“Our primary goal for this year is to realize an AI Home that adapts intuitively to the user,” said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “We aim to enhance the user experience through continuous software upgrades for existing products, taking us one step closer to a true AI Home experience.”

New Update: Bixby and Samsung TV Plus

The Voice ID feature² is a new multi-voice recognition function provided by Bixby.³ It identifies users’ voices registered either on the refrigerator or a Galaxy mobile device, enabling personalized features based on the recognized user. This allows consumers to personalize shared home appliances for individual use, offering greater convenience and functionality.

For example, Bixby intelligently switches to each user’s Samsung account based on the recognized user. Users can check their registered schedules on the calendar,⁴ or their photos⁵ using simple voice commands. Also, they can trigger an alarm on their phone to check its location, even when the device is set to silent mode.⁶

The Voice ID feature also enables seamless interactions with the refrigerator screen for users who utilize vision enhancements on their Galaxy mobile phones. Even without a request to switch accounts, Bixby automatically switches accounts with general conversations for these users. It then synchronizes the appliance’s display modes with the settings on the user’s mobile phone, such as color inversion or grayscale.⁷

Additionally, Samsung has introduced a new way to activate Bixby on the screen. Previously, users could activate Bixby by clicking the Bixby icon on the screen or through voice commands. When the screen is off, an additional option has been added to activate Bixby by double-tapping the display. Users can make the most of this feature by selecting their preferred method in the settings.

The update is being applied to Bespoke AI Refrigerators with AI Family Hub launching in 2025 first,⁸ with availability coming after the completion of the latest software update on AI Family Hub screens or SmartThings.

Additionally, Samsung plans to gradually apply this update to the Bespoke AI refrigerators with AI Home⁹ in the second quarter of 2025. For refrigerators with AI Home, the update expands the service area for Samsung TV Plus, as well. Previously available in only South Korea and the United States, the service will extend to Canada, Brazil, Australia, Mexico and India. Thanks to the update, it is expected that consumers will be able to easily enjoy entertainment features right from their kitchen with Samsung TV Plus.

¹ Refers to the refrigerators with AI Family Hub, and 9-inch AI Home screens
² Each user must register for a Samsung Account on screen appliances in advance. Voice ID should be registered either on the refrigerator, or Galaxy mobile devices and then transferred to the refrigerator. (Limited to Galaxy S24 and subsequent models where Voice ID can be registered.)
³ Bixby is Samsung’s brand of Internet of Things (IoT) voice assistant. Bixby service availability may vary depending on the country. Bixby recognizes certain accents/dialects of English (US, UK, Indian), Chinese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain, Latin America) and Portuguese (Brazil). User interface may change and differ by device. Availability of Bixby features and content providers may vary depending on the country/carrier/language/device model/OS version. A Samsung account log-in and network connection (Wi-Fi or data network) are required.
⁴ To use calendar feature, users need to either register their schedule directly on the refrigerator or link their mobile phone calendar in advance. Only Google or Microsoft calendars saved under a Google or Microsoft account can be synced with the Bespoke AI Refrigerator with AI Family Hub. (Refrigerators with AI Home support Google Calendar only.)
⁵ Gallery feature is supported only for users who have saved photos to OneDrive cloud storage via the Samsung Gallery app on a Samsung mobile phone.
⁶ To enable the service, a preset is required in the SmartThings Find.
⁷ When a user registers a device through the SmartThings app, a one-time sync notification may appear via a plug-in. If the user signs into their Samsung account on a refrigerator and related settings are stored in the cloud, this data may be transmitted once to the device. Screen settings can be modified at any time, and any changes will be saved and remain in effect unless manually updated.
⁸ Timeline may vary depending on the service region or model.
⁹ AI Home refers to the 7’’ or 9’’ LCD screen on the product. Does not mean all services available on the AI Home are AI or generate information or outcome using AI. Certain functions accessible through the AI Home utilize AI-based algorithms, which can be updated periodically to improve accuracy. AI-based algorithms may generate incomplete or incorrect information.

Samsung Electronics today announced a multi-year partnership with Instacart, collaborating to add a new and convenient way for consumers in the U.S.¹ to shop for groceries directly from the screens of their Samsung Bespoke refrigerators.² Through the integration of Samsung’s proprietary food recognition technology (AI Vision Inside³) together with Instacart’s advanced product-matching API,⁴ the partnership will enable a simple, convenient and technology-driven grocery shopping experience for our consumers.

Starting with 2025 Bespoke refrigerator models with different types of screens — including the 32” AI Family Hub+ and the new 9” AI Home — and AI Vision Inside, the new functionality will enable consumers to replenish their favorite grocery items conveniently through Instacart by leveraging the Vision AI food recognition technology. With AI Vision Inside, consumers can not only manage their food inventory, but going forward, the experience extends further by enabling replenishment through Instacart, directly from the refrigerator.

“Samsung is working tirelessly to enable a more convenient home experience for our users with innovative technologies,” said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the Consumer Experience Team for the Digital Appliances (DA) Business at Samsung Electronics. “The combination of Samsung’s key technology and Instacart’s outstanding online grocery shopping platform will be a great example of how partnership can create a new level of convenience.”

“We’ve all dreamt of a refrigerator that could replenish itself, and now thanks to this partnership with Samsung, that’s no longer the stuff of science fiction,” said Daniel Danker, Chief Product Officer at Instacart. “With the Instacart Developer Platform that will power this seamless integration, Samsung Bespoke refrigerator owners will be able to place grocery orders and easily restock empty fridge shelves via same-day delivery through Instacart from their favorite local grocery retailers.”

The new Instacart experience will also roll out to existing AI Family Hub+ units (equipped with AI Vision Inside) via over-the-network (OTN) firmware updates during 2025.⁵ This is another example of Samsung’s Smart Forward updates, which provides added value to our consumers by enhancing the appliances they already own. The partnership with Instacart is the latest step forward in Samsung’s journey to add value to the user experience by working hand in hand with other forward-thinking technology leaders.

About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.

¹ Only available in Instacart serviced areas. To check if Instacart grocery shopping is available in your area, please visit www.instacart.com
² List of refrigerator models applicable is to be determined. Wi-Fi connection and both Samsung account and Instacart account are needed.
³ As of November 2024, AI Vision Inside can recognize up to 37 food items, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The names and expiration dates of non-recognizable food items must be set manually. AI Vision Inside cannot identify or list any food items in the refrigerator door bins or freezer. The feature recognizes food items based on deep learning models which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy. Updates and applicable features may vary by region and model.
⁴ An application programming interface (API) allows different software applications to communicate and work together.
⁵ Update schedule and list of applicable refrigerator models are to be determined. The firmware update will be available on compatible, legacy refrigerator units.