What is Bixby?

What is Bixby?

Bixby is Samsung's voice assistant and visual search tool on Galaxy phones, tablets and other Samsung devices. Samsung's support pages describe it as a hands-free helper for commands such as opening apps, changing settings, setting reminders or sending messages, and it is wired into the side key on most recent Galaxy phones: pressing and holding the key starts Bixby unless you change it.

Bixby is several pieces rather than one app. The voice assistant is the main part. Voice wake-up listens for the wake phrase so you can start Bixby without touching the phone. Bixby Vision uses the camera to identify objects, read and translate text, and search for similar products, and it appears as a lens option in the Camera and Gallery on many models.

Bixby is separate from Google Assistant and from Samsung's Modes and Routines feature, which grew out of what used to be called Bixby Routines.

Can I disable it?

Samsung says you cannot disable Bixby entirely, but you can stop it from launching, and that covers what most people want. The steps from Samsung's support site:

1. Open Settings > Advanced features > Side key (Side button on some models).
2. Under Press and hold, choose Power off menu instead of Wake Bixby.
3. Under Double press, choose the camera or another app if Bixby is set there.

Then open Bixby's settings and turn off voice wake-up so the phone stops listening for the wake phrase. Samsung also notes that removing your Samsung account resets Bixby, and it will not work again until you set it up.

If you want the packages switched off as well, ADB can disable the voice assistant and voice wake-up:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.samsung.android.bixby.agent
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.samsung.android.bixby.wakeup

Leave the Bixby Vision framework alone unless you are sure you never use the camera's Bixby Vision lens or similar camera search features. Disabling it can remove those options from the Camera and Gallery, which is why this page rates Bixby as an advanced change rather than a simple one.

Does it drain battery or data?

Bixby uses little battery when you do not use it, with one exception: voice wake-up keeps a microphone listener running so it can hear the wake phrase. Turning voice wake-up off is the single biggest saving.

Data use comes from requests you make. Spoken commands are processed by Samsung's servers, and Bixby Vision sends images to look up what it sees. Updates for the Bixby packages also come through the Galaxy Store and can be large.

If Bixby appears in battery lists even though you never use it, the side key is probably still set to wake it and it is being triggered by accident in a bag or pocket. Remapping the key stops that.

Why did it just update?

It updated because Samsung delivers Bixby updates through the Galaxy Store, separately from One UI system updates. Each Bixby component updates on its own, so you may see several Bixby entries in a single round of Galaxy Store updates.

Updates add new voice commands, language and device support, changes for new Galaxy models, and fixes. A disabled Bixby package stops receiving updates until you turn it back on.

Which packages are behind it?

Three packages make up the Bixby features named on this page:

• com.samsung.android.bixby.agent is the Bixby voice assistant, shown in Settings as Bixby or Bixby Voice.
• com.samsung.android.bixby.wakeup is Voice wake-up, which listens for the wake phrase.
• com.samsung.android.bixbyvision.framework is the Bixby Vision framework used by the Camera and Gallery lens features.

Galaxy phones may carry other Bixby-branded packages depending on the model and One UI version; these three are the ones most people find in their app lists.

If something goes wrong

If Bixby keeps opening by accident, remap the side key as described above; that solves most complaints. If the power menu still does not appear when you hold the key, open Settings > Advanced features > Side key again and confirm the choice was saved.

If you see "Bixby Voice has stopped" or Bixby will not respond, update all Bixby entries in the Galaxy Store, then clear Bixby's cache from Settings > Apps > Bixby Voice > Storage and restart. Signing out of and back in to your Samsung account fixes problems caused by an expired sign-in.

If the Camera or Gallery lost its Bixby Vision option after you disabled packages with ADB, turn the framework back on:

adb shell pm enable com.samsung.android.bixbyvision.framework
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.samsung.android.bixbyvision.framework

Use the same commands with com.samsung.android.bixby.agent or com.samsung.android.bixby.wakeup to restore the voice assistant.