Summary

  • A leak suggests Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 series could feature a dedicated ‘Hey Gemini’ wake word for the AI assistant, potentially replacing or supplementing ‘Hey Google.’
  • While ‘Hey Gemini’ has previously been hinted at for VR/AR platforms, its potential arrival on smartphones is a major development.
  • The new wake word could debut with the Galaxy S25 series on January 22.



For years now, the “Hey Google” phrase has been the ubiquitous trigger for invoking the Google Assistant on smartphones, smart displays, Chromebooks, and more. However, the tech giant’s recent core focus (clearly) has shifted away from Google Assistant to Gemini AI, and the lack of a dedicated “Hey Gemini” wake word feels like a glaring omission.

For reference, Gemini AI on Android doesn’t have a dedicated wake word, with “Hey Google” currently the primary hotword for both Google Assistant and Gemini, depending on which one you set as your default. The shared functionality, however, could be short-lived.

Lower part of a phone showing Google's Gemini prompt on Android

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We’ve seen hints about a potential “Hey Gemini” hotword in the past, although not in the context of smartphones. For reference, the tech giant unveiled its Android XR platform towards the end of last year. The operating system, which is poised to power some upcoming VR/AR headsets and smart glasses, including Samsung’s “Project Moohan,” is reportedly developed with Google Gemini at its core.

As seen in Android XR teaser videos shared by the tech giant, it is evident that the platform aims to make full use of the “Hey Gemini” hotword, especially since Android XR is not expected to offer Google Assistant support.

Whether the new hotword would be exclusive to the “Android platform built for the Gemini AI era” was previously unknown. Now, however, we have new clues that strongly suggest the wake word will make its way to smartphones, and it could happen as soon as this month.



The evidence comes in the form of a Galaxy S25 leak that details the upcoming series’ AI prowess. Brazilian publication Tecnoblog got its hands on what appears to be genuine marketing material for Samsung’s upcoming flagship series, and although all the promotional images are in Portuguese, the reference to “Hey Google Gemini” is unmistakable.


Less than a week to find out

A screenshot highlighting the usage of Hey Gemini wake word in the original marketing material.

Source: Tecnoblog

“Oi Google Gemini,” reads the promotional image, with a prompt that roughly translates to “list the places mentioned in this video and save a note.” The prompt not only highlights Gemini’s ability to summarize and parse through YouTube videos, but it also highlights the AI tool’s integration with Samsung Notes. More importantly, though, it highlights the dedicated Gemini wake word we’ve been hoping to see.



One discrepancy, however, is that the material says “Hey Google Gemini,” and not simply “Hey Gemini.” This seems counterintuitive, as it doesn’t really replace “Hey Google,” it only makes it longer by adding Gemini as a suffix. Notably, the Android XR demos clearly used “Hey Gemini,” and not “Hey Google Gemini,” so we’re hoping the same will be the case here.

If the promotional images are indeed genuine, which they appear to be, highlighting other features like Now Brief and specs that we’ve come to expect, then the “Hey Gemini” hot word could indeed make its debut with the Galaxy S25 on January 22.

A graphic highlighting Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

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