Samsung has already released the only cool thing about the Galaxy S26’s AI
What you need to know
- Samsung’s first software update for the Galaxy S26 series removed the “Hey Plex” wake-up phrase that activated the Perplexity AI hands-free assistant.
- Besides toggling “Hey Plex discovery” in settings, users now have to turn on Perplexity manually or use the side button.
- Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed that the command will return “Hey Perplexity.”
Samsung’s new phones recently lost the feature it introduced, but this change could point to something big about the future of AI in Galaxy devices.
When Samsung introduced the Galaxy S26 series earlier this year, it highlighted its growing AI system. In addition to Bixby and Google Gemini, the company introduced a third assistant called Perplexity AI.
The main feature of this compilation was the new resurrection sentence. Instead of pressing buttons or opening apps, you can just say “Hey Plex” and the Perplexity assistant will pop up right away, even if the screen is off.
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Android Central Take
Samsung’s quick removal of “Hey Plex” after launch suggests that the feature may not have been fully developed yet. While the transition to “Hey Perplexity” may strengthen the branding, the sudden change may create the impression that the release lacks planning.
Now, that feature has suddenly disappeared. According to SamMobile, after the first Galaxy S26 software update, the “Hey Plex discovery” option was removed from the Perplexity app settings. Without that change, the voice command no longer starts the assistant.
Currently, Galaxy S26 users have two hands-free assistants. Fuzzy still works on the device, but you have to launch it manually, either with the side button or by opening the app.
Why did Samsung remove it
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed to X that the revival talk is not being removed; it just changes. Instead of “Hey Plex,” the command will be “Hey Perplexity.”
This means that the voice activation feature is temporarily disabled while Samsung and Perplexity switch to a new wake-up voice.
Neither company has provided a detailed explanation, but the short phrase “Hey Plex” may carry over to other brands or products that use the same name. Switching to the full term “Confusion” would help avoid confusion and make the identity of the assistant clearer.
Android Central Take
For now, this is a good example of how things work behind the scenes in the AI world. Releases are rarely perfect, trigger names change, and sometimes a feature you expect disappears, and you come back with a better name. Your S26 is still a powerful phone, and when “Hey Perplexity” goes live, you’ll have one of the most versatile AI setups of any smartphone.
With the Galaxy S26, Samsung focused on setting up multiple assistants instead of just one AI. Users can switch between assistants based on their needs, such as using Gemini for Google-powered questions, Bixby for device controls, or Perplexity for survey-style answers from the web.
Perplexity is also deeply integrated into Samsung’s ecosystem. It can work with apps like Samsung Notes, Calendar, and Reminders, so users can pull information from these apps or save replies directly to them.
Currently, Galaxy S26 owners need to launch Perplexity manually. When a new wake-up phrase is available, voice access should return the command “Hey Perplexity”.
