What Bixby Can Do on Your Samsung Phone

Bixby is Samsung's built-in AI assistant that can set alarms, control your phone settings, identify objects with the camera, and run automated Routines — all with your voice.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Wake up Bixby
2.Try common voice commands
3.Set up a Bixby Routine
4.Use Bixby Vision with your camera
5.Reassign or disable the Side key if needed

Wake up Bixby

~33s

Say "Hey Bixby" out loud, or press and hold the Side key (the button on the right side of your phone) for one to two seconds. Bixby will show a colored icon at the bottom of your screen and play a chime to indicate it is listening. Speak your command clearly and naturally — you do not need to use specific keywords.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: If "Hey Bixby" wake word is not working, go to SettingsAdvanced FeaturesBixbyVoice Wake-Up and make sure it is turned on. You may need to train Bixby to recognize your voice by reading a few sample phrases.

Try common voice commands

~23s

Start with simple commands to get comfortable with Bixby. Try: "Hey Bixby, set an alarm for 7 AM tomorrow," "Hey Bixby, turn on Wi-Fi," "Hey Bixby, call Mom," "Hey Bixby, take a selfie," or "Hey Bixby, open Samsung Notes." Bixby will execute each of these immediately. For device settings, Bixby can toggle virtually any setting — try "Hey Bixby, turn on Do Not Disturb" or "Hey Bixby, increase brightness."

Set up a Bixby Routine

~33s

Open Settings and search for "Bixby Routines," or go to SettingsAdvanced FeaturesBixby Routines. Tap the plus (+) button to create a new Routine. Choose a trigger (called "If") — options include time of day, location, connected devices, or phone state. Then choose actions (called "Then") — things like turning on Do Not Disturb, changing the ringer volume, opening an app, or adjusting display settings. Tap the checkmark to save.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Samsung provides several pre-made Routine templates to get you started — look for the "Recommended" tab in Bixby Routines. The "Driving mode" and "Bedtime" templates are popular starting points.

Use Bixby Vision with your camera

~25s

Open your Samsung Camera app and look for the Bixby Vision icon (an eye shape) in the top toolbar. Tap it to activate Bixby Vision. Point your camera at an object, text, or product. Bixby Vision will identify it and offer options: search for the object online, translate any text it sees, find shopping results for a product, or show restaurant ratings if you point it at a restaurant. Tap any result to learn more.

Reassign or disable the Side key if needed

~34s

By default, pressing and holding the Side key opens Bixby. If you find yourself activating Bixby accidentally, or if you prefer the Side key to do something else (like power off the phone), go to SettingsAdvanced FeaturesSide Key. Under "Press and Hold," you can change the action from "Wake Bixby" to "Power Off Menu." This lets you keep Bixby available through voice activation while freeing the physical button for other uses.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Even if you reassign the Side key, you can still use Bixby by saying "Hey Bixby" or by opening the Bixby app directly from your app drawer.

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Bixby is the built-in voice assistant on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. It was designed to control your Samsung device specifically — not just answer questions like a general AI assistant, but actually carry out actions on your phone that you would normally have to do manually through settings menus.

You can wake up Bixby by saying "Hey Bixby" or by pressing and holding the Side key (the power button on the right edge of most Galaxy phones). From there, you can speak commands naturally and Bixby will act on them.

Common things Bixby handles well include: setting alarms and timers, turning settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on or off, calling a contact, taking a photo, turning the screen brightness up or down, opening apps, and reading incoming notifications aloud. For these types of device-control tasks, Bixby is often faster than navigating the Settings app manually.

Bixby Routines is one of the most powerful features. A Routine is an automated series of actions that triggers when a condition is met. For example: "When I connect to my home Wi-Fi, turn on Do Not Disturb and set screen brightness to 30%." Or "When I plug in my phone at night, turn on low-power mode and pause all notifications." You create these without any coding knowledge.

Bixby Vision uses your phone camera to identify objects, translate text in images, and search for products online — similar to Google Lens.

One common question: should you use Bixby or Google Assistant? Both are available on Galaxy phones. Bixby is better for Samsung-specific device controls. Google Assistant is better for answering general questions, controlling smart home devices, and searching the web. Many Galaxy phone users keep both and use each for different tasks.

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