Samsung is working on a new “raise-to-talk” gesture for activating Bixby in One UI 9. The company is currently Beta testing One UI 8.5 on various models and internally crafting Android 17-based One UI 9 for the Galaxy S26 series.

Virtual assistants were supposed to fade into the background. On Samsung phones, Bixby still feels like something you have to deliberately call upon, either with a wake word or a button press, as per the AndroidAuthority report.

Early signs are coming from a leaked build tied to Bixby version 4.1.10.2. That’s a jump from the current 4.0.51.0 found on devices like the Galaxy S26 running One UI 8.5.

The new build hints at a gesture-based trigger. Pick up your phone, bring it closer to your face, and Bixby may start listening. No wake word, no word; just intent inferred from movement.

Google already tested similar ideas. Not on phones, though; on wearables. The Pixel Watch 4 introduced a raise-to-talk gesture, letting users trigger Assistant by simply lifting their wrist and speaking. It works because the context is predictable.

Image source – Android Authority

You don’t randomly raise your wrist to your mouth, as phones are different. We pick them up constantly; to scroll, to check notifications, to unlock, which makes Samsung’s approach riskier.

If Bixby reacts every time the phone moves toward your face, you’re looking at a flood of unintended triggers. The leaked strings suggest Samsung is aware of this.

There are hints of proximity or volume thresholds, possibly requiring the device to detect both movement and a certain level of voice input before activating.

One UI 9 hasn’t even entered beta, and Samsung’s timeline is still fluid. A summer preview wouldn’t be surprising, especially as we move closer to the next foldable cycle, likely around the Galaxy Z Fold 8 generation.

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