Custom Bixby Wake Words: A Necessary Feature?
Samsung Bixby Gets a Major Upgrade: Customizable Wake-up Phrases
Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, while often overshadowed by Google’s offerings, has received a significant improvement: the ability to set a custom wake-up phrase. This feature, initially announced in February 2023 for Galaxy S23 users in Korea, has now quietly rolled out globally, appearing on the Galaxy S25 and other Samsung devices. This enhancement offers a level of personalization not yet available with Google’s Gemini assistant.
What is a Wake-up Phrase?
A wake-up phrase is the word or short phrase you say to activate a voice assistant. Think “Hey Google,” “Okay Google,” “Hey Siri,” or “Alexa.” Typically, voice assistants have only a few pre-programmed options. The reason for this limitation is that custom phrases can sometimes be less reliable than the pre-set ones that have undergone extensive testing and optimization. Despite this challenge, Samsung has managed to successfully implement this feature for Bixby.
Bixby’s Custom Wake-up Phrase: A Deep Dive
This new Bixby feature allows users to record their own unique phrase to activate the assistant. This means you’re no longer limited to saying “Bixby” or “Hi Bixby.” You can choose almost any phrase you like – as long as it’s not “Google,” “Alexa,” or “Siri.” Samsung recommends using a phrase of two to four syllables for optimal recognition.
Setting Up Your Custom Wake-up Phrase
Here’s how to set up your personalized wake-up phrase:
- Navigate to Settings: Open your Samsung phone’s settings menu.
- Find Advanced Features: Locate and tap on “Advanced features.”
- Access Bixby Labs: Go to “Bixby” and then tap “Labs.”
- Enable the Feature: Find the “Create wake-up phrase” toggle and turn it on.
- Voice Registration: Navigate to “Settings > Advanced features > Bixby > Voice registration.”
- Record Your Phrase: Under the “Voice wake-up” section, tap “Create wake-up phrase” and follow the instructions to record your chosen phrase. Remember to avoid using earphones or Bluetooth devices during the recording.
Important Considerations: The initial recording is crucial. If Bixby struggles to recognize your phrase, you can adjust the wake-up sensitivity or re-record your phrase for better accuracy. Also, you can decide if Bixby should recognize your custom phrase when media is playing using the “wake up when media is playing” toggle. Finally, the option to completely “delete all voice recordings” allows for total privacy control.
Images for better understanding
Image 1: Bixby Labs settings on Galaxy S25
Image 2: Creating a wake-up phrase for Bixby
How the Feature Works
Once set, your custom wake-up phrase works just like the default phrases. To activate Bixby, simply say your phrase, even when your phone’s screen is off.
Bixby’s Strengths and Weaknesses
While the custom wake-up phrase is a noteworthy addition, it might not be enough to make Bixby the preferred voice assistant for everyone. While Bixby excels at controlling Samsung devices, particularly through One UI Routines, it still lags behind competitors like Google Assistant in areas like general knowledge and question-answering capabilities. Samsung’s next-generation Bixby, which shows a lot of promising features, still has limited availability, primarily in China.
The Significance of this Update
The addition of custom wake-up phrases demonstrates Samsung’s ongoing commitment to improving Bixby. While Bixby might not directly compete with Google Assistant in all features at this time, this update provides a level of personal control and customization that enhances user experience. This reflects a wider trend in technology to empower users with more personalized choices in interacting with their smartphones. It’s a user-centric improvement that could be a significant step toward increasing Bixby’s popularity among Samsung users.
Conclusion
Samsung’s silent rollout of customizable wake-up phrases for Bixby is a welcome surprise. This feature, available on the Galaxy S25 and now rolling out to older models, adds a level of personalization missing from many competitors’ voice assistants. Although Bixby still faces challenges in competing head-to-head with Google Assistant, enhancements like this help make it a more appealing option for Samsung phone owners. It’s a testament to the continuing evolution of digital voice assistants and the importance of catering to individual preferences in the tech world.
