Today we have prepared a short overview Bixby on Samsung, a fun voice assistant like Google Assist and Siri. We will tell you about its capabilities, how Bixby works, and also give a brief overview on this assistant.

The Bixby button finally found its way into the S8 series smartphones and received an important function - voice support. As of now, this feature has been officially launched in the United States as an early version, and Samsung has promised to work a lot on Bixby updates and release them frequently. And that's a good thing - because Bixby's functionality has a lot of flaws at launch.

There is no beta testing in Russia yet, but we did it with the help of our American colleague @AndrewBon and today we will share his experience.

At the very beginning of the launch, you will be shown a tutorial that will tell you how to launch the Bixby function and that the program will learn to recognize your voice.

You can activate Bixby by saying “Hi, Bixby” (hello, Bixby), or by simply holding the Bixby button during a call, as if you were on a walkie-talkie. Then you can ask him the basics: London weather, alarm clock. And right here, at the most basic functions, Bixby stumbles. No, he can tell about the weather, the problem is a little different.

First, it is very slow and sluggish compared to Google Assistant. Ask Bixby for a time somewhere and it will launch the watch app first and then read the answer. Identifying the US president (a simple request for Siri and the US) is clearly a challenge for him. It just takes you to Google. And in general, he quite often sends a request to the search, as if there is no knowledge base from where the answers should be taken.

Even a simple task in the form of SMS exchange is a little difficult here. First, you must use the Samsung Messages apps as your default. And if you do not clearly say “Send a message to your mom and ask“ how are you doing ”, then the option with a simple analogue of Siri in the form“ Write to mom - how are you doing ”will not be available here. You will be sent to google again.

What Bixby does well is tweak phone settings internally. Switch between call modes, open an application in a split screen, go to settings - it does all this perfectly, since Samsung has added about 3000 commands for this part to the phone's base. Own applications Samsung is better all work with Bixby, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Uber, Gmail, Google Maps are also perfectly optimized. The list is rather big, and Bixby's voice assistant copes with all this well.

In "consistent" apps, we would say, Bixby is somewhere above our expectations. You can safely say to him - "Open Uber and rate my chauffeur 5 stars" or "Open Instagramm and post my last photo." Bixby will calmly do everything we described above. The only thing is that the Korean company still needs to work on the clarity of voice recognition, sometimes posts on Twitter are added with inarticulate krakozyabra.

To help Bixby identify your voice, you need to talk to it more often. Samsung has even introduced an experience system that allows you to level up and unlock new background colors for the assistant's interface by using your phone.

Samsung finally launched Bixby globally today. The voice assistant can now be used by Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + owners in over 200 countries. We will now walk you through the process of setting up Bixby on the Galaxy S8.

The official announcement from Samsung came this morning, but Bixby is already starting to roll out and there are first reports from countries where Bixby is already operating.

Press the Bixby button on your smartphone to check if it's already available to you. You may need to update the Bixby app from Galaxy Apps if you haven't already. Remember to sign in to your Samsung account before doing this.

Bixby greets you with a live welcome screen on your device. The screen will appear when you press the Bixby button. Bixby voice guides you through the entire setup process.

Step 1. Choose language. Bixby Voice only supports English (US) and South Korean. Samsung plans to add more languages \u200b\u200bin the future, but only two are available at the moment.

Step 2: Follow the instructions provided by Bixby Voice as you explore different ways interaction with the assistant.

Step 3: Help Bixby recognize your voice by providing some samples. You just need to speak several sentences at a constant rate, loudly and clearly.

Step 5: Teach Bixby your pronunciation by speaking five sentences.

It took a long time, but Bixby finally found his voice. Samsung has begun releasing the last part of its AI package, Bixby Voice, to everyone galaxy phones S8 in over 200 countries and territories. Soon, millions of people will be saying “Hello Bikshi” to summon a new assistant, although Bixby still only supports English and Korean despite its worldwide rollout.

While we may 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 Sir ori. Samsung's XIs are more servants than smartie pants, performing phone tasks that usually require multiple 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 \u200b\u200bassistant to third-party developers and lets you control your smart devices. For more information, see Bixby 2.0.

Setting up Bixby Voice

How do I know if I have one?

Like everyone else samsung updatesBixby Voice will be released in a checkerboard pattern, which will vary depending on your carrier. Once it is available, your phone should alert you to this, but there are several ways to verify that it has been pushed to your phone.

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

First, swipe left to go to the Bixby home screen. If Bixby Voice is alive, you will see a new “b” symbol next to Bixby Vision eyes and Bixby Reminders bell icons. If you don't see this, click on the overflow menu in the upper right corner and select Settings. Then tap the About Bixby option and it will tell you if there are 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 upper right corner, then My Apps and Refresh. If any apps need to be updated, they will appear on the next screen. If Bixby Voice is one of them, once it completes the update, you are ready to go.

In later versions of Bixby, the "b" icon has been 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 pretty simple. On the next screens, you will practice saying “Hi Bixby” and try a few commands. In addition, there are several general options in the Bixby Home Settings menu, including background color, feedback sounds, conversation style, and notifications.

Bixby Voice only works with Samsung apps at launch, but more in a way.

What apps does Bixby work in?

When launched, Bixby will only work with a few Samsung apps:

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

What about third party apps?

At launch, Bixby is only intended to 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 Preferences 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 do I call Bixby?

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

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

Can i use Bixby on the lock screen?

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

Can I enter commands in Bixby?

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

Samsung offers a handy checklist 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. Click the overflow menu, select Apps with voice and select the desired app. Inside each of them you will find a list of valid requests.

Can Bixby be fixed?

Samsung wants to get Bixby as quickly as possible, so after completing each request (or not), a question will appear on the screen asking, "How's my answer?" Click Great and you get 5 XP points. 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 progress through your levels and unlock feaures.

Wait, XP points? What is it?

Samsung played Bixby Voice to get people to use it. As you level up, you will unlock features (they are just background colors for now). You can track your level on the My Bixby page.

Bixby Voice features

As long as you need to use Samsung apps to use Bixby at startup, there is a lot you can do with them. Here are some examples:

Common commands

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

Camera

Ask Bixby to pull yourself together, and it will open the camera app and flip to the front camera with a countdown timer that gives you three seconds to improve your inflation to the shutter. You can also say things like “Take a photo with rear camera”, “Disable flash” or “Disable HDR” and this will be required. 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 “Which is 12 percent of 900,” it will open the calculator, enter the equation, and show you the solution. However, if you want to multiply your answer by 3, you will need to start a new equation. He doesn't know what to do when you say "Times 3" or "Multiply that by 3." He also gets no conversions. If you ask how many pints are in a cup, you will 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 it is possible.

Bixby Vision

Bixby Vision has been alive since the debut of the Galaxy S8, 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 a 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 will still need to interact with the screen to find something. And you need to be specific. If you ask something general, for example, "What is this?" Or "How much does it cost?" Bixby isn't smart enough to summon Vision to find the answer.

Settings

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

Phone / Contacts

Bixby Voice works the way you'd expect when it comes to calling. Say something like “Call mom on mobile” and he will start a phone call. For incoming calls, you can say “Accept” or “Decline,” although it is just as easy to touch the screen. You can also easily add a contact or view someone's information simply 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 devices, 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

Bixby 2.0 launch brings developer kit softwarewhich third-party device manufacturers can integrate into their products, such as Alexa and Google Assistant.

Voice improvements

Samsung says Bixby 2.0 will have "enhanced natural language capabilities for more natural commands and complex processing." In addition, it will allow for multiple recognition of users. Bixby 2.0 will be able to distinguish between users and adjust their responses to suit the person speaking, a similar feature to one presented for Google Home earlier this year.

Bixby marketplace

Samsung also plans to allow users to use Bixby 2.0 to shop, saying it plans to “roll out various revenue models” so that developers can monetize the Bixby experience. It is unclear how this work works, but presumably it will be tied to Samsung Pay.

Finally, Samsung has given us the ability to disable the dreaded Bixby button.

The Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones include a button just below the volume that brings up Bixby when pressed. This could be a real nuisance, and Samsung has finally responded to disable it. You 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 the side button functionality. However, even if it's off, you can hold the button for a second or so to bring up Bixby Voice.

Check your story

If you'd like to see the very latest 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. This is where you'll see your activity as well as a few shortcuts to settings and tutorials. It looks like it contains a list of all interactions, so you can view the entire conversation history to see how far it has reached.

Setting up quick commands

When you first start using Bixby, you will be prompted to use some fairly specific commands, such as Open Phone and Call Chris. But as you use it, you will quickly find that it can understand shortcuts such as "Call Chris" or "Message Mom".

Plus, you can add shortcuts to specific commands to shorten what you need to say. After you ask him to do something, you will see the Add command option below your request. Click it and you can give Bixby an alternate string for that command. For older requests, you need to set up your conversation history. Go to My Bixby, tap Conversations, and you'll see a Suggest a different 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 decode your words, but only when using a Samsung keyboard.

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

Many users who recently purchased new smartphone from Samsung found an app called Bixby on it. If you also come across this application, then we suggest that you read our article. 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 together with galaxy smartphones S8 and S8 +. In fact, Samsung Bixby is a heavily redesigned S Voice app that came pre-installed on samsung smartphones since the days of the Galaxy S III. Like S Voice, Samsung's Bixby can answer user questions, run simple errands, or search for information.

Initially, this voice assistant was available only on smartphones from Samsung, and 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 Android Nougat or a newer version of Android. But, later the scope of application 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 a smartphone. To open it, you need to swipe right on the home screen or make a short press on 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 ribbon. The main content of this feed is unified cards that contain information from various sources. By scrolling through this feed, the user can find out about the weather, his fitness activity, scheduled events, set alarms and reminders, etc.

You can customize the Bixby Home feed to suit your needs. The user can turn off uninteresting cards, or vice versa, fix those that contain the most relevant and useful information. Other Samsung apps are the main source of information for cards, but Bixby Home can receive data from third-party apps as well. For example, there are cards from apps like Spotify, CNN, and Flipboard.

Bixby Voice Is an application that is launched with a long press on the Bixby button. The Bixby Voice app is the voice portion of the Bixby assistant, sort of like Siri but from Samsung.

With Bixby Voice, you can give 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 over 3,000 different voice commands. In this case, the assistant can interact with third-party applications, for example, with Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Uber, Google Maps or Gmail.

Also, Bixby Voice has the ability to communicate with the user in "phone mode". To do this, the user needs to bring the phone to his ear, as this is done during a phone call. This will allow you to comfortably interact with the assistant in public places.

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

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

Bixby Vision can also recognize QR codes and translate text. In order to translate a foreign language, it is enough to 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.

Of 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, almost all products of the cosmetics manufacturer Sephora can be “tried on” in this way.

How to use Samsung Bixby

In order 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, the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Note 8, and Note 9 have such a button. 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 from left to right on the home screen.

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

Bixby is the smart assistant for the Galaxy S8 and S8 +, and is Samsung's answer to similar virtual products on the market today, but it's hard to tell how the competition will unfold due to unfinished work on it.

The fact is that despite the fact that the Galaxy S8 has already been officially unveiled, Samsung hinted in a press release prior to the unveiling that its product still needs some work. She announced that she will continue working on her mate until the S8 line hits stores and probably for a long time to come. In the future, the company plans to integrate it into its other smart devices.

Despite doubts about how Bixby will function in the real world, it has some exceptional qualities on paper. First of all, it is easy access. The smart assistant has a special button on the left side of the S8, by pressing which the consumer can call it or say the phrase - Bixby.

It's also available through the camera app and is capable of speaking 52 languages, up from 21 that Siri can speak.

Samsung's intelligent assistant is structured into three parts called Voice, Vision and Home.

Let's take a closer look at them.

Bixby Voice

Bixby Voice is very close to the popular virtual voice assistants. But unlike Siri, Alexa and Cortana, which focus on using the web to answer questions, it focuses on intrinsic qualities. According to Samsung, "everything that is done by touch can be done with your voice." The company intends to one day allow the consumer to use their device to its fullest via Bixby, which seems like a daunting task yet far from being accomplished.

Samsung's voice assistant initially works with phone, messaging, camera functions, as well as settings and contacts. The consumer is able to use voice commands to display photographs, receive incoming mail, and make calls.

Bixby Vision

It is an augmented reality video camera with image recognition capabilities like Google Goggles, which the consumer is likely to use to identify the purchased products. For example, he might point to a bottle of wine to find its price and other concise details like a recommended food combination. Samsung has announced a collaboration with Pinterest and Amazon among other partners to expand the scope of its assistant.

In addition to shopping, the consumer can also use Vision to distinguish between close objects such as flowers and trees. When the S8 was unveiled, a different use case was demonstrated, where a consumer took a photo of a landmark and an assistant provided historical information about it, as well as local restaurant recommendations.

Bixby Home

Bixby Home is a vertical invitation bar for things like weather, smart home control, news, and health tracking. It also links to third-party apps like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

As you can see, on paper, all the capabilities of Samsung's new voice assistant are really impressive. It will be especially cool if the South Korean giant really keeps its word and will constantly refine this function. For now, Samsung has no doubts about the success of Bixby. And this is very good - the product has every chance of becoming better.