What it is
Bixby is Samsung's built-in voice assistant for Galaxy phones, tablets, watches, Buds and Galaxy Book laptops. It handles spoken commands such as opening apps, sending messages, setting reminders and changing device settings, and Samsung's product page says it supports "multi-turn conversations" that keep context across follow-up questions.
Who it suits
Anyone who already owns a Galaxy device and wants hands-free control of it. It's not a product you install separately; it comes with the hardware, so it doesn't suit people on other Android phones or iPhones.
Pricing
There's no separate charge or subscription: Bixby is included free with compatible Galaxy devices, and Samsung's UK apps page carries no pricing of its own.
What it doesn't do well
Bixby is device-bound rather than a general assistant you can pick up anywhere: Samsung's own support page states that "the range of available Bixby features and functions will differ depending on your device and region," so older or budget Galaxy models get fewer capabilities than the current S-series. Samsung's support page (samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001400) also says Bixby is unavailable during calls, video/game/voice recording, Power saving mode, Emergency mode and Kids mode. In 2026 Samsung began rolling out a more conversational version of Bixby alongside One UI 8.5, with press reports (TechRadar, AndroidHeadlines) describing added web-search and reasoning capability via a Perplexity partnership; that specific partnership isn't named on Samsung's own UK Bixby page as checked today, so treat it as press-reported rather than confirmed by Samsung.
