It took a long time, but Bixby finally found his voice. Samsung has started rolling out the latest part of its AI suite, Bixby Voice, to all Galaxy S8 phones in more than 200 countries and territories. Soon, millions of people will be saying "Hey Bixby" to summon the new assistant, although Bixby still only supports English and Korean despite its worldwide rollout.

While we might not need another AI assistant on our phones, Bixby is actually a pretty good companion to Google Assistant. It's a little slower at times, but I was impressed with how well he understood me. And Bixby is not a clone of Google Assistant or Siri. Samsung's ICS are more servants than smartie pants, performing phone tasks that typically require numerous steps. Here's what you need to know to get started.

Update 10/20/17: Samsung has announced Bixby 2.0, which opens up the AI ​​assistant to third-party developers and lets you control your smart devices. See Bixby 2.0 for more information.

Setting up Bixby Voice

How do I know if I have it?

Like all Samsung updates, Bixby Voice will be released in a staggered manner that will vary depending on your carrier. Once it's available, your phone should alert you to it, but there are a few ways to verify that it's been pressed on your phone.

You should see the Bixby Voice icon on your Bixby Home screen. If you don't, go to the About page to see if there's an update pending.

First, swipe left to go to the Bixby home screen. If Bixby Voice is alive, you'll see a new "b" symbol next to the Bixby Vision eyes and Bixby Reminders bell icons. If you don't see it, click the overflow menu in the top right corner and select Settings. Then tap the About Bixby option and it will tell you if there are any updates available.

You will need to update other Galaxy apps. To do this, open the Galaxy Apps store, tap the overflow menu icon in the top right corner, then My Apps and Update. If any apps need to be updated, they will appear on the next screen. If Bixby Voice is one of them, once it finishes updating, you'll be ready to go.

In later versions of Bixby, the "b" icon was replaced with a gear icon that allows you to toggle the side button on and off. If you see this, you are using the latest version and Bixby Voice is active

How do I get started?

To start using Bixby, go to the Bixby home screen and it should go through a setup process, which is quite simple. In the following screens, you will practice saying "Hi Bixby" and try a few commands. Additionally, the Bixby Home Settings menu has several general options, including background color, feedback sounds, conversation style, and notifications.

Bixby Voice only works with Samsung apps at launch, but there's more to it than that.

What apps does Bixby work with?

At launch, Bixby will only work with a few Samsung apps:

• Bixby Vision
• Calculator
• Camera
• Contacts
• Gallery
• Internet
• Messages
• Telephone
• Reminder
• Settings
• Weather

What about third party apps?

At launch, Bixby is designed to only work with the apps above, but Samsung wants to quickly bring Bixby Voice to more apps, including some popular third-party apps. The Bixby Labs tab in Home Settings shows you which apps are in development and you can select them to test. Bixby Labs already includes some intriguing apps, including Instagram, YouTube, Play Music, Maps, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Twitter.

Using Bixby Voice

How to call Bixby?

There are two ways to call Bixby. You can say "Hi Bixby" or you can press and hold the side button of the phone. A small blue circle will appear in the left corner of the screen to receive your request. Just know that the side button acts like a walkie-talkie, so you'll need to keep it pressed until you finish your command.

When you call Bixby, it will appear as a small blue icon on your home screen.

Can I use Bixby on the lock screen?

Sorting. You can bring up Bixby on your lock screen by tapping the button or saying "Hi Bixby" as usual. However, you need to unlock your phone before it can fulfill your request.

Can I enter commands into Bixby?

Yes! When you call up Bixby, you'll see a Full Screen button on the right. Tap it and Bixby will expand to fill the entire screen. Then select the Search Commands box in the center and you can type Bixby instead of talking to it.

Samsung offers a handy list of questions for each of the Bixby Voice apps.

How do I know what I can ask?

Many of these are trial and error, but you can see a list of suggested questions for each app in Bixby Home. Tap the overflow menu, select Apps with voice, and select the app you want. Inside each of them you will find a list of valid requests.

Can Bixby be fixed?

Samsung wants Bixby as quickly as possible, so after each request is completed (or not), a question will pop up on the screen asking, "How's my answer?" Click Great and you will receive 5 XP. Tap Let's Improve and Bixby will take you to a screen where you can select words that were misunderstood or describe what went wrong.

When you use Bixby, you will advance through your levels and unlock feaures.

Wait, XP points? What is this?

Samsung played with Bixby Voice to encourage people to use it. As you level up you will unlock features (at the moment they are just background colors). You can track your level on the My Bixby page.

Bixby Voice features

While you need to use Samsung apps to use Bixby at startup, there's a lot you can do with them. Here are some examples:

General commands

You can launch any app with Bixby by simply saying “Open” and the app name. Or you can say, "Open Chrome as a pop-up window" to enter this mode. You can also say, "Take a screenshot" to capture what's on your screen, or "Close recent apps" to clear out your carousel. Basically, if your S8 can do this, there's a good chance Bixby can help.

Camera

Ask Bixby to pull itself together and it will open the camera app and flip to the front camera with a countdown timer that gives you three seconds to perfect your inflation before the shutter release. You can also say things like “Take a photo with the rear camera,” “Turn off flash,” or “Turn off HDR,” and it will be mandatory. And when you're in the camera app, you can say, "Hey Bixby, take a photo," and it will capture the moment.

Calculator

You can use Bixby Voice to calculate simple equations. If you say, “What is 6 plus 3,” or “What is 12 percent of 900,” it will open the calculator, enter the equation, and show you the solution. However, if you want to multiply the answer by 3, you will need to start a new equation. He doesn't understand what to do when you say "Times 3" or "Multiply that by 3." It also doesn't get any conversions. If you ask how many pints are in a cup, you'll be taken to the conversion section of the Calculator, but when asked what you want to convert, it will say, "Turns out I can't do that." But it shouldn't be too long before this is possible.

Bixby Vision

Bixby Vision has lived on since the Galaxy S8's debut, and Bixby Voice doesn't add much to improve it. However, it makes it easier to use. You can say "Open Bixby Vision" or "Search Bixby Vision" and the Vision-enabled camera will open. Or you can say, "Translate this text" or "Show nearby restaurants," and it will launch the corresponding section of Bixby Vision. But you'll still need to interact with the screen to find things. And you need to be specific. If you ask something general like, “What is this?” Or “How much does it cost?” Bixby isn't smart enough to call Vision to find the answer.

Settings

Bixby Voice really shines when it comes to the Settings app. You can toggle and customize every setting on your Galaxy S8 using Bixby, from turning off Wi-Fi to turning on the flashlight to boost brightness. You can also say things like “Turn on low power mode,” “How much data have I used this month,” and “Change wallpaper,” and Bixby will go to the correct screen and perform the action. It will even display your IMEI number if you ask. I tried dozens of queries and couldn't find a settings command that it didn't understand. This is 100% the strongest Bixby suit.

Phone / Contacts

Bixby Voice works as you'd expect when it comes to calls. Say something like "Call mom on mobile" and it will start a phone call. For incoming calls, you can say "Accept" or "Reject", although it's just as easy to tap the screen. You can also easily add a contact or view someone's information just by asking. You can say "Block last number", which is useful for spam calls, or "Show missed calls" to see what you missed. You can also ask Bixby to block a specific number or person, open the dialer, or turn off the ringer.

Bixby 2.0

Samsung has announced the release of Bixby 2.0, which will be a "bold reimagining" of the platform, according to Samsung. Here's what we know about it so far:

Smart devices

The main feature of Bixby 2.0 will be integration with smart devices and appliances, including “TVs, refrigerators, home speakers, or any other related technology you can imagine. “Bixby will be primarily limited to Samsung devices at first, but Samsung plans to expand it to a wide range of others.

Developer SDK

The launch of Bixby 2.0 will bring a software development kit that third-party device makers can integrate into their products, such as Alexa and Google Assistant.

Voice enhancements

Samsung says Bixby 2.0 will have "enhanced natural language capabilities for more natural commands and complex processing." In addition, this will allow for multiple user recognition. Bixby 2.0 will be able to differentiate between users and adjust its responses according to the person speaking, a similar feature to one introduced for Google Home earlier this year.

Bixby marketplace

Samsung also plans to allow users to use Bixby 2.0 to make purchases, saying it plans to "roll out different revenue models" so developers can monetize the Bixby experience. It's unclear how this works, but it will presumably be tied to Samsung Pay.

Samsung has finally given us the option to disable the dreaded Bixby button.

The Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones include a button just below volume that brings up Bixby when pressed. This can be a real nuisance, and Samsung has finally responded to disable it. You'll need to be on version 2.0.03.3 or later of Bixby Home to see this option, so if you don't see it, go to the Galaxy Apps store and update your apps. The update introduces a gear icon next to the overflow menu. Click on it and you will see the Bixby key button. Press once to disable side button functionality. However, even if it's turned off, you can hold down the button for a second or so to bring up Bixby Voice.

Check your history

If you want to see the most recent things you've asked Bixby to do, you can find it on your personalized Bixby page. Go to Bixby Home, click the overflow menu and select My Bixby. Here you will see your activity, as well as several settings and tutorials shortcuts. It appears to contain a list of all interactions, so you can view your entire conversation history to see how far it has reached.

Setting up shortcuts

When you first start using Bixby, you'll be prompted to use fairly specific commands, such as "Open your phone and call Chris." But the way you use it, you'll quickly find that it can understand shortcuts like "Call Chris" or "Message Mom."

Plus, you can add shortcuts to certain commands to shorten what you need to say. After you ask it to do something, you will see an Add Command option below your request. Click it and you can give Bixby an alternative string for this command. For older requests, you'll need to set up your conversation history. Go to My Bixby, tap Conversations, and you'll see a Suggest another phrase button under each previous request. Click on the one you want and you can enter a new way to say it.

Enable dictation

Bixby Voice will transcribe your words, but only when using a Samsung keyboard.

In Hello Bixby's settings, you'll find a toggle for Dictation on Keyboard. Turn it on and Bixby will transcribe your words as a command whenever you use the keyboard. You can activate it by holding down the Bixby key or pressing the microphone button on your keyboard. But now you need to use a Samsung keyboard. To switch, click the keyboard icon to the right of the navigation bar.

Many users who recently purchased a new smartphone from Samsung discovered an application called Bixby on it. If you also come across this application, we suggest you read our article. Here you will learn what Samsung's Bixby is, how it works and how to use it.

Samsung Bixby is a voice assistant that was introduced by Samsung in the spring of 2017 along with the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. In fact, Samsung Bixby is a heavily redesigned S Voice app that has been pre-installed on Samsung smartphones since the Galaxy S III. Like S Voice, Samsung's Bixby assistant can answer user questions, complete simple errands, or search for information.

Initially, this voice assistant was available only on smartphones from Samsung, both on new and old models. The only limitation is the operating system version. In order to install Bixi on an old Samsung smartphone, it must be running the Android Nougat operating system or a newer version of Android. But later, the scope of Bixby expanded, Samsung began to implement this assistant in its other equipment, for example, in smart TVs and even refrigerators.

Bixby Home, Voice and Vision

is an application that is accessible from the main screen of the smartphone. To open it, you need to swipe right on the main screen or short press the Bixby button.

Bixby Home collects a variety of information that may be of interest to the user and displays it in a vertically scrolling feed. The main content of this tape is unified cards that contain information from various sources. By scrolling through this feed, the user can find out about the weather, their fitness activity, scheduled events, set alarms and reminders, etc.

The Bixby Home feed can be customized to suit your needs. The user can disable uninteresting cards or, conversely, pin those that contain the most relevant and useful information. The main source of card information is other Samsung apps, but Bixby Home can also receive data from third-party apps. For example, there are cards for applications such as Spotify, CNN and Flipboard.

Bixby Voice is an application that is launched by long pressing the Bixby button. The Bixby Voice app is the voice part of the Bixby assistant, something like Siri, but from Samsung.

With Bixby Voice, you can issue voice commands and communicate with your assistant using your voice. For example, you can ask about the weather forecast, ask to send a text message, dial a phone number, change settings, or set a reminder. More complex commands are also supported, in particular, Bixby can launch applications in split-screen mode, edit photos, remind you of the location of your car, play videos on your TV, and much more. Samsung says Bixby can recognize and execute more than 3,000 different voice commands. At the same time, the assistant can interact with third-party applications, for example, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Uber, Google Maps or Gmail.

Bixby Voice also has the ability to communicate with the user in “phone mode”. To do this, the user needs to hold the phone to their ear, as this is done during a phone call. This will allow you to interact comfortably with your assistant in public places.

is a component of the Bixby assistant that is built into the camera app. This component uses machine learning and Samsung partner databases to make the camera more useful.

With Bixby Vision, you can identify photographed objects in real time and search for information about them in various Internet services. For example, Bixby Vision uses data from the FourSquare service to identify landmarks and places of interest to photograph.

Bixby Vision can also recognize QR codes and translate text. In order to translate a foreign language, just point the camera at the text and its translation will immediately appear in the field of view. This feature supports a fairly large set of languages, so it can be very convenient.

Among the unusual features of Bixby Vision, the “Makeup” function should be noted. This feature uses the front camera to apply virtual makeup to your face. At the moment, this way you can “try on” almost all the products of the cosmetics manufacturer Sephora.

How to use Samsung Bixby

To start using the Bixby voice assistant, you can use a separate button, which is present on the body of many new models from Samsung. For example, there is such a button on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Note 8 and Note 9. A quick press on this button will open Bixby Home, and a longer press will bring up Bixby Voice. In addition, Bixby Home can be opened by swiping your finger from left to right on the main screen.

When you open Samsung Bixby for the first time, you will need to accept the user agreement and give access to your data. After this, you can customize the assistant to your own requirements. To do this, open Bixby Home, click the gear icon in the top right corner and go to Settings.

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 the hallmarks of 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, a voice assistant that will simplify the use of your 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 surpasses both it and its competitors from Google in everything.

Features of the Bixby voice assistant

Unlike its analogues, the 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 dedicate a separate button on your device for Bixby when you can use a simple and accessible voice command? This was probably done to popularize the 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? This way, more and more people will become familiar with 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.

Main 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 capabilities, 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 new product from Samsung interesting and popular. On the other hand, while the Galaxy S8 smartphone, like the voice assistant itself, is relatively new, it is impossible to fully judge the relevance of using Bixby functions in non-standard applications. By the way, the need to walk through menu items is not such a 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 in 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.

Hello, dear readers. Not long ago, the world saw the birth of a new, highly intelligent assistant. Samsung manufacturers, especially for quick access to it, even allocated a separate button on the left side of the smartphone.

This assistant has an advantage over the already known Siri in the language segment. While she has the ability to communicate in 21 languages, her opponent has a whopping 52!

It is worth noting that so far only the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus models are equipped with it, but the developers have made it clear that in the near future they will place it on their other devices. Let's quickly find out what Bixby Samsung is, how to use it, and how this artificial intelligence of the future works.

You won't be bored with Bixby

So far, Bixby has four main functions in its arsenal:

• Bixby Voice. Voice recognition function. The main advantage of this assistant is the ability to control its applications, launch the camera, call mode and much more without touching the smartphone. The developers tried their best and made it as human as possible. If you do not dictate the command correctly, Bixby will still understand you, or at worst, ask for additional information to clarify. Manufacturers set ambitious goals for it, and plan to use the smartphone one hundred percent through an assistant in the future. Bixby, unlike its competitors who specialize in searching for information on the Internet, is positioned as an internal assistant. Designed to simplify work, directly on the phablet itself.
• Bixby Vision. Activation of additional reality. This feature allows you to use the camera to identify various objects in live mode. Bixby Samsung Galaxy recognizes literally everything, various objects, landmarks, QR codes, and even locations. And immediately provides everyone with detailed information about this. This feature is launched in the camera application or Bixby home.
• Bixby reminder. Intuitive reminders. One of the useful features of Bixby is that it allows you to program reminders at a specific point in your life. If you wish, it will remind you where you stopped when reading your favorite novel, or where you didn’t finish watching the movie.
• Bixby home. Mix of hot applications. All the most popular programs for the user are located in a separate window, appearing on the screen upon command.

Let's reveal a little secret to make Bixby more effectively identify your voice message, communicate with it more. Samsung developers have thought of a system whereby for regular conversations with an assistant, you can receive a reward in the form of bright colors for its interface.

Video: How Bixby works

How to enable Bixby on Samsung Galaxy S8

There are two ways to summon our assistant. You don't even know which one has easier access. The first is when it can be activated by simply pressing a button specially designated for it on the left. Or, activate it with a voice command by calling him by name, Bixby!

How to disable Bixby and assign a button to another application

To turn it off, just touch the toggle switch to activate it.

There is no comrade for taste and color, as they say. In principle, you can understand those users who want to disable Bixby. After all, not all of its capabilities have yet been revealed, and active work is underway on it to fully reveal its potential. Let us remind you that Samsung manufacturers themselves have prohibited the option of changing this key for other programs. However, there are already certain applications for this on Google Play.

So, we will need to download Bixby Remapper from Google Play. After successful download and installation, do the following:

• Let's go to settings
• Choosing universal access
• Click on services

To enable universal access, we need the program to identify whether the Bixby button is active. Then go to Bixby Remapper and activate the toggle switch in the upper right part of the screen. Now, when we turn on the Bixby key, it will initially open, then immediately minimize and then open our desired application.

Write your reviews about Bixby in the comments, do you like how it works?

Video: How to disable Bixby on Samsung Galaxy S8

In 2017, the manufacturer Samsung introduced 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 the Android Pie 9.0 operating system. We are talking 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 the 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. In this case, users of these phones just need to update and take a few simple steps.

If there is no Bixby Key button, check that it has been updated. For 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 the latest version is installed on your Samsung phone;
• 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 option to install 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 a 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.