Samsung is preparing to make its Bixby assistant more accessible with One UI 9.0. The company is working on a new gesture-based activation method that could eliminate the need for voice commands or button presses entirely.
The upcoming feature represents Samsung’s continued investment in Bixby despite the growing dominance of Google’s Gemini assistant. As voice assistants become central to smartphone interaction, Samsung appears focused on making Bixby faster and more convenient to access.
According to SamMobile, Samsung has developed a “Gesture Wake-up” feature for Bixby that will arrive with One UI 9.0. When enabled, users can activate the assistant by picking up their phone and bringing it closer to their face. This eliminates the current requirement to say “Bixby” or “Hi, Bixby” before issuing commands.
The current methods for summoning Bixby include pressing and holding the power button or using hotwords. The new gesture approach promises to be significantly faster since users can start speaking commands immediately without waiting for the wake word to register.
This development reflects Samsung’s broader strategy to differentiate its devices through proprietary AI features. While many Android manufacturers have shifted toward Google’s assistant ecosystem, Samsung continues developing Bixby as a key selling point for Galaxy devices. The company enhanced Bixby’s capabilities with One UI 8.5 and now appears to be focusing on improving user experience.
The gesture wake-up feature may have some trade-offs to consider:
- Potential impact on battery life due to continuous motion sensing
- Reliability concerns in various usage scenarios
- Accidental activations when handling the phone normally
However, if the power consumption impact proves negligible, the convenience factor could make this a popular feature among Bixby users.
The feature wasn’t included in the second One UI 9.0 beta release for the Galaxy S26 series, suggesting it may arrive in a future beta update or with the stable release. Samsung typically launches major One UI updates alongside new flagship devices, and One UI 9.0 is expected to debut with the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 series next month.
This gesture-based activation puts Samsung in line with interaction paradigms seen in other smart devices, where proximity and motion can trigger responses. It also positions Bixby to compete more effectively with other voice assistants that have been adding similar hands-free activation methods.