Incoming glow up: Samsung Bixby's huge One UI 8.5 upgrade might look like Google

What you need to know

• Samsung's Bixby was a part of a huge report on Reddit that leaked some potential AI upgrades for One UI 8.5.
• Among the discoveries, it seems Samsung is preparing a "Bixby Live" feature, similar to Gemini Live, alongside "Circle to Ask."
• Recent Bixby rumors show the device potentially receiving a new pop-up bar for quick queries, as well as integration with Perplexity.

We've read the rumors before, but now a report on social media claims to have discovered all the ways Bixby could change.

A Redditor dug into Samsung's One UI 8.5 build and reportedly discovered evidence about what Bixby's major upgrade could look like (via SamMobile). One feature that stands out is what the user says is called "Bixby Live." If that sounds familiar (Gemini Live), that's because the feature works pretty similarly to Google's version, at least, in this early discovery.

When activated, it seems that Bixby Live will run a multi-colored strip along the edges of your phone's display. The center will house a circle, likely just indicating the AI's presence. At the bottom, the AI will be "listening," as well as options to mute your mic, share your camera, and upload content.

As SamMobile points out, the drop menu is purportedly signaling "conversational styles" for Bixby. Styles such as general agent, tour guide, storyteller, interview, and more.

AI generation capabilities for Bixby were spotted, as one of the Redditor's screenshots showcases a "content above was generated by AI" disclaimer. Two additional purported glimpses show off Bixby's chatting experience: one that's its main app and the other that's off the home screen. Regarding the former, it seems that users fully engaging with Bixby's app can experience a chat thread similar to what you'd get from Gemini. It even mentions "Circle to Ask," a feature that sounds incredibly similar to Circle to Search.

The other option for chatting with Bixby is a simple, semi-transparent window that appears for quick queries on your device.

Bixby's looking to catch up

One UI 8.5 Bixby integration with Perplexity & Deepseek adds Bixby Live, Circle to Ask, AI generation and more from r/oneui

These supposed changes for Bixby were found in Samsung's One UI 8.5 test; however, early signs were hinted at back in October. A social media post highlighted that Samsung was experimenting with a new Bixby pop-up bar when summoned on a Galaxy device. The bar would adhere to your Light or Dark mode choice and feature a colorful blue/purple color scheme around its edges.

It definitely gives a more Gemini-esque feel to the otherwise plain and under-the-radar AI.

On a more substantial note, Samsung was recently spotted testing its Perplexity AI integration with Bixby. A report notes that the company was testing the AI's responses for queries given to Bixby, furthering suspicions around its potential upgrades for the full One UI 8.5 release. More than that, leaks indicate that Bixby could handle basic tasks, while Perplexity's intelligence comes in for "complex, web-backed" questions.