What that you must know
- Samsung’s first software program replace for the Galaxy S26 sequence eliminated the “Hey Plex” wake phrase that activated the Perplexity AI assistant hands-free.
- With out the “Hey Plex detection” toggle in settings, customers now need to open Perplexity manually or use the facet button.
- Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed the command will return as “Hey Perplexity.”
Samsung’s latest flagship telephones simply misplaced a characteristic they launched with, however this transformation might level to one thing greater for the way forward for AI on Galaxy gadgets.
When Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 lineup earlier this yr, it highlighted its rising AI ecosystem. Along with Bixby and Google’s Gemini, the corporate launched a 3rd assistant known as Perplexity AI.
A key characteristic of this integration was a brand new wake phrase. As a substitute of urgent buttons or opening apps, you would merely say “Hey Plex” and the Perplexity assistant would seem instantly, even when the display was off.
Article continues beneath
Android Central’s Take
Samsung’s fast elimination of “Hey Plex” after launch suggests the characteristic might not have been totally ready. Whereas switching to “Hey Perplexity” might strengthen branding, the sudden change might create a notion that the rollout lacked planning.
Now, that characteristic has all of the sudden disappeared. In response to SamMobile, after the first Galaxy S26 software program replace, the “Hey Plex detection” choice was faraway from the Perplexity app’s settings. With out that toggle, the voice command not launches the assistant.
For now, Galaxy S26 customers have two hands-free assistants. Perplexity nonetheless works on the system, however it’s important to launch it manually, both with the facet button or by opening the app.
Why Samsung eliminated it
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed on X that the wake phrase shouldn’t be being eliminated; it’s simply altering. As a substitute of “Hey Plex,” the command will develop into “Hey Perplexity.”
This implies the voice activation characteristic is briefly disabled whereas Samsung and Perplexity change to the brand new wake phrase.
Neither firm has given an in depth clarification, however the shorter “Hey Plex” phrase would possibly overlap with different manufacturers or merchandise that use the identical title. Switching to the complete “Perplexity” title might assist keep away from confusion and make the assistant’s identification clearer.
Android Central’s Take
For now, it is a good instance of how issues work behind the scenes within the AI world. Rollouts are not often good, wake phrases change, and typically a characteristic you anticipated disappears, solely to come back again with a greater title. Your S26 remains to be a strong cellphone, and when “Hey Perplexity” goes reside, you’ll have one of the crucial versatile AI setups on any smartphone.
With the Galaxy S26, Samsung is specializing in a multi-assistant setup as a substitute of only one AI. Customers can change between assistants primarily based on their wants, like utilizing Gemini for Google-powered questions, Bixby for system controls, or Perplexity for research-style solutions from the online.
Perplexity can also be extra deeply built-in into Samsung’s ecosystem. It may work with apps like Samsung Notes, Calendar, and Reminders, so customers can pull info from these apps or save solutions on to them.
Proper now, Galaxy S26 house owners have to launch Perplexity manually. As soon as the brand new wake phrase is offered, voice entry ought to come again with the “Hey Perplexity” command.
