One UI 8.5 Leak Hints At Major Changes Coming To Bixby: New rumors about Bixby have been floating around for a while, but a fresh report on social media is giving us a clearer idea of how Samsung’s assistant could evolve next.
A Reddit user recently explored Samsung’s One UI 8.5 build and claims to have uncovered signs of a major Bixby overhaul, as reported by SamMobile. One of the most interesting discoveries is a feature called “Bixby Live.” If that name rings a bell, it is because it appears to work a lot like Google’s Gemini Live, at least based on what has been spotted so far.
One UI 8.5 Leak Hints at more visual, interactive Bixby
According to the findings, turning on Bixby Live would trigger a multi-colored strip that runs around the edges of your phone’s screen. In the middle, there is a circle that likely shows the AI is active. At the bottom of the display, Bixby will be “listening,” along with buttons that let you mute the mic, share your camera, or upload files.
SamMobile also notes that a dropdown menu seems to hint at new “conversational styles” for Bixby. These include options like general agent, tour guide, storyteller, interview, and more, suggesting users could tailor how Bixby talks and responds.
Chat features and AI-generated content
There are also signs that Bixby is gaining AI generation tools. One screenshot shared by the Reddit user shows a clear disclaimer that reads “content above was generated by AI.” This points to Bixby creating responses rather than just pulling basic info.
Two other screenshots show different ways to chat with Bixby. In its main app, the experience looks a lot like a full chat thread, similar to what users see with Gemini. It even references “Circle to Ask,” which sounds very close to Google’s Circle to Search.
For quicker questions, Bixby may also offer a smaller, semi-transparent chat window that pops up over whatever you are doing, making it easy to ask something without fully opening the app.
Bixby’s push to catch up
These rumored upgrades were found in an early One UI 8.5 test build, but hints of change appeared as far back as October. At that time, a social media post suggested Samsung was testing a new Bixby pop-up bar. This bar reportedly matched your Light or Dark mode and featured a blue and purple glow around the edges.
Overall, the new look feels much closer to Gemini and far more noticeable than Bixby’s usual low-key design.
Beyond visuals, Samsung also seems to be experimenting with smarter answers. The company was recently seen testing Perplexity AI integration with Bixby. Reports suggest Samsung was checking how Perplexity’s responses would work when users ask Bixby questions. This has fueled speculation that Bixby could handle basic tasks on its own, while Perplexity steps in for more advanced, “complex, web-backed” questions.
If these leaks are accurate, Bixby could finally be gearing up for a much-needed refresh that makes it feel more modern, capable, and competitive.
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