Samsung revives Bixby with Perplexity AI integration as leaked screenshots reveal major upgrade

This is our first look at how Samsung will save Bixby

A new Bixby Live interface hints at real-time AI conversations, mirroring Gemini Live capabilities. Samsung's Bixby has spent the better part of a decade being the assistant we love to disable, but the new One UI 8.5 update could make that decision harder. Rather than competing directly with Google Gemini, Samsung is reportedly following Apple's lead by bringing in stronger AI support. We now have a detailed look at how Perplexity AI will supercharge Bixby to handle more complex tasks. Leaker @GalaxyTechie shared plenty of screenshots on X showing an early version of One UI 8.5 (via SamMobile). In these images, Bixby sends complex questions to Perplexity instead of using its own limited knowledge. The responses now look more like well-researched answers, complete with citations. Bixby has always been reliable for basic phone controls like toggling Wi-Fi, setting alarms, or changing settings. But when it came to answering real questions, it struggled. This weakness has become clearer as other AI assistants have grown into research tools and conversation partners. With One UI 8.5, Samsung appears ready to fix this by connecting Bixby to Perplexity. Last year, there were rumors that Samsung was testing this integration on its phones and tablets. The update goes beyond just search. One UI 8.5 may also bring a Bixby Live interface that looks a lot like Gemini Live, featuring a floating text box and a blue-purple gradient glow. Recently, Android Authority found code in Perplexity's latest v2.69.3 app that hints at a "Hey Plex" hotword trigger. This would let users activate Perplexity much like they do with Gemini. There's also evidence that Samsung wants Bixby to do more than just answer questions. One UI 8.5 is said to support deeper third-party integrations, so Bixby can work better with apps like Uber, HERE Maps, and The Weather Channel. With potential features like follow-up conversations and camera or screen-based queries, Bixby is highly likely to become more like a modern assistant than just a voice shortcut. Interestingly, the Chinese version of Bixby is reportedly even more powerful, utilizing models like DeepSeek to handle multimodal tasks, like sharing your camera feed or screen to solve complex problems in real-time. For longtime Galaxy users who gave up on Bixby years ago, this update suggests something new: a version of Bixby that's finally worth having a real conversation with.

Leak shows how Perplexity will bring Bixby back from the dead

Mark has almost a decade of experience reporting on mobile technology, working previously with Digital Trends. Taking a less-than-direct route to technology writing, Mark began his Android journey while studying for a BA in Ancient & Medieval History at university. But since then, he's cast his eyes firmly on the future, with a deep love for anything that bleeps or bloops. Outside of Android tech of all types, Mark loves to hike, play video games, build small plastic men that cost far too much, and spend time with his two daughters. I remember when Bixby was announced, and outside of why YouTube's automatic subtitles called it "Dick Speed", my major question was how it was going to compete with Google Assistant. Ultimately, it didn't, and Bixby was consigned to a footnote in Samsung's mobile history. Or so we thought. Evidence has been mounting that Samsung is bringing the ill-fated Bixby back from the dead, and is using the Perplexity AI assistant to do so. Now, a significant leak has shown exactly how we can expect Bixby and Perplexity to work together. Bixby will outsource the hard thinking Close We've known Samsung was looking to incorporate Perplexity for some time now, but we weren't quite sure how. But, a massive leak of screenshots from GalaxyTechie on X has shown us exactly what we can expect (via SamMobile). One of Bixby's strengths was its ability to control its own device intimately, and you could ask the digital assistant to change your screen brightness, volume, and even turning off your WiFi. The revived Bixby will keep these abilities, but will shun tackling anything more complex than that. This is where Perplexity comes in. For any questions that might require deeper research or abilities will be passed over to Perplexity, which will tackle them much in the same way you'd expect ChatGPT or Google Gemini to do. Interestingly, it seems you'll be able to customize how Perplexity replies to you, as screenshots show the ability to change its answers into different formats, like Interview, Storyteller, Tour Guide, and more. It also has a Gemini Live-like Bixby Live, which would presumably be able to converse with the user in real time, and might be able to interact with other apps to boot. Android Authority even found evidence that a "hey Plex" hotword could be introduced -- effectively making the new Bixby much like Google Gemini in more ways than it differs. As a final note, it appears that Bixby in China will have even more backing it up, as it seems it will be tied into DeepSeek as well. Subscribe for deeper coverage of Bixby and AI assistants Want deeper context on this shift? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, in-depth coverage of Bixby, Perplexity, and AI assistant integration -- detailed breakdowns of leaked features, customization options, and what it means for device ecosystems. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. It's a big change for Bixby, which honestly struggled to get out of the gates the first time around. Frankly, a big part of the reason Bixby originally failed was down to Samsung's insistence on the " Bixby key", an additional button that did nothing but summon Bixby. Most users found this annoying, and it was mere seconds before third-parties found ways to repurpose it or turn it off. Thankfully, we're mostly past the era of AI buttons ( I hope), and without it, the new and upgraded Bixby may actually have a fighting chance.

Samsung's Bixby reboot will copy Google with 'Bixby Live' and 'Circle to Ask' [Gallery]

Samsung is reworking its long-standing Bixby assistant this year with AI, and new screenshots are showing off how that will copy from of Google's AI tools. It's not really been a secret that Samsung is planning a big reboot of Bixby with the help of Perplexity, and we've started seeing this appear in recent updates. But, now, one developer has uncovered (via SamMobile) additional screenshots of the new Bixby. First and foremost, a query about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 brings back an in-depth reply clearly coming from generative AI, and also includes some source links at the bottom. Other screenshots show off that you'll still be able to control device features, as well as "call" Bixby for a conversational voice UI, likely similar to Gemini Live and fittingly called "Bixby Live." This includes being able to share your screen. One of the more interesting additions is "Circle to Ask," a clear copy of Google's "Circle to Search" feature, but fed into Bixby's AI rather than Google Search. You can also use the camera and audio files for input, with Bixby even able to generate an "AI podcast." There's also integration in the new Bixby with third-party services such as Here Maps, Perplexity, Uber, The Weather Channel, and more. The new Bixby is expected to make its debut alongside the Galaxy S26 series, which is said to launch in late February 2026.

Bixby is Back, Baby

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. You thought Bixby was on its last breath? Think again, with new screenshots and intel suggesting that Bixby is about to have a serious AI glow up. Screenshots from One UI 8.5 suggest a bunch of new AI-powered features for Bixby, bringing many of the things we use Gemini for to Galaxy devices. While Gemini/Google has Circle to Search, Samsung is cooking up a Circle to Ask feature, as well as a Bixby Live feature that basically duplicates what people use Gemini Live for. For example, with Bixby Live, you can share your screen with the AI and discuss topics or show it your camera and talk about your surroundings. This all sounds super useful, but again, these are things Gemini does and it's interesting to see Samsung want to move away from that. Powering this is Perplexity AI, which comes as no shock as there has been a lot of rumblings surrounding Samsung and its potential ditching of Google AI in favor of something else. While basic tasks, such as enabling/disabling system toggles can be handled by Bixby, anything that requires thinking will be handled by Perplexity. This is similar to how Apple uses AI, with simple things getting managed by Siri and more complex AI things (like generation) getting handed off to ChatGPT. Given the timing for all of this, we're expecting Samsung to make an announcement at its Unpacked event for the Galaxy S26 lineup. Even if it's a beta or something along those lines, it seems that much work has already gone into this.

Bixby on OneUI 8.5 Might Leverage DeepSeek, Perplexity's AI Capabilities

Samsung has yet to confirm the reported integration into Bixby Samsung has reportedly integrated DeepSeek and Perplexity's capabilities into its Bixby Live AI assistant to compete with Google Gemini Live. The new integration was spotted in a beta version of the upcoming One UI 8.5 update, which is based on Android 16. The update to the AI assistant is said to also introduce various new features, including the ability to export AI-generated results to documents. Moreover, users will reportedly be able to attach multiple images and videos to their queries to get responses from Bixby Live. Bixby Live Lets Users Export AI-Generated Results on One U 8.5 X user Galaxy Techie has spotted in an unspecified beta version of the Android 16-based OneUI 8.5 update that Samsung has integrated Perplexity and DeepSeek's AI chatbot support into Bixby. In a series of screenshots shared online, the user shows that the AI-powered assistant is now capable of answering queries with Circle to Search. Bixby on OneUI 8.5 is also said to be capable of generating podcasts, music, audio files, images, videos, and documents, which can then be attached to the questions. The screenshots also show that Bixby Live works similarly to Google's Gemini Live. Samsung's Bixby Live is tipped to feature eight agents, dubbed General, Tour Guide, Interview, Positive Support, Storyteller, Listening Ear, and Dress Matching. Bixby Live on One UI 8.5 is said to be capable of reading the screen to generate responses. Bixby Live will also reportedly be able to take input from the phone's camera feed to solve equations and translate text. The X user added that the AI-generated captions and annotations will be automatically saved to the device. Users will also be able to attach multiple images and documents to a single query, as per the latest leak. They can choose to share one screen or app at a time to get AI-generated results from Bixby Live. Also, Samsung is said to allow users to download the answers to their queries as a PDF, a Word file, or a text file for offline viewing. Bixby Live is said to detect inactivity and automatically close a conversation after a while. It is worth noting that the South Korean tech giant has yet to confirm the integration. This is not the first time that reports have highlighted Perplexity's integration into Samsung's Bixby. Recently, another X user revealed that Bixby now uses Perplexity's capabilities to answer complex queries. Perplexity's icon was also spotted in Bixby's UI, next to "sources", allowing users to check the source behind the AI-generated response.