How do I use Samsung voice commands?
Samsung’s voice commands allow users to control certain smart TV functions through voice controls instead of using the remote. This hands-free operation makes it easier and quicker to access common features like changing channels, adjusting volume, opening apps, and more.[1]
The capabilities and support vary across Samsung smart TV models, but generally the voice assistant can understand natural language requests to play media, launch apps, search for content, control smart home devices, get answers from the web, and access settings.[2] With a built-in microphone on the TV or remote, users can activate Samsung’s propriety voice assistant with a wake word and then speak their commands.
Overall, Samsung’s voice commands aim to provide a convenient hands-free way to quickly access common smart TV features and functions using natural voice requests.
Activating Voice Commands
To start using voice commands on your Samsung device, you first need to activate either Bixby or Google Assistant. Bixby is Samsung’s proprietary voice assistant, while Google Assistant is developed by Google. Both can be used to control your device hands-free.
To activate Bixby, press and hold the side key on your Samsung Galaxy device until you hear a tone. Say “Hi Bixby” and follow the on-screen prompts to complete setup. You can also open the Bixby app and sign in with your Samsung account (Samsung).
For Google Assistant, open the Google app and tap “More” then “Settings.” Go to “Voice” and turn on “Hey Google” detection. You can also train Google Assistant to recognize your voice for more personalized results (Google).
Once enabled, you can activate either assistant at any time by saying their wake words – “Hi Bixby” or “Hey Google.” The assistant will listen for your voice command.
Basic Commands
With Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, you can use voice commands to complete common tasks like setting alarms, reminders, and calendar events. Some examples of basic voice commands include:
“Hi Bixby, set an alarm for 7am.” This will set an alarm on your Samsung phone for the specified time.
“Hi Bixby, remind me to call Mom at 5pm.” This creates a reminder notification at the chosen time.
“Hi Bixby, schedule a meeting with John for next Thursday at 2pm.” This adds a calendar event for the given date/time.
You can also ask Bixby to open apps, play music, make calls, send texts, check the weather, and more using your voice. The capabilities are quite extensive for controlling your Samsung device hands-free.
According to Samsung’s website, Bixby can understand natural language voice commands and complete tasks through third party apps as well. With some practice, Bixby’s voice controls can help you quickly execute common tasks on your Samsung device.
Smart Home Controls
One of the most useful Samsung voice commands is the ability to control your Samsung SmartThings compatible smart home devices like lights, thermostats and appliances using just your voice.[1](https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-home/smartthings/b2bapp/) To get started, you’ll need to make sure your smart home devices like Philips Hue lights or Nest thermostats are connected to the SmartThings app.
Once set up, you can use voice commands like “Hey Bixby, turn on the kitchen lights” or “Hi Bixby, set the thermostat to 72 degrees.” Samsung SmartThings allows for deep integration and control of hundreds of different smart home products through the convenience of voice commands.
You can also create custom voice commands called Bixby Routines that trigger a sequence of smart home actions. For example saying “Good morning” could turn on the lights, start the coffee maker and turn up the thermostat all in one go. The level of hands-free smart home control and automation possible with Samsung voice commands is extremely impressive.
Media Controls
You can control media playback directly from Samsung’s voice commands. This allows you to pause, play, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more without having to touch your phone.
To use media controls, first make sure you have the latest version of the Samsung Music app installed. Then activate voice commands by saying “Hi Bixby” or holding down the Bixby button.
Some common media voice commands include:
- “Pause music” – Pauses music playback
- “Play music” – Resumes music playback
- “Next track” – Skips to the next song
- “Previous track” – Goes back to the previous song
- “Volume up” – Increases media volume
- “Volume down” – Decreases media volume
You can also use more natural phrasing like “Turn it up” or “Skip this song.” Bixby is quite intelligent when it comes to interpreting media controls.
One limitation is that media controls only work with apps that support Bixby voice commands. So you may have limited functionality when using third-party streaming apps like Spotify.
Overall, Bixby makes it really convenient to control music playback completely hands-free. Just activate voice commands and say what you want to do – Bixby will take care of the rest!
Camera Controls
One of the most useful applications of Samsung’s voice commands is controlling the camera hands-free. This allows you to take high-quality photos and videos without needing to tap the shutter button.
To take a photo, simply say “Cheese”, “Shoot”, “Capture” or other variations while in the Camera app. You can also switch to video mode and say “Record video” to begin filming.
Other handy voice commands for the camera include:
- “Switch cameras” – Toggle between front and rear cameras.
- “Wide selfie” – Take wide-angle selfie shots.
- “Live focus” – Enable the depth effect for portraits.
- “Timer mode” – Set a self-timer before taking a photo.
One tip is that the wake phrase may need to be re-enabled in your camera settings for voice commands to work properly (source). Overall, voice control makes capturing photos and videos quicker and easier when your hands are full or you’re in action.
Navigation
Bixby can provide turn-by-turn navigation and help you find points of interest using voice commands. To get directions, say “Hi Bixby, navigate to [location]”. Bixby will open Google Maps or your preferred navigation app and provide directions to that destination [1].
You can also ask Bixby to locate specific places nearby. For example, “Hi Bixby, find coffee shops near me” will search for nearby coffee shops using the Google Maps API and display the results [2]. Other examples include “Hi Bixby, find [restaurant name] near me” or “Hi Bixby, find gas stations nearby.” Bixby can help you find points of interest like restaurants, hotels, gas stations, parks, hospitals, and more.
If you need directions to a contact’s address, say “Hi Bixby, get directions to [contact name].” Bixby will look up that contact’s address in your phonebook and provide navigation instructions.
Web Searches
You can use Samsung voice commands to search the web for information hands-free. To initiate a web search, activate the voice assistant and say “Search the web for [query]” or “Google [query].” The voice assistant will search the web through your preferred search engine and read back the first few results.
This can be useful for quickly looking up facts, getting definitions, finding nearby businesses, getting sports scores, checking the weather, and more without having to type on your phone. According to Samsung’s website, you can say commands like:
“Search the web for coffee shops nearby”
“Search for the tallest mountain in the world”
“Google when is the next full moon”
The voice assistant will read back the first few web search results out loud. You can then select a result to open the page for more details. This makes web searches quick and hands-free so you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to look something up.
Settings
You can customize various preferences for the Samsung voice assistant Bixby through the Settings menu. This allows you to tailor the assistant to your preferences.
To access Bixby settings, open the Settings app on your Samsung device and select “Apps.” Then choose “Default apps” and select “Digital assistant app.” Here you can choose between Bixby and other installed voice assistants as your default.
Tap on “Bixby” to access detailed settings. Under “Voice wake-up,” you can enable or disable the “Hi Bixby” wake word. “Voice response” allows you to select a male or female voice. There are also options to have Bixby read aloud notifications, respond in hands-free mode, and more.
You can tailor the assistant’s understanding of your voice under “Voice Match.” Improve recognition by recording voice samples. Turn on “Personalization” to have Bixby learn your voice patterns and vocabulary.
Other options include changing the Bixby voice speed, receiving usage reports, and viewing the Bixby privacy policy. See Samsung’s support site for more details on customizing Bixby voice settings.
Troubleshooting Voice Commands
If you are having issues with voice commands not working properly on your Samsung device, here are some troubleshooting steps to try:
First, make sure the microphone on your Samsung device is not blocked or covered. Clear any obstructions that may be preventing the microphone from picking up your voice commands properly.
Next, check that voice wake-up has been enabled on your device. Go to Settings > Apps > Voice Wake-up and make sure the feature is turned on.
You may also need to train the voice recognition to better recognize your voice. Go to Settings > Voice Wake-up > Voice wake-up sensitivity and read aloud the phrases to refine the microphone tuning.
If voice commands are still not working, try rebooting your Samsung device. Power it off completely, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on. This can clear any software glitches that may be interfering with voice recognition.
Check for any available software updates for your device. Install the latest updates, as they may contain fixes for any voice command issues.
As a last resort, you can reset your device to factory default settings. This will erase all data but may resolve persistent voice control problems. Just be sure to backup anything important first.
If you still cannot get voice commands to work after trying these troubleshooting tips, you may need to contact Samsung support for further assistance. The support experts can help diagnose and resolve even tricky voice recognition issues.