Samsung’s virtual assistant Bixby may be getting a major upgrade, even though the company has not talked much about it in recent years.
Samsung recently published an announcement about a new Bixby beta.
The post was later taken down, and the link now shows a Page not found error.
Samsung’s virtual assistant Bixby may be getting a major upgrade, even though the company has not talked much about it in recent years. With the upcoming One UI 8.5 update, Bixby is set to become much smarter and more useful, thanks to a new partnership with Perplexity AI. On Tuesday, Samsung briefly published an announcement about a new Bixby beta. The post was later taken down, and the link now shows a Page not found error. However, the original text was saved by Droid Life, giving us a clear look at what Samsung is planning.
SurveyAccording to that announcement, Bixby has been “upgraded to operate as a conversational device agent.” In simple terms, this means users will be able to talk to their phones in a more natural way. Instead of using exact commands, you can ask Bixby to change settings or control features using everyday language.
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This builds on improvements Samsung has already made in recent One UI versions. Since One UI 7, users have been able to search the Settings app using natural phrases. For example, typing “my eyes are tired” can show options related to brightness or eye comfort. With One UI 8.5, Bixby will be able to make these kinds of changes directly, no matter which app you are using.
For questions that are not about your phone, Bixby will turn to Perplexity. The assistant will use Perplexity’s web-based AI to answer complex questions, similar to how Google’s Gemini works.
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This move raises questions about Samsung’s future relationship with Google Gemini. The Galaxy S25 series launched with a customised version of Gemini, and Samsung has often featured Gemini in its marketing.
Samsung also said the new Bixby will roll out with One UI 8.5 “in select markets.” The update is currently in beta and is expected to arrive in stable form alongside the Galaxy S26 series in the coming weeks.
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Ayushi Jain
Ayushi works as Chief Copy Editor at Digit, covering everything from breaking tech news to in-depth smartphone reviews. Prior to Digit, she was part of the editorial team at IANS. View Full Profile
