What is Galaxy AI?

What is Galaxy AI? It’s Samsung’s built-in set of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for select Galaxy phones, tablets, watches, earbuds, and Samsung apps. Instead of opening a separate AI app, you’ll find Galaxy AI inside calls, messages, photos, notes, search, productivity, and daily alerts.

Some features run on the phone, and others use the cloud for more demanding tasks, such as generative photo edits. For most people, Samsung Galaxy AI can mean faster translations, cleaner photos, sharper notes, and smarter help in the apps they already use.

• Galaxy AI is built into Samsung’s Galaxy experience and isn’t a separate app or single chatbot.
• Galaxy AI features vary by device, software version, region, carrier, and app support.
• The most useful Galaxy AI tools help with communication, productivity, photos, and media.
• Some features run on the phone, while others use the cloud.

Galaxy AI is built into the foundation of supported Galaxy devices and Samsung apps. It can help with everyday tasks, such as translating a call, summarizing meeting notes, cleaning up a photo, and finding content in supported Samsung apps. Its value depends on your device, apps, and how often these tools can reduce steps in everyday tasks.

Galaxy AI isn’t a separate app — here’s what makes it different

Galaxy AI isn’t one app you download. It’s Samsung’s name for artificial intelligence features built into One UI, the Galaxy operating system. It’s also built into Samsung apps such as Phone, Messages, Samsung Notes, Voice Recorder, Gallery, and Samsung Internet.

You don’t always have to open a separate assistant or type a prompt. Galaxy AI can show up based on what you’re doing. For example, translation can appear during a call. Note help appears inside Samsung Notes. Photo tools sit inside Gallery. Search can work on the screen you’re already viewing. That can mean fewer steps, less app switching, and more help handling tasks while you stay in control.

Galaxy AI doesn’t process every task the same way. Some features run right on the phone, which can improve speed and privacy. More demanding tools, like generative photo editing, may use cloud processing to finish the job.

Samsung described the Galaxy S26 series, launched in February 2026, as its third generation of AI phones. The company said the phones can handle complex tasks in the background, so users can focus on results instead of the technology.¹

Galaxy AI works best when it helps handle everyday tasks and reduces the number of steps you need to take, such as making calls, editing photos and videos, and organizing notes.

The Galaxy AI features you’ll actually notice

The Galaxy AI features most people notice first are the ones built into everyday phone tasks: calls, photos, videos, notes, messages, and search. In general, they fall into four areas: communication, photos and videos, productivity, and search.

Because the tools appear inside familiar apps, they can be easier to learn. You can translate a call, clean up a photo, summarize notes, or find content in supported apps without moving everything into a separate AI app.

Communication and translation

Live Translate provides real-time translation during phone calls, and the person on the other end doesn’t need a separate app. Interpreter helps with in-person conversations by showing translated text or playing translated audio. Language support varies by region, device, carrier, and software version.

The Galaxy S26 series adds Call Screening. When an unknown caller reaches you and you’re unavailable, on-device AI can answer, ask for the caller’s name and reason for calling, and save a recording and transcript for review.²

Photos and videos

Photo Assist helps edit images in Gallery. You can move or remove objects, clean up backgrounds, adjust scenes, or describe changes in plain language. Samsung labels images when generative AI changes the photo. This helps show when AI altered or created part of the image.

Samsung also extends Galaxy AI into video and creative design on the Galaxy S26 line. Advanced Audio Eraser can reduce or isolate background sounds while you watch videos, including some videos in third-party apps. That can make dialogue or key sounds easier to hear.

Creative Studio lets you generate drawings, stickers, wallpapers, and shareable cards from a sketch, photo, or text prompt.

Search and productivity

Galaxy AI can help you find content in supported Samsung apps. With AI-powered Gallery search, you can type a few words into the search bar to find specific photos in your Gallery. In Settings, you can type a question or describe what you need, such as finding a document on your phone.

Galaxy AI can also help organize everyday tasks and reduce the number of steps you need to take.

• Note Assist in Samsung Notes can summarize, organize, and reformat notes.
• Transcript Assist turns voice recordings into searchable text.
• Writing Assist can help with spelling, grammar, phrasing, and tone in supported apps.

Together, these tools show where Galaxy AI can be most useful: helping you finish common tasks with fewer taps, less app switching, and less manual cleanup.

While these tools can save you time, the same feature set isn’t available on every Galaxy phone. It’s important to check which Galaxy AI features are available on each device.

The Galaxy AI features running in the background

Some Galaxy AI features work quietly in the background. Samsung designed these features to make supported phones feel more helpful without constantly reminding you that AI is involved.

Now Brief creates daily summaries based on information already on the phone, such as calendar entries, messages, app notifications, weather, and travel details. Instead of opening several apps, you can see reminders, schedule items, reservations, and timely prompts in one place.

Now Nudge, available on the Galaxy S26 series, brings that idea into more specific moments. For example, if a friend texts asking for photos from a recent trip, the phone may suggest matching images from Gallery.

Samsung describes this direction as agentic AI, meaning the phone can suggest or take limited action based on context while you stay in control.

Which Samsung devices support Galaxy AI? Feature availability varies by supported Galaxy S series and Z series models.

Which Galaxy devices support Galaxy AI — and what’s different on S26

Galaxy AI launched with the Galaxy S24 series in January 2024 and has since expanded through software updates. Galaxy AI is supported on compatible Galaxy S series and Z series devices launched after January 2024, with select features expanded to older models such as the Galaxy S23 series.

You don’t always need the newest Galaxy S series or Z series phone to use select Galaxy AI features. Samsung has expanded select Galaxy AI features to older models to make AI tools available to more users around the world.

Availability varies by model, market, carrier, app, language, and software version, but many supported devices can access features such as Live Translate, Note Assist, Writing Assist, Photo Assist, Audio Eraser, and Transcript Assist.

The Galaxy S26 series adds features that may not be available on older devices. Samsung and industry reports identify Advanced Audio Eraser, Call Screening, Creative Studio, and improved Photo Assist as major S26 additions.³ The S26 generation also brings improved Circle to Search to help you “shop the look.”

Samsung also says on its Galaxy AI page that “Galaxy AI basic features provided by Samsung are free.”⁴ New or enhanced features may cost extra, but the baseline Galaxy AI experience on supported devices doesn’t require a subscription.

The S26 line may offer you the most complete Galaxy AI experience, but older supported phones still get many of the everyday tools people are likely to use most.

So, what is Galaxy AI in practical terms? It’s Samsung’s built-in set of artificial intelligence tools for supported calls, photos, notes, search, media, and daily prompts. It isn’t one app or just a chatbot. It’s a collection of features across supported Galaxy devices, with the S26 models getting the most advanced tools.

You can browse Samsung Galaxy phones, compare the Samsung Galaxy S26, or review the Galaxy S26 Ultra on att.com. Current Galaxy owners can also check upgrade eligibility or review AT&T Next Up Anytime for upgrade options.

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¹“Samsung Unveils Galaxy S26 Series: The Most Intuitive Galaxy AI Phone Yet,” Samsung Global Newsroom, February 26, 2026, https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-unveils-galaxy-s26-series-the-most-intuitive-galaxy-ai-phone-yet.

²Abhijeet Mishra, “All Samsung Devices That Are Getting Galaxy S26 AI Features with One UI 8.5,” SamMobile, April 20, 2026, https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s26-ai-features-one-ui-8-5-eligible-devices/.

³Ibid.

⁴ “Galaxy AI,” Samsung, accessed July 15, 2026, https://www.samsung.com/us/galaxy-ai/.