Samsung Bixby Sends Data Despite Privacy Switch
Voice commands transmit to servers even when users enable the Process data only on device setting.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Samsung Bixby continues to transmit voice and typed query data to remote servers regardless of the activation of the Process data only on device privacy switch. The feature designed to keep data local only covers specific Galaxy AI tools and does not currently extend to Bixby within One UI 8.5.
Why it matters
Samsung utilizes server-side processing for Bixby to support complex natural language understanding and real-time web search capabilities. This discrepancy highlights how specific privacy controls may not apply across all platform features if users assume the switch covers the entire device ecosystem.
Traffic analysis revealed that Bixby sends approximately 54KB of data per spoken command and 17KB per typed query to the aibixby.com domain. Additionally, a single search answer can trigger connections to 15 different websites within seven seconds.
The players
Samsung
A multinational technology conglomerate that manufactures Galaxy smartphones and develops the Bixby voice assistant.
Perplexity
An artificial intelligence research company that provides the underlying search engine technology for Bixby's real-time web capabilities.
The details
While the privacy switch covers certain Photo Assist tools, it excludes Bixby, which requires server-side processing to power its Perplexity-based web search functionality. Users must separately enable a specific offline processing mode within Bixby Voice settings to restrict these server connections, though that mode only supports basic commands.
Timeline
On October 30, 2026, reports confirmed the privacy switch limitations regarding Bixby data transmission.
The Tech Race
The reliance on server-side processing for natural language understanding reflects a broader industry tension between enabling complex AI capabilities and maintaining user data privacy. As voice assistants like Bixby integrate more web-based tools, the architectural shift toward cloud-based processing complicates the promise of local-only device controls.
Users seeking to prevent data transmission must navigate to the specific Bixby Voice settings menu to enable offline processing, as the main Galaxy AI privacy switch is insufficient for this task. Be aware that enabling this mode will limit Bixby to simple commands and disable the natural language and web search features.
The takeaway
Privacy settings are often granular and rarely apply to all features across a complex software ecosystem simultaneously. Always verify individual settings within specific app menus if you are concerned about server-side data collection.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence to understand how cloud-based voice processing functions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Android Police.
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