Samsung has confirmed that its upcoming flagship smartphones, widely expected to form the Galaxy S26 series, will support a new Perplexity “hotword” — “Hey Plex” — as part of what the company describes as an “open and inclusive integrated AI ecosystem”.

The addition places Perplexity alongside existing assistants on Galaxy devices. “Hey Google” has long been available on Android handsets, while Samsung’s own “Hey Bixby” remains an optional wake phrase on its smartphones. With “Hey Plex” entering the mix, Galaxy users will effectively have three distinct hotwords operating on the same device.

According to Samsung, “Hey Plex” will activate Perplexity on “upcoming flagship Galaxy devices”. That suggests Perplexity will be pre-installed rather than offered as a downloadable add-on.
The Perplexity agent will work across Samsung’s core apps, including Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder and Calendar, and will extend to certain third-party applications, although Samsung has yet to name them. By embedding the assistant at system level, the company says it aims to enable multi-step workflows, allowing users to move between tasks without manually managing individual apps.

The company describes its approach as a “vision for a rich, open and integrated multi-agent ecosystem” within Galaxy AI. It cites internal data suggesting that nearly eight in 10 users now rely on more than two types of AI agents, underscoring what it sees as growing demand for flexibility rather than allegiance to a single assistant.

Won-Joon Choi, president, COO and head of the R&D office for Samsung’s mobile experience business, said the expansion is intended to offer greater choice in how users complete tasks. “Galaxy AI acts as an orchestrator, bringing together different forms of AI into a single, natural, cohesive experience,” Choi said.

The announcement arrives just days before Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event unfolds on February 25.

Samsung and Perplexity have previously partnered to bring the company’s AI search engine to Samsung televisions, and the latest development extends that relationship to the company’s flagship mobile devices. Further information on supported models and specific features is expected to be revealed shortly.