If you followed any coverage of the Galaxy S26 before its launch, you would have heard about this. Three AI assistants, one phone — Bixby, Gemini, and Perplexity all coexisting, each ready to assist at a moment’s notice. It was the standout feature that Samsung consistently highlighted, and rightfully so, as it was a truly impressive feature.
However, “Hey Plex,” the shortened wake word for Perplexity, has mysteriously stopped working for an increasing number of users. And the reasoning behind it is even more chaotic than the issue itself.
So, what exactly went wrong?
Early adopters of the S26 reported that “Hey Plex” worked fine initially, only to suddenly stop working after installing a software update in February — the same update that introduced the phone’s new inactivity restart mode.
While Perplexity still functions on the phone and can be accessed via the side button, the wake word has disappeared — and in some instances, the app wasn’t even preinstalled.
One user shared a screenshot showing Perplexity completely missing from the voice assistant settings menu, as if the entire integration had silently disappeared.
Could a rebrand be the cause?
It’s a possibility. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, responded to user complaints on X, suggesting that the company is moving away from “Hey Plex” in favor of “Hey Perplexity.”
Considering there is already a completely unrelated media app called Plex with its own dedicated user base, the rebranding decision makes sense. However, the timing is unfortunate — right at the launch, with numerous new owners in the midst of setting up their devices.
Srinivas later deleted the post (via Android Authority). Samsung also removed the original “Hey Plex” announcement from its newsroom without issuing any corrections or follow-up statements. Neither company has officially commented on the situation.
Therefore, the new wake word may indeed be “Hey Perplexity,” but neither Perplexity nor Samsung has provided official confirmation yet.
