If you just picked up a new Galaxy S24, or your grown child keeps mentioning “Galaxy AI,” you are probably wondering what that actually means for you. It is not one app you download. It is a set of tools built right into the phone.
This guide walks through the three features people ask about most: Live Translate, Circle to Search, and Chat Assist. You will learn what each one does in plain terms and exactly where to find the switch to turn it on.
None of these tools are required. Your phone works fine without them. Think of them as extra help you can turn on when you want it, and leave off the rest of the time.
What Does Galaxy AI Do and How Do I Turn It On?
Galaxy AI is a collection of built-in features on the Galaxy S24 series that translate calls and messages, search using your camera or screen, and help edit photos and notes, and most of them turn on inside the app you are already using rather than in one central menu. There is no single “Galaxy AI” switch. Instead, each tool lives inside the app it helps with: Live Translate is inside the Phone app, Chat Assist is inside the keyboard, and Circle to Search works from almost any screen with a simple long press.
Plain talk: Galaxy AI
Galaxy AI is Samsung’s name for a group of features that use artificial intelligence, which is technology that can recognize speech, text, and images and respond in helpful ways, similar to how a very fast, very literal assistant would.
Live Translate: Real-Time Call Translation
Live Translate translates a phone call as it happens. You speak in English, the other person hears it in their language, and their reply comes back to you in English. It works only in the Samsung Phone app that came with your device, not in apps like WhatsApp.
Samsung’s own announcement describes it as offering “two-way, real-time voice and text translations of phone calls” with the translation handled on the phone itself rather than sent out over the internet, according to Samsung’s Galaxy S24 announcement.
To turn on Live Translate:
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap the three dots in a corner of the screen, then tap Settings.
- Find Live Translate and turn it on.
- Choose the language you speak and the language the other person speaks.
- The next time you make or answer a call, look for the Live Translate icon on the call screen and tap it to start translating.
Captions appear on the call screen as you talk, and you can also hear the translation read aloud.
Circle to Search: Look Up Anything on Your Screen
Circle to Search lets you look something up without leaving what you are doing. See a plant in a photo a friend sent, a piece of furniture in a video, or a word you do not recognize on a webpage? You can search for it right there.
To use Circle to Search:
- Wherever you see something you want to look up, press and hold the Home button (or the bar at the bottom of the screen if you do not have a Home button).
- The screen dims slightly. Draw a circle around the item, scribble over it, or simply tap it.
- A search panel slides up from the bottom with results from Google.
- Swipe down on the panel, or tap outside it, to go back to what you were doing.
Try this
Next time someone sends you a photo of a dish at a restaurant, circle the food itself to search for the recipe, instead of typing out a description.
This feature works across most screens on the phone, including photos, videos, and web pages, because it is part of the phone rather than a single app.
Older adults who found Samsung Easy Mode helpful for a simpler home screen will find Circle to Search works the same way in Easy Mode as it does in the standard layout.
Chat Assist: Help With Text Messages
Chat Assist works inside the keyboard, so it can help in almost any app where you type, not just the Messages app. It does two things: it can translate a message into another language, and it can suggest a different tone for what you have written, such as making a message sound more polite or more casual.
To turn on and use Chat Assist:
- Open any app and tap into a text box to bring up the Samsung Keyboard.
- Look for a small toolbar above the keyboard and tap the icon for extra keyboard tools (often three dots or a plus sign).
- Select Chat Assist.
- Type your message, then choose a tone from the suggestions, or turn on translation and pick a language.
Type or say this
“Make this sound more polite” is the kind of request Chat Assist is built to handle. Type your message first, then let Chat Assist suggest a friendlier or more formal version before you send it.
If you do not see Chat Assist in the toolbar, open Settings, then General management, then Samsung Keyboard settings, and check that the keyboard app is up to date.
A Few More Galaxy AI Tools Worth Knowing
The three features above get the most attention, but a few others are worth knowing about, especially if you take a lot of photos or use Samsung Notes.
| Feature | What it does | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreter | Translates a face-to-face conversation on a split screen, one language per side | Swipe down from the top, look for the Interpreter icon, or search for it in Settings |
| Note Assist | Summarizes a long note and formats it with headers | Inside the Samsung Notes app, on the toolbar while editing a note |
| Transcript Assist | Turns a voice recording into text and labels different speakers | Inside the Voice Recorder app, after you stop a recording |
| Generative Edit | Moves, removes, or resizes an object in a photo and fills in the background | Inside the Gallery app, tap Edit on a photo, then look for the AI editing tools |
Each of these tools appears automatically once your phone’s software is up to date, so if a feature described here does not show up in the place expected, open Settings, then Software update, and install anything waiting there before trying again.
Which Samsung Phones Have Galaxy AI?
The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra are the phones Samsung has confirmed carry the full set of Galaxy AI features. They went on sale worldwide on January 31, 2024. If your phone is an older Galaxy model, some of these specific tools may not be available yet, though the phone will still work normally.
If you are helping an older person understand what AI actually is, Galaxy AI is a good hands-on example: it is a specific set of features on a specific phone, not a separate product to install or worry about.
Is Galaxy AI Safe to Use?
Turning on Live Translate, Circle to Search, or Chat Assist does not make a phone less safe on its own. These features do not answer calls or send messages by themselves. You still decide when to use them.
Safety tip
A translated call from a stranger asking for money, gift cards, or your bank details is still a scam, no matter how well it is translated. Live Translate can help you understand a caller, but it should never be the reason you trust one. If a call feels off, hang up and call the person or company back using a number you already know is real. Our Scam-Stopper Kit (free when you join our email letter) walks through the warning signs step by step.
For a broader look at what these kinds of tools are useful for day to day, see what seniors can use AI for.
Where to go from here
Galaxy AI is a set of extra tools, not a whole new phone to learn. Start with just one feature, such as Circle to Search, get comfortable with it, and add another when you are ready. For a full walk-through of your phone’s other settings, our book Your Android Phone covers the basics step by step, in the same plain language as this guide.
