Samsung Galaxy S26 series: Core Galaxy AI updates

Now, Photo Assist allows users to use text prompts to instruct and edit photos. Not only can you instruct Galaxy AI on what to remove, but it can also add what you need to the photo. The clip above demonstrates how it restores missing food chunks.

Note that such generative edits would append a “generated by AI” watermark on your resulting image.

Call Screening is voicemail Pro Max

Another powerful AI-assisted tool is Call Screening, and it’s one of our favourites. It’s like bringing back voicemail, but it’s more powerful because the phone will ask for the caller’s purpose.

Whatever they claim is transcribed onto your display, putting the power of picking up calls in your hands, and alleviating you from the anxiety of having to speak on the phone.

Bixby, now with added Perplexity 

Perplexity’s API is now integrated into Samsung’s on-device assistant, Bixby. This gives Perplexity access to a host of Samsung first-party default apps (Notes, Clock, Reminder, Gallery, Calendar, etc.) and access to some third-party ones. Samsung said it’s to give users greater choice over their preferred AI service. To trigger it, the wake phrase is “Hey Plex”.

Bixby itself also received a small upgrade. It’s now inculcated with knowledge about your Galaxy mobile, so it can guide you on making small changes to your settings or teach you how to optimise the phone’s performance to your liking. For instance, you can ask for tips on how to make the battery last longer, or how to access specific settings without having to trawl through your Settings app.

Multi-object Circle To Search

Google’s upgrade in Circle To Search now lets you search multiple items in a single image. Despite being a Google-made feature, its partnership with Samsung meant that the feature debuts on the Galaxy S26 series.

Each search is conducted separately, and you can tap on each item to go into greater detail. The example Google gives is circling a tank full of fish, and the search engine will give you the names of all the different species. It can also relate all the items together, like explaining how they co-exist (with references, of course). 

This also works with outfits and furniture, among other circle-able things.

Creative Studio is now all-in-one

Previously, Galaxy AI features like Sketch To Image (turning sketches into AI images) and Generative Edit (turning real-life selfies into AI images) were separate, distinct features with their own names. 

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To simplify it, Samsung has now bundled it all together and called it Creative Studio. Additional features include the ability to make sticker sets for texting.

Document Scan with PDF saving

It took Samsung a long time to bring this feature to its phones, but it now lets you use your phone’s camera to digitise your hard-copy receipts and wet-signature documents. Samsung calls it Document Scan.

By default, Document Scan removes creases and fingers caught inside the document, but it doesn’t orient it for you (you’ll need to use its image-editing apps to tilt it).

Our favourite Document Scan feature, however, is the ability to save the images as PDFs without having to open them elsewhere for the same functionality.

More about Galaxy AI

With these new perks, it’s clear that Samsung is making Galaxy AI indispensable even for routine tasks and processes. We’ve actually covered its progress over the years, and you can follow it here.

These Galaxy AI features are available right out of the box when you purchase a Galaxy S26 series smartphone. Pre-orders on 26 February 2026, and retail officially begins on 11 March 2026. More details about its pricing and availability can be found here.