But how exactly does Bixby work, and how can you ensure that you’re getting the most out of it? Here are some common questions and answers to help you get better acquainted with the intuitive interface.

Q. How did Bixby get its name?

We decided to call our new interface Bixby because we found the name to be playful, smart and gender neutral; perfect for someone who is bold and in the know.

Q. How do I activate Bixby Voice?

You can activate Bixby by saying “Hi, Bixby,” or by either pressing or holding its dedicated button (located under the volume controls of your compatible device) and dictating your request.¹

Q. Does Bixby get smarter the more I use it?

Yes, it does. Thanks to Bixby’s iterative deep learning technology, the more you use the interface, the smarter it gets.

For example, whenever you’re not satisfied with its response, Bixby will work with you to learn how to better serve your needs. Each time Bixby responds to a command, it presents you with the option to “Teach me” – to select a more appropriate response from a list of similar commands. The next time you make that request, Bixby will remember exactly what you wanted it to do.

Q. What can I do to make sure that Bixby Voice hears me clearly?

Bixby is optimized to detect voice commands when users are 15 to 20 centimeters (5.9 to 7.9 inches) away from their device. If you’re too close or too far, it can affect the voice recognition technology’s accuracy. For best results, speak clearly and at a volume comparable to normal conversation levels.

Q. Do I need to be in a quiet area in order for Bixby Voice to hear me?

Bixby works best in environments where your voice may be clearly heard. That being said, Bixby’s deep learning technology allows the interface to distinguish your voice commands from ambient noise, even when you’re listening to music, by carefully analyzing sound frequencies.

When in particularly loud environments, you can activate Bixby Voice using your earphones’ play/pause button and microphone.

 Q. What languages and dialects does Bixby understand?

Bixby Voice is currently available in Korea and the U.S., and supports commands in Korean and U.S. English. Users in the U.S. and Korea can switch between Korean and English by adjusting Bixby’s language settings.

Bixby’s understanding of natural language is what allows it to learn dialects. We’ve taught Bixby various dialects’ distinct intonations, vocabulary and grammatical structures, and we’re currently working on providing support for more.

Q. What are Quick Commands?

Bixby’s Quick Commands allow you to issue multi-step, complicated requests with convenient keywords.

With Quick Commands, users can replace a long request, such as “Track my run using the Samsung Health app,” with a short, simple command, such as “Run.” These shortcuts allow you to interact more seamlessly with your phone. Quick Commands may be accessed under Bixby Home’s “My Bixby” menu.

Q. Will using Bixby eat up my mobile data, and is it possible to use it overseas?

Bixby only utilizes your mobile data when listening to a command, not before or after. As a result, the length of the command ultimately determines the amount of mobile data used.

If Bixby Voice is activated and you’re using a licensed SIM card, it’s possible to use the interface even when you’re overseas.²
Actual range of use may vary depending on the apps you’re using.

 Q. What is Bixby Vision, and how does it work?

Bixby Vision was designed to provide you with a deeper understanding of what you’re looking at, allowing you to use your camera to easily scan and search for relevant information on the objects and places around you.

Bixby Vision offers information on everything from purchasing options for a particular product to details on your current location and even the bottle of wine you’re enjoying. It is also capable of scanning business cards and performing convenient translations.

After scanning an object, users can use Bixby Vision’s image search³
function to locate it online. Once Bixby has identified the object, it will automatically pull up related images on Pinterest.⁴

Bixby Vision works best in bright environments, and when you hold your camera steady. The screen should not be upside down, and if the object in focus is a product, it should be captured from the front to aid identification.

Q. Who are some of Bixby Vision’s current retail partners?

We’ve forged partnerships with popular online shopping platforms in each region to allow consumers to enjoy a much more convenient shopping experience with Bixby. These partners include Amazon in North America, Japan and several major markets across Europe, as well as Taobao in China and Samsung Pay Shopping in Korea.

Q. What languages can Bixby Vision translate?

Bixby Vision’s advanced OCR (object character recognition) technology allows it to scan and recognize a total of 40 languages. These languages can then be interpreted into 104 different dialects via Google’s powerful translation database.⁴

Q. How is Reminder different from my device’s clock or calendar app?

Reminder lets users do much more than simply log an appointment or create an alarm.

The function utilizes Bixby’s voice support and contextual awareness to allow users to set smart reminders for specified times, places or circumstances.

Reminder is also integrated into other apps. You can use Reminder to save webpage URLs in the Samsung Internet app, as well as messages that you’d like to get back to later in the Messages app. You can also pin reminders to your device’s Always On Display to make them visible at all times, and access your collected reminders via your device’s edge panel.

Q. What is Bixby Home, and how does it cater to users’ individual needs?

Bixby Home serves as a gateway to Bixby’s various functions and presents your most contextually relevant apps and services on a single screen, so the content you care about is just a swipe away.

Bixby learns your routine and serves up the information you need when you need it. It looks for patterns in your app usage to predict what you might be looking for, and when you’re most likely to look for it. The more you use your smartphone, the more relevant Bixby’s content suggestions will become.

Bixby Home will automatically populate based on your actions, but you can also customize the experience to best suit your needs. You also have the options to pin your favorite cards to the top of your Home page for easy reference, and hide any cards that you no longer wish to see.

Q. Is my personal data safe with Bixby?

Bixby stores users’ personal data in accordance with stringent security procedures.

Users may choose to delete data that Bixby saves from Bixby’s settings at any time. Bixby only collects data necessary to improve or personalize your experience, and ensures that your personal information is never transmitted.

¹Voice wake-up must be activated in order to use this feature

²Language support is currently limited to Korean and U.S. English, and the user’s device must be Bixby-compatible. App and service compatibility may vary.

³Image searching is currently unavailable in Cuba, Iran, Syria and Sudan

⁴In China, image searches and translation function are both conducted with Baidu

The Galaxy Note7’s new iris scanning technology provides users with an additional form of authentication to reinforce security. But new technology can raise a lot of questions. Here is a list of FAQs to clarify anything you might have been wondering about the Galaxy Note7’s iris scanner.

Q. How do I save my iris data on the Galaxy Note7? Isn’t it difficult?

Registering your iris information is not only incredibly easy, but it’s fast, too. All you need to do is access the Irises tab from the Lock screen and security menu in Settings to register one or both of your irises.

Simply hold your device 25-35 centimeters from your face with the screen facing toward you, position your eyes in the circles shown on the screen and follow the prompts. In a matter of seconds, the iris sensor extracts your iris patterns, codes them into a digital form and saves them in the secure TrustZone of Knox.

Q. Does the iris scanner work if I wear glasses or contact lenses? What about if I’ve had LASIK/LASEK surgery?

When you wear eyeglasses, reflected glare from surrounding lights may interfere with iris scanning and recognition. Also, if your lenses are very thick or have a special coating, scanning and recognition speed may be affected. This is also the case for tinted or decorative contact lenses. With sunglasses, the iris scanner does not work properly because sunglass lenses block IR light.

If you have undergone an eye operation like LASIK or LASEK, you will need to re-register your iris information on the device, as the operation may cause slight changes to your cornea and subsequently affect the refraction of light from the iris sensor to your eyes. Likewise, if your eyes are severely swollen or not completely open, the iris scanner may not be able to read your irises.

Q. Can I use the iris scanner anywhere? If the iris scanner can’t recognize my irises, how can I access my Galaxy Note7?

Using the iris scanner in direct sunlight or under bright light may affect the accuracy of the sensor. For maximum effectiveness, move to an area that is slightly shaded when using the iris scanner. A dirty iris camera can also affect the scanner’s reading, so in the case that it doesn’t work, try cleaning the area above the screen.

Additionally, you can unlock the device with an alternative method such as your fingerprint (if it is registered), a pattern, PIN or password. (You will also need to use your selected non-biometric alternative method when the device has been restarted or has been inactive for 24 hours.)

Q. What functions can I use with the iris scanner?

The Galaxy Note7’s iris recognition technology allows for all-around reinforced mobile security for functions such as unlocking your device, or verifying your identity in place of your Samsung account.

The device’s iris scanner can be used to activate Samsung Pass, a new feature that acts as a master key for mobile banking services and automatic website login on the Samsung Internet browser. You can also add another layer of security to value-added services like Samsung Pay, as well as safely complete mobile banking transactions or lock private data through Secure Folder.

For enterprise users, iris scanning technology can be utilized to authenticate access to the Knox Workspace container.

Q. Is iris scanning really safer than fingerprint scanning?

While fingerprint and iris authentication both provide a high level of security, iris scanning is one of the most secure and reliable biometric techniques available today. This is because each individual has a uniquely different and highly intricate iris pattern in each eye, which is almost impossible to replicate.

Furthermore, users can only register the iris pattern(s) of one person on each device, which means that even if the smartphone is stolen or lost and someone else is able to gain access to the smartphone, the user’s iris information won’t be compromised.

Lastly, iris scanning results in fewer false acceptances than fingerprint scanning, according to some studies.

Q. Where does the iris information get stored once it’s registered? Does it get processed safely? If I use it to login to a website, or for a mobile banking transaction, does it get saved on the server?

With the Galaxy Note7, registered iris data is stored safely in the hardware by Samsung’s trusted Knox platform, just as fingerprint data has been stored in the past.

This means that when iris data is used for user authentication for web log-in or Samsung Pay, for example, it is not in its raw form. Instead, it is digitized and encrypted as a code which is stored at the hardware level. Therefore, Knox provides an added level of security so users can be confident that their personal information is always safe.

Q. There’s a red light that flickers when I use the iris scanner. What is it, and isn’t it bad for my eyes?

This red light is an infrared LED, and it enables the best range for iris scanning to ensure maximum accuracy. It is completely safe to use and there are no health implications associated with the technology. It has even received the highest International Electrotechnical Commission IEC62471 certification level.

In addition, the light will automatically switch off if the device detects that your eyes are too close or exposed to the IR LED for more than nine seconds.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.