This is just in case you're itching to try out Bixby voice functionality on your Galaxy S8. Samsung recently announced a recruitment of participants for open beta testing of the Bixby Voice service.

And now we will briefly tell you what you need to do in order to take part in this exciting event.

As you know, the official page of the Bixby service on the Internet until recently consistently stated that “ new voice features are coming "(that is, there will be voice control, but later). And it seems that this “later” has finally arrived. Almost.

Since yesterday, Samsung has been inviting people to test the new feature on their Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+.

So, what do you need to install Bixby Voice on Galaxy S8?

Of course, the very first condition for participating in the program is having a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ smartphone. Secondly, you will also need your Samsung account, plus you also need to register on a special beta test page. In order, we do the following:

• go to the page for beta testers of Bixby Voice;
• scroll the screen to the very bottom and check the checkboxes “ I Agree with the above Terms and Conditions » (« I agree with the terms and conditions...") And " I have a Galaxy S8/8+ » (« I have Galaxy S8/8+"), then…
• enter E-mail address , to which your Samsung account is “linked” (if it doesn’t already exist, then first create it: “Settings” -> “Accounts” -> “Accounts” - “Add account” -> “Create account”);
• tap the button Sign Up .

It’s worth noting here that Samsung, of course, invites you, but not everyone. In accordance with the rules of the promotion, the number of participants is limited. Therefore, after registration, all you have to do is wait for a letter from Samsung confirming your participation. Participation is completely free - you are simply given access to Bixby Voice before others.

The event promises to be interesting. With Bixby Voice, you can type and send text messages, change smartphone settings, and make calls. To do this, you just press the Bixby button and talk to your Galaxy S8 (although in beta testing in English). Samsung promises that Bixby will understand natural speech. As you use Bixby Voice, the digital assistant will learn and adapt to your voice and habits.

As for the official release of Bixby Voice, previously the most relevant information was considered to be Samsung’s plans to release Bixby voice by the end of June. True, as we see, since only the beta is starting now, they may not have time. Although we won't guess. So stay tuned for the news.

Understanding natural speech language. Many voice assistants are still very limited in their vocabulary. In order for them to understand you, you need to say some special phrase. Bixby understands natural speech. At least in English. Only as a last resort does he ask the interlocutor again. This will be most noticeable after the voice assistant becomes very popular. After all, the service needs to actively study natural speech, only after that it will really learn to understand it. And this takes time.

Reminders. The voice assistant has also expanded its basic function regarding reminders about certain upcoming events. The user has the opportunity to ask the assistant to remind him of something when he is in a certain place. Again, it is assumed that the command will be delivered in normal conversational speech: “Remind me to take the documents when I find myself near Chapaev 42.”

How to use Bixby?

As mentioned above, for now the service only works on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and its larger brother. It is not possible to install the voice assistant on any other devices (at least as of April 2017). Roughly speaking, buyers of the new flagship are still testing this service. When the South Koreans realize that their creation works almost perfectly, they will provide the opportunity to use it to owners of some other Samsung smartphones. The assistant will arrive with the next firmware update, replacing S Voice. It will hardly be possible to download it somewhere on a third-party resource. Although the creators of all kinds of mods may well somehow implement this.

It should also be noted that the first buyers of the new flagships will not be able to play with Bixby. The fact is that the South Koreans took a little longer to finalize their service. It will become active only at the end of May or beginning of June 2017. It is also unknown whether Bixby will immediately speak Russian, or whether this will have to wait several months or even years.

Using the voice assistant is very simple. Just press the appropriate button and say a question or command. Also, after pressing the button, you will see the assistant's start screen. It contains all sorts of tips and other useful information. For example, this will contain notifications about your friends' activities on , the number of steps you have taken, and much more. The order of the blocks on the screen will constantly change, depending on what information is more important at the moment.

Samsung introduced the branded Bixby along with the Galaxy S8. The community greeted the voice assistant coolly, due to its limited functionality and the impossibility of simply reconfiguring the assistant button. In the new Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, Samsung allowed you to change the Bixby call button to any other one and expanded the assistant's capabilities to third-party applications.

Bixby is an interesting development in the company's software and services, given the fact that the custom TouchWiz software shell was considered the most bloatware-laden among Android enthusiasts.

Samsung has many applications, but almost all of them are installed out of the box on the company's branded smartphones, annoying users with their presence. But here's the paradox - sometimes Koreans release really useful software, which by default is only available in the Galaxy Store application catalog. This is the distribution model Samsung has chosen for its new CalliScan app, which recognizes handwritten text and converts it to typed text in seconds.

The Bixby voice assistant is not very popular in Russia, and therefore many people have no idea what it is capable of. Samsung has done a great job to compete with Siri, teaching the assistant a variety of different skills. Thanks to them, Bixby can not only conduct a dialogue with the user, but also recognize objects and interact with installed applications. However, Samsung felt that this was not enough and introduced a specialized marketplace for Bixby. Let's try to figure out what it can do and why it is needed.

When Samsung launched last week, one new feature that was previously missing from Galaxy S users caught the attention of users: the ability to reassign the action on the mechanical button to call the Bixby smart assistant.

In March 2017, a few days before the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus smartphones, it was introduced. It, like virtual assistants Siri and Amazon Alexa, is necessary to perform voice commands. Unfortunately, it turned out to be not as “smart” as its analogues, so some users even in September were looking for the possibility of it. The company is constantly trying to improve the assistant, and is now ready to resort to the help of third-party developers.

Introduced the branded Bixby along with the Galaxy S8. The community greeted the voice assistant coolly. This was due to the limited functionality and inability to easily reconfigure the assistant button. Perhaps the attitude of users will soon change - cooperation with Google will help with this.

In 2017, the manufacturer Samsung introduced a unique application designed for two Samsung models (S8 and S8+). On these, and over time, other smartphones, a button appeared that launched the assistant. After pressing it, the system calls the assistant and allows you to use its capabilities. Without internet, this option is useless, so people started asking how to remap the Bixby button on Samsung to enable another app.

Until the beginning of 2019, this opportunity did not exist. After the 2019 update, users have the right to reassign keys and use it for other tasks. If you want, you can reconfigure the Bixby button to turn on the flashlight, launch the browser, Google Assistant, or other applications. We'll look at how to do this below.

Which models are affected by the update?

According to Samsung representatives, the new update affected devices running the Android Pie 9.0 operating system. We are talking about the following phones - Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy Note 9 and Note 8, Galaxy S9. Other models are also expected to undergo changes - Galaxy S10, as well as the S10e and S10+ series. If you have one of these phones, after updating, go to settings and use the new feature. It will take a few minutes to reassign the program link.

Setting up the Bixby Samsung button allows you to change the standard settings, and later use it to solve other tasks, from launching software to executing any commands. You can reassign the key to start the camera, start modem mode, etc. In this case, users of these phones just need to update and take a few simple steps.

If there is no Bixby Key button, check that it has been updated. For this:

• open the Store software for Samsung Galaxy phones;
• touch the “three dots” menu at the top right;
• go to the “My Page” section;
• go to updates.

If the system has not been updated, information about new versions will be visible. In this case, you need to update, and after that you need to reassign the program keys to Samsung.

Remapping the Bixby button on Samsung smartphones

Experts highlight two ways to replace the Bixby button with another application. Let's highlight three ways - through the setup section, using special software and using commands.

How to reassign using settings:

• make sure that the latest version is installed on your Samsung phone;
• go to the settings section of the program;
• go to the “Bixby Key” or “Bixby Button” section;

• set up a link to the software by the number of clicks (one or two);

• set the software of interest by clicking on the gear.

If it was not possible to reassign the button in this way, we consider other options. Please note that installing unlicensed software carries certain risks.

How to reassign via Bixby Button Assistant Remapper:

• download the specified application and install it (during the installation process, indicate the option to install software from unknown sources);
• go to the Voice settings menu, and then to the program keys menu;
• select the option to launch the software with two clicks and press the phrase "Use one click";
• next to the link to open the application, click settings (gear), enter the list and find the above program (select it).

All that remains is to change the Bixby button by selecting through the menu the software that will work by default. During setup, check the “Always” checkbox so that this particular program will open in the future.

How to reassign using shortcuts:

• go to Bixby Voice;
• enter quick commands and create a new team by clicking on the “plus”;

If done correctly, remapping the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy and other devices takes minimal time. Thanks to this feature, you can bypass company restrictions and reassign a program that understands Russian.

If you can't reprogram the Bixby button through Settings, you can use two other methods. As a rule, changes through settings are not possible on S10 series models (according to user reviews).

Disablement options

The Bixby button is a link that launches the app on Samsung. If it is not needed, the key can be disabled. This is necessary to avoid accidental clicks or in a situation where a person is not using the application. Experts recommend reassigning the button and doing nothing else. If this is not enough, you should deactivate the key completely. To do this, disable the option through the settings or use another available method.

Can artificial intelligence make electronic devices easier to use? Of course, Samsung intends to prove it with the help of the Bixby intelligent assistant.

The Bixby virtual assistant is installed on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, announced recently. It will help smartphones talk, give advice and make reminders. For example, Bixby can help smartphones carry out orders via voice command. In addition, it comes with cool innovations such as image recognition and language translation on board the G8.

Source: IDG news

There is a special button for Bixby on smartphones, but Samsung doesn’t give you a chance to test it and doesn’t explain when exactly it will work. This could happen very soon, on April 21, when S8 kits go on sale - or pushed back to a later date and bundled with software updates. For now, Samsung says that the service needs some time to “grow up.”

Here's what Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphones will be able to do with a press of the Bixby activation button.

Voice instead of fingers

Whatever you can do with touch, you can do the same with your voice. That's what Samsung is aiming for with Bixby.

Command the phone to do anything: take a selfie, open a photo gallery for viewing, make a phone call - the device will do it. You can pronounce words in different ways - Bixby will understand and execute.

Image recognition

Galaxy S8 smartphones will be able to take photos, recognize objects and provide explanations for the pictures. As an example, Samsung cites Bixby identifying the famous New York skyscraper "Iron" and providing recommendations on where to eat in the vicinity of the building.

This feature is quite useful for shopping: users can take a photo of the item they like and post it on Pinterest, which has a partnership with Samsung. You can also use this photo to check the price, find a store that sells it, and read recommendations and reviews about the product on retailers’ websites.

Text translation

Samsung provided an intriguing example of how Bixby takes a snapshot of text and translates it into other languages. Samsung didn't explain in detail exactly how it works, so there's not much point in guessing. Bixby supports 52 languages, but the service is not based on Samsung's own home technology. Instead, the company uses partner developments to support this service. Samsung did not name the partner or explain whether the company uses the developments of a hidden contractor, such as Google Translate, for this opportunity.

Studying the owner's habits

Over time, Bixby will remember the habits of the smartphone owner when using the device and begin to anticipate the necessary actions. This feature of the Galaxy S8 smartphones will manifest itself in the form of organizing and displaying “cards” based on predicted actions.

For example, you're used to automatically checking the news and weather in the morning, or Bixby can call you a taxi to take you to work. In the evening, your phone will remind you to set an alarm for the morning.

Working with applications

In the Galaxy S8 line of smartphones, Bixby shines in tandem with cameras, delivering more context to images. But there is sad news: Bixby will not work with all applications. For starters, it is implemented in several of them, such as the Photo Gallery, whose expanded version will appear soon. Later, Samsung will provide software development tools, and in the future, developers will have to deal with the Bixby API.

The API could be useful for retailers looking to integrate their stores with Bixby's recommendation engine. It can also be useful to developers in the production of smart devices compatible with the Samsung SmartThings control system.

What will it replace?

Although it has some similar skills, Bixby isn't intended to be a copycat of services like Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana, or Apple's Siri. It's also not a replacement for S Voice, which is missing from the S8 and S8+ but remains on Tizen OS devices.

According to Gartner, Samsung plans to bring Bixby to other devices produced by the company, although it is not yet very clear when exactly this will happen.