(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung launched Galaxy AI in last year's Galaxy S24, and this year, new and enhanced AI tools are by far the biggest change for the Galaxy S25. Samsung says some features might trickle down to older phones, but for now, they're reserved for its latest flagship lineup.
From Gemini integration to offline generative image editing, these are the five AI features we're most looking forward to testing.
1. Cross App Action
AI is getting better at finding specific information no matter how you word your query. However, once you get that info, you have to figure out what to do next. Depending on what you need, you might have to copy and paste your result into a calendar event, email, or note. With the Galaxy S25, Samsung introduces Cross App Action to streamline the process.
Here's how it works. Launch Google Gemini and say, "Put the next Buffalo Bills game on my calendar." Gemini will search for and grab the scheduling information and then create the event in your calendar with that request. It can handle even more complex requests like, "Find me pet-friendly vegan restaurants and send that list to Joey." In this scenario, it searches for those places in your area and will then send the list as an email or message. This Cross App Action eliminates the need to cut and paste the results from one app into another. We saw a demo of this in action, and it works fairly seamlessly.
At launch, Cross App Action works with Google and Samsung apps and a few third-party ones like Spotify and WhatsApp.
2. Natural Language Search
The Gallery app and Settings menu are the first of the Galaxy S25 devices to gain access to natural language search. Normally, when seeking a particular photo, you might have to remember when and where the event took place to help locate it in your library. Now, you are able to search based on the content of the image and its metadata. For example, you can say, "Find pictures of the wedding in Pittsburgh," and Galaxy AI will look for images that match the idea of a wedding in the specified location. You don't have to search for "white dress" to find a wedding (although that should work, too). Your searches can be more conceptual than concrete.
These natural search tools in the Settings menu may prove quite useful. The Settings menu of most phones is lengthy and contains dozens of features buried in multiple layers of submenus. Specific settings can be a pain to locate. With the S25, you can say certain things like, "My eyes hurt from looking at the screen," and it will bring you to a setting that can reduce eye strain, like the Eye Comfort Shield. This type of search can be helpful to novices and experts alike.
3. Time to Get Personal
The Galaxy S25 will learn your habits over time and can suggest routines to automate things. It does this via the Personal Data Engine, which analyzes user data to deliver personalized experiences.
For example, maybe you often turn on Bluetooth to pair with your car before you leave the house and then turn it off again when you get home. Samsung's AI will recognize this pattern and offer a routine to automate the process.
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This feature can also work in coordination with other Samsung devices. One scenario presented by Samsung demonstrated how a wearable or smart home device can assist with your sleep. For example, the personalized AI can learn that your sleep is better or worse at certain temperatures in your home. Galaxy AI can then alert you to this data and suggest a course of action, such as automatically adjusting the thermostat at bedtime.
4. Offline AI
AI requires a lot of processing power and that is often best left to remote servers accessed in the cloud. With the Galaxy S25, generative image editing is now possible without a network connection if you download a Large Language Model (LLM) pack. This Photos app feature lets you remove or resize items in an image, and when you do, your phone can fill in obscured areas. Until now, this required an active internet connection. With the S25, you can edit your photos no matter where you are. Samsung still allows you to use cloud-based processing if you prefer, and it says the results will be exactly the same.
Samsung also rolled out its own Audio Eraser in the Samsung Gallery app. It's similar to Google's Audio Magic Eraser in that it analyzes the background audio in a video and separates it into channels like wind, noise, voice, and music. Audio Eraser works completely offline, and you can remix the audio in real time, dialing back noise so the end result is easier to hear. It lets you actively alter each level as if you were using audio faders on a mixing board.
This is made possible in part by the new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which has improved AI tools thanks to its high-charged CPU, GPU, and NPU. It's better able to handle offline processing needs.
5. Improved Contextual Search
Sometimes, you want your phone to help you with something on the screen. Circle to Search is already a great tool that can help you find information about the text or images on your display. With the Galaxy S25, Circle to Search can now search the audio playing on your phone. If you're watching a video and want to know what song is playing in the background, you can use Circle to Search.
Additionally, Samsung's AI Select function can provide actionable suggestions depending on the context. If a video is playing and you call up AI Select, it could recommend making a GIF. If you're looking at a website, AI Select might suggest the Summarize tool. If there's text embedded within a video, AI Select lets you select and search it. AI Select makes these suggestions automatically.
Putting Galaxy AI to the Test
We're already putting the Galaxy S25 lineup and Galaxy AI through their paces. We're eager to see if these features work as Samsung claims. Check back soon for our full reviews.
Until then, check out our first look at the Galaxy S25 lineup and our breakdown of the main differences between each Galaxy S25 model.