Bixby Vision is a feature built into some Samsung Galaxy devices that enhances the camera app with artificial intelligence. It can identify places and objects, translate text, and more.

What is Bixby Vision?

Bixby Vision is a combination of several related technologies. Since it offers to take action on your behalf, it’s part virtual assistant.

In fact, it’s the imaging component of Bixby, Samsung’s personal assistant, which is meant to work in much the same way as Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri.

It’s also considered augmented reality because it superimposes information over real-world imagery. Bixby Vision can identify text and objects through the camera and overlay options to take relevant action.

Pointing the camera at a book, for example, can translate the text live as you look at it. This is possible because Bixby Vision is based on an artificial intelligence machine learning platform.

How to Get Started Using Bixby Vision

Bixby Vision lives within the Camera app. Here’s where to find it:

1. Start the Camera app.

2. Tap Bixby Vision at the top left of the screen. If you don’t see it there, tap More first.

3. Point the camera at an object to see suggestions you can take based on what Bixby Vision identifies.

What You Can Do With Bixby Vision

Several abilities are baked into Bixby Vision, but it’s still easy to use because you can pick how the software interprets what you’re seeing. Here are some of Bixby Vision’s major features and how to use them:

Extract Text From Images

Bixby Vision works like a scanner and Optical Character Recognition software. Point the camera at some text and then tap Text at the bottom. Bixby Vision will let you highlight the text it finds so that you can copy, translate, or share it.

Translate Text in Real Time

While Text mode can translate text, as shown above, Bixby Vision also has a dedicated Translate mode. Translating text this way is a little faster, and you can choose from a long list of target languages.

To use Bixby Vision as a translator app, tap Translate at the bottom and then point the camera at some text, like a sign or restaurant menu.

Find Similar Images With Bixby Vision

Select Discover at the bottom of the Camera app, and then point the camera at any object. Bixby Vision displays similar images it finds online. This is particularly useful if you’re not sure how to describe something that you want more information about.

More Ways to Use Bixby Vision

If you open the settings for Bixby Vision, you can turn on Accessibility modes. This lets you use four tools that further expand this feature’s usefulness: Scene describer, Object identifier, Text reader, and Color detector.

Together, they help make sense of what’s around you and are particularly useful for people who struggle with their vision.

There’s also a special wine search tool built in. Just like these other methods, you can use this mode by tapping Wine at the bottom and then pointing the camera at a wine bottle label.