S Voice idea. Only help was taken from the old technology; in essence, the new product is superior in everything to both it and its competitors from Google.

Features of the Bixby voice assistant

Unlike analogues, new project from Samsung will not be limited to living only on smart devices such as Android and watches. No, the South Korean company plans to go much further. In their ambitions, they see Bixby embedded in almost all household appliances, which in theory should make them easier to use. The platform for the new voice assistant will be the Tizen operating system, implemented in some refrigerators from the giant company.

These innovations will take technology to a completely different level. If you can’t imagine how this will be used, then here’s an example: you are the owner of a smartphone with Bixby, and at the same time you have a new refrigerator from Samsung at home. Instead of writing lists of groceries you need to buy, you can simply ask your smartphone what's not in the fridge, what you usually buy, and what you need to buy now. A photograph of the contents will also be provided. But for now this is just a theory.

Bixby in smartphones

There is a separate button to activate the voice assistant. This makes its use as convenient and quickly accessible as possible. On the other hand, a wave of incomprehensible statements poured out on Samsung. Why allocate a separate button on your device for Bixby, if you can use a simple and accessible voice command? This was probably done to popularize new technology. It’s hard to disagree: if there is some kind of button on your smartphone, then you will undoubtedly want to know: what does it do? So everything more people will be introduced to Bixby. Probably, when the use of a voice assistant becomes commonplace for owners of Samsung gadgets, the company will abandon the button in favor of a convenient voice call. You shouldn’t discard the ability to activate Bixby with a gesture familiar to the user.

Basic functions

Its only function is to simplify smartphone management as much as possible. It may even get to the point where you don't have to use the screen - just tell Bixby out loud what you want it to do and it will do it. Such opportunities, in the form of working with applications, menu items, photos and audio, cannot be offered by more than one competitor on the market. This is what makes the novelty from Samsung interesting and popular. On the other hand, while Galaxy smartphone S8, like the voice assistant itself, is relatively new, it is impossible to fully judge the relevance of using Bixby functions in applications that are not standard. By the way, the need for walking through menu items is not so useful thing, because it’s faster to do everything with your fingers than to ask Bixby for help out loud. On the other hand, it is an extremely useful thing for people with disabilities.

Bixby has been equipped with a feature that has previously been implemented in apps from well-known marketplaces. Its essence is to scan a specific object and search for it on the Internet. Thus, the user of a smartphone with Bixby has the opportunity to view information about the item he is interested in, as well as find it on online sites and stores, and find out about the average price. But, unlike applications, the voice assistant perceives and searches not only for goods, but for any object that turns out to be interesting to the smartphone user. It could be a house, a monument, anything.

The voice assistant perfectly understands natural speech. For example, take Siri - if you want to learn something from her, then you need to contact her using a certain list of phrases. With Bixby everything is much simpler, at least if you access your smartphone on English. And of course, where without an instant translator. The new product is equipped with this function, so you can forget about third party applications. Just dictate the text, and Bixby will translate it into the desired language.

Bixby is an extremely promising creation from Samsung that just needs time for a few things:

firstly, the South Korean company must bring all Bixby functions to stable operation;
secondly, to settle down with your fans, who will undoubtedly appear soon.

When both of these events happen, we will see this technology on other Samsung devices, but for now, only S8 and S8 users have the opportunity to test it.

In 2017 manufacturer Samsung presented a unique application designed for two Samsung models (S8 and S8+). On these, and over time, other smartphones, a button appeared that launched the assistant. After pressing it, the system calls the assistant and allows you to use its capabilities. Without internet, this option is useless, so people started asking how to remap the Bixby button on Samsung to enable another app.

Until the beginning of 2019, this opportunity did not exist. After the 2019 update, users have the right to reassign keys and use it for other tasks. If you want, you can reconfigure the Bixby button to turn on the flashlight, launch the browser, Google Assistant, or other applications. We'll look at how to do this below.

Which models are affected by the update?

According to Samsung representatives, the new update affected devices running under operating Android system Pie 9.0. It's about about the following phones - Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8, Galaxy S9. Other models are also expected to undergo changes - Galaxy S10, as well as the S10e and S10+ series. If you have one of these phones, after updating, go to settings and use new feature. It will take a few minutes to reassign the program link.

Setting up the Bixby Samsung button allows you to change the standard settings, and later use it to solve other tasks, from launching software to executing any commands. You can reassign the key to start the camera, start modem mode, etc. At the same time, users specified telephone numbers it is enough to update and make a few simple steps.

If there is no Bixby Key button, check that it has been updated. To do this:

open the Store software for Samsung Galaxy phones;
touch the “three dots” menu at the top right;
go to the “My Page” section;
go to updates.

If the system has not been updated, information about new versions will be visible. In this case, you need to update, and after that you need to reassign the program keys to Samsung.

Remapping the Bixby button on Samsung smartphones

Experts highlight two ways to replace the Bixby button with another application. Let's highlight three ways - through the setup section, using special software and using commands.

How to reassign using settings:

make sure that on Samsung phone installed latest version;
go to the settings section of the program;
go to the “Bixby Key” or “Bixby Button” section;

set up a link to the software by the number of clicks (one or two);

set the software of interest by clicking on the gear.

If it was not possible to reassign the button in this way, we consider other options. Please note that installing unlicensed software carries certain risks.

How to reassign via Bixby Button Assistant Remapper:

download the specified application and install it (during the installation process, indicate the possibility of installing software from unknown sources);
go to the Voice settings menu, and then to the program keys menu;
select the option to launch the software with two clicks and press the phrase "Use one click";
next to the link to open the application, click settings (gear), enter the list and find the above program (select it).

All that remains is to change the Bixby button by selecting through the menu the software that will work by default. During setup, check the “Always” checkbox so that this particular program will open in the future.

How to reassign using shortcuts:

go to Bixby Voice;
enter quick commands and create new team by clicking on the “plus”;

If done correctly, remapping the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy and other devices takes minimal time. Thanks to this feature, you can bypass company restrictions and reassign a program that understands Russian.

If you can't reprogram the Bixby button through Settings, you can use two other methods. As a rule, changes through settings are not possible on S10 series models (according to user reviews).

Disablement options

The Bixby button is a link that launches the app on Samsung. If it is not needed, the key can be disabled. This is necessary to avoid accidental clicks or in a situation where a person is not using the application. Experts recommend reassigning the button and doing nothing else. If this is not enough, you should deactivate the key completely. To do this, disable the option through the settings or use another available method.

Samsung launched its AI digital assistant for the first time on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, and even added a dedicated hardware button for calling Bixby. A lot of people have been left behind by Bixby and would like to change either the function of the Bixby button to open another app or disable it completely.

For a long time, Samsung didn't offer a way to disable or remap the Bixby button. But soon it released updates that made it possible to reassign the Bixby button. In a recent Bixby Home update that was released in several markets, Samsung finally offered to disable the Bixby button. If you've already disabled the Bixby button but want to enable it again, the situation can be quite tricky.

There are two ways to re-enable Bixby Home: request Bixby through a voice command or by swiping left from the home screen. This is only possible on phones that came with a dedicated Bixby button. Here's how to do it using both methods.

Re-enabling Bixby Home by asking Bixby

Step 1. Long press the Bixby button to activate Bixby Voice and prompt “Open Bixby Home.”

Step 2: Tap the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen, and then turn on the Bixby Key option by sliding the switch to the right.

Re-enabling Bixby Home from the Home screen

Step 1: If you have disabled home screen Bixby, tap on the Home screen and swipe left.

Step 2: Toggle the Bixby Home switch.

Current language pack Bixby supports: English, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Spanish. There is no support for the Russian language. However, Samsung is actively working on new languages, which it regularly announces during its presentations.

Useful features of Bixby

Save new contact: Hi Bixby, add Username as a new contact with his number
Listen to SMS and notifications: Hi Bixby, read me my last text message
Working with confidential information. You can ask Bixby to delete all messages containing certain information. For example, your passwords: Hi Bixby, delete all messages that contain the word “PIN number.”
Automatically take a screenshot and send it to another user: Hi Bixby, take a screenshot and text it to “Username”
Download apps and games from Google Play: Hi Bixby, download Instagram from the Google Play Store
Share photos with friends. The assistant is deeply integrated into the One UI system, so it can select the required file and send it to your friends: Hi Bixby, post the last photo I took on Facebook
Enable videos on YouTube and other popular services: Hi Bixby, play a funny cat video on YouTube
Set an alarm, timer, or stopwatch: Hi Bixby, set a timer for 27 minutes
Taxi order: Hi Bixby, get me an Uber to the airport
Scanning text from photographs and translation. To do this, just take a photo of the document and, without leaving the Camera application, ask Bixby to translate it: Hi Bixby, scan this text (with the camera) and translate
Take a selfie: Hi Bixby, take a selfie
Working with file system: Hi Bixby, show me my vacation photos from France
Setting reminders: Hi Bixby, remind me to pick up milk at 11:00.
Checking geolocation and linked devices: Hi Bixby, remember where I parked
Checking the battery status of your smartphone: Hi Bixby, how long will my battery last?
Flashlight activation: Hi Bixby, turn on the flashlight
Delete browser history: Hi Bixby, delete my browser history
Opening apps: Hi Bixby, open the Gmail app
Physical activity check: Hi Bixby, how many steps have I taken today?
Find the nearest cafes and restaurants: Hi Bixby, find the nearest pizza place
Play music from anywhere music service: Hi Bixby, play dance music on Spotify/ Google Play Music/ Deezer
Navigation: Hi Bixby, navigate to Oxford street
Checking the weather: Hi Bixby, what’s the weather like?
Checking your personal schedule: Hi Bixby, show my schedule for today
Putting your smartphone in order. You can delete unnecessary photos, videos, audio recordings and messages: Hi Bixby, delete the last two images I took

Having a personal assistant remains a pipe dream for most people. Nevertheless Samsung company offers owners Galaxy phones S8 (and a number of related models) have an effective alternative in the form of a virtual assistant running on their phones. What is Bixby Samsung and how does it work? We'll tell you in this article. Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant has advanced artificial intelligence, recognizes human speech well, can execute a number of sequential commands, and may turn out to be effective tool to simplify daily operations.

What is Bixby Samsung?

“Bixby” is a digital assistant from Samsung, which exists in the form of an application for phones of the Galaxy S9 line (and a number of related analogues). His calling is to make your life easier and more convenient by voice control and automation of many operations. Bixby allows you to quickly open required applications and perform various actions in them, work with social networks, calendar, perform effective online searches and much more.

What does Bixby mean for other smartphone manufacturers? “Bixby” is Samsung’s response to the emergence and implementation of such analogues as “Siri”, “Google Assistant”, “Cortana” and “Alexa”; it has new advanced AI, which allows it to effectively promote Samsung devices in a rather saturated market. On at the moment The assistant supports three languages (English, Korean and Chinese Mandarin), and can speak in three voices (two female and one male). The assistant is available on the Galaxy S9 line of phones and a number of related models, as well as on TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and other household devices from Samsung. The developers promise future Bixby work on mobile devices other manufacturers.

Bixby lets you tap into your device's visual and voice capabilities

Bixby functionality

After we figured out what this Bixby Samsung application is, let's find out its capabilities and learn how to use the assistant. Bixby's work can be roughly divided into three main blocks:

How to set up Bixby assistant

Before you can start working fully with Bixby, the assistant will need to be configured. You will need to launch Bixby by clicking on special button on the left side wall of the phone, and follow the commands that appear on the screen.

During the setup process, you will be asked to say several phrases, adjusting the application to the characteristics of your voice.

In the application settings, you can also choose the language and voice of your assistant by clicking on Bixby Home, tapping the button with three vertical buttons at the top, then selecting Settings - Language and Speaking Style. Here you can select both the language and voice for the assistant to pronounce phrases.

How to use Bixby

Bixby is very easy to use. You say “Hey Bixby” or press the corresponding button to call the assistant, then say the desired command, many of which are supported by the assistant (you can view their list in the assistant’s functionality). For example, after your words “Open Google Maps and Navigate to Red Square" assistant will open the Google Maps application and show you how to get to Red Square.

To activate the assistant, say “Hey, Bixby”

If Bixby did not understand your words, or you asked an incorrect question, the assistant will point this out and offer to reformulate the request.

How to disable the Bixby button

If for some reason you want to disable Bixby from launching when you press the corresponding button, then launch “Bixby Home”.
Next, click the button with three vertical buttons on the top right.
Select "Settings", scroll down and tap on "Bixby key".
Then click on the “Don’t open anything” option.

Conclusion

Bixby Samsung is a convenient digital assistant from Samsung that allows you to speed up and simplify work with various electronic and digital equipment, from smartphones to washing machines. The constant development of the application and improvement of its AI promises that we will soon see Bixby on a variety of consumer electronics from Samsung. Time will tell to what extent Bixby will be able to withstand competition with similar assistants from other manufacturers.