Samsung’s New Bixby in One UI 8.5 Finally Understands How You Actually Talk

Quick Brief

• New Bixby in One UI 8.5 operates as a conversational device agent, not a command-based shortcut
• Control Galaxy settings by describing your problem in plain speech, no feature names required
• Built-in web search delivers answers inside Bixby without redirecting to a browser
• Beta is live in India, US, UK, Germany, Korea, and Poland since February 20, 2026

Samsung just redesigned Bixby from the ground up, and for the first time, it behaves more like a conversation than a command prompt. With the One UI 8.5 beta now live across six markets including India and the US, Galaxy users can control device settings, get live web answers, and troubleshoot issues by simply describing what they need. This breakdown covers every confirmed capability, the exact limitations Samsung disclosed, and what to expect at Galaxy Unpacked on February 25.

How New Bixby in One UI 8.5 Actually Works

The biggest shift in new Bixby is intent recognition over command matching. Past Bixby versions required users to speak exact phrase triggers or recall specific setting names to get a result. The redesigned assistant in One UI 8.5 interprets the meaning behind your words, even when those words are vague or entirely conversational.

Samsung’s confirmed example makes this concrete: say “I don’t want the screen to time out while I’m still looking at it,” and Bixby immediately activates the ‘Keep Screen on While Viewing’ setting without requiring any menu navigation or knowledge of the feature’s exact name. The assistant maps your intent to the correct function and executes it directly.

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Reading Your Device State Before Responding

The new Bixby goes a step further by reading your device’s current configuration before it responds. Ask “Why is my phone screen always on when it’s inside my pocket?” and Bixby uses the context of the situation, brings up relevant settings such as Accidental Touch Protection, and allows you to turn it on directly.

Samsung describes this as reducing “trial and error, helping people complete tasks more quickly, even when they are unfamiliar with the device or its features.” Rather than giving generic instructions, Bixby identifies which settings apply to your specific device state and surfaces targeted options.

What This Means for Indian and US Galaxy Users

For Indian Galaxy users, plain-speech control now active in English (India) removes the command memorization barrier that previously kept many from using Bixby regularly. US users gain hands-free device management that resolves settings issues through description rather than navigation. Samsung’s COO Won-Joon Choi stated the intent clearly: “we decided to integrate a device agent directly into the experience” to make AI phones “easier to use so more people can benefit from AI.”

Built-In Web Search: What Samsung Has Confirmed

One UI 8.5 adds real-time web search integrated directly inside the Bixby interface. Results appear within Bixby’s own window without redirecting users to a browser or a separate app, keeping the full interaction seamless and continuous.

Samsung’s confirmed example: ask Bixby “Find me hotels in Seoul that have swimming pools for kids,” and it processes the request and provides relevant web results directly within its interface, letting users explore options without interruption or delay. For queries that depend on your location, Bixby requests consent at the initial interaction, uses the data solely for generating the response, and deletes all location data immediately after the answer is provided.

What Powers the Web Search

Samsung’s official February 20, 2026 press release does not name any specific web search partner. Android Authority confirmed that Samsung published and subsequently deleted a January 2026 announcement that named Perplexity as powering Bixby’s web integration. Android Authority noted that “it’s possible that Perplexity is still working behind the scenes,” but the current official documentation makes no such confirmation. Treat the Perplexity link as reported but officially unconfirmed until Samsung names its partner.

Which Galaxy Devices and Markets Get the New Bixby

The new Bixby update shipped inside One UI 8.5 Beta 5, where the only new feature listed was a “Bixby version update.” The beta is currently rolling out to Galaxy S25 series devices.

Confirmed beta markets are Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Samsung states that “plans for broader expansion” are in place, with no specific additional country list or timeline published in the official announcement.

One UI 8.5 is expected to launch alongside the Galaxy S26 series at Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Samsung framed the occasion as “marking a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive.”

New Bixby vs Google Assistant vs Siri

Google Assistant and Siri remain broader in third-party app ecosystem reach and device compatibility. Bixby’s specific advantage is its granular native settings control and on-device context reading, capabilities that neither competitor currently matches at this depth within Android.

Limitations Samsung Has Officially Disclosed

Bixby service requires a Samsung Account login and an active data connection. Supported language variants are English (UK, US, India), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Japanese (Japan), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain and Latin America).

Samsung directly states: “Not all accents, dialects and expressions are recognized, and actual performance may vary depending on pronunciation, voice level and the surrounding environment.” The update is currently in beta, meaning the stable feature set and third-party app scope have not yet been officially confirmed. Users outside the six beta markets cannot access the update until Samsung announces broader geographic expansion.

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