Summary
- Samsung has quietly discontinued Bixby’s Quick Commands feature.
- The functionality allowed users to create custom voice shortcuts for a series of actions. The feature’s absence significantly reduces Bixby’s utility for custom workflows.
- Users have reverted to older Bixby versions to retain Quick Commands, though this is not a long-term solution.
Samsung’s Bixby continues fading into the background. The South Korean tech giant is innovating, but its reliance on Google’s software prowess in key areas is clear as day.
Its latest Galaxy S25 series devices come with a trove of features powered by Google, including Google Maps and sports score support for the Now Bar, software support for accessibility features for hearing aids and HID-based braille displays, and a clear push towards Gemini. Samsung users can now access Gemini by pressing the side/power button — prime real estate previously occupied by Bixby.
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Support for adding images, files, and YouTube videos for Gemini Live, alongside integration of native apps like Samsung Clock, Calendar, Notes, and Reminds paints a clear picture — one where Bixby is relegated to the tertiary spot, even after it’s poised to receive an AI makeover. If the lack of attention wasn’t enough, Samsung is also stripping Bixby of some of its remaining functionality.
Back in December, with Bixby Voice version 3.6.40.26, Samsung quietly removed one of the smart assistant’s key features: Quick Commands. The change went largely unnoticed by us, with TechIssuesToday putting it on the radar.
Quick Commands essentially allowed users to set a voice command to trigger specific actions. For example, you could set the word “Good morning” to automatically disable DND, “Snap” to trigger the camera, “Memories” to open the gallery, and so on.
Bixby always tries to provide a better service by checking various opinions related to its usefulness. As a result, Bixby has recently been updated with a new version. However, as part of this process, we inform you that some features from the previous version will no longer be available, and we apologize for any inconvenience. We beg your understanding as it was a decision to improve the experience of using the service.
That’s a direct excerpt from a Samsung support notice dated December 1, 2024, also highlighting the end of support for the Discover page.
Bixby power users (if there’s such a thing) are clearly unhappy with the change, with one user saying that they had over 80 quick commands that suddenly went dark post-update. “Literally the only thing I used bixby for and really liked. Goddammit,” said a different Bixby user.
Some are now looking to utilize Bixby Routines, while others have found temporary workarounds by rolling back to older Bixby versions. September 2024-released Bixby Voice version 3.5.12.12, for example, still offers Quick Commands. However, the functionality is living on borrowed time, and the old build will eventually be rendered obsolete, prompting even more users to jump ship.
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