Six On Device AI Phone Features I Actually Use

I have precisely zero interest in cloud-based forms of AI, but I've found that when features take place exclusively on my device, there are quite a few I've started to not only use, but actively like.

Some of these features are explicitly labeled as AI, since that's the fad of the moment. Others, just a few short years ago, would have simply been described as cool things our phones can do. Regardless of how we talk about them, they rely on machine learning, and that's what they have in common. These are the features I'm currently enjoying on my Galaxy Z Fold 6 (which, for me, isn't just a phone, but my only PC).

Convert Handwriting to Text

I use a stylus every day to navigate around the internal screen of my Z Fold 6 and gesture type on the virtual keyboard, as I'm doing right now. I also write by hand. Sometimes, that's my preferred way to write drafts or jot down ideas.

A consistent downside of using a physical notebook for me has been the necessity to manually type up whatever I've written afterwards, given the poor luck I've had with OCR software. But on my Z Fold 6, I can write by hand and have my phone convert my written words into typed text. I can do this as I go using the handwriting feature in Samsung Keyboard or write one entire page of text in Samsung Notes and convert it at once.

This feature was also available on my old BOOX Tab Ultra, which is where I first grew accustomed to this way of working.

Transcribe Voice Recordings

While I enjoy writing by hand, when I'm really in a rush, want to go for a walk, or am just too tired, I prefer to use my voice. I've found that I can work very quickly using voice-to-text. I've also been impressed to find that I can now do this directly within Samsung's Voice Recorder.

In my phone's voice recorder app, I can now talk continuously and then convert the entire recording into text at once, entirely on device. When this feature was first unveiled as part of Galaxy AI, I found the device-only processing to be unusable. Now, the local-only processing does a decent enough job to be considered a very rough draft. The biggest downside is that even though it's only me talking, the app thinks there are multiple speakers whenever I take a noticeable pause.

Remove Objects from Photos

I was not impressed when I saw Google first unveil Object Eraser on Google Photos on Pixel phones. But once I got my hands on the version of this feature baked into Samsung Gallery, I found myself using it all the time.

I'm not removing people from photos, as the feature has often been demoed. Rather, a colleague mentioned using it for removing dust and other blemishes from device imagery. Laptops and tablets are so much dirtier on camera than to the naked eye, and this helps pretty up devices without having to pull out a dust cloth and canned air each time.

Consider the photo I used as the first image in my piece about buying smaller power banks over big ones. I didn't remove any of the dust this time around, but I did edit out the scratch on my desk in the top right. Here's a comparison with an unaltered shot.

AI Smart Select

Galaxy phones with S Pen support have the option to highlight a part of the screen with the stylus and automatically create a cropped image that you can immediately take action on. AI Smart Select is a fast way to select, edit, and share parts of what I see on my screen.

To use the feature, I can tap a button on my S Pen or swipe in an edge panel to access the AI Smart Select icon. Then I only need to circle, swipe through, or tap certain parts of the screen to pull up a list of options.

If I tap text, the gesture can highlight the entire paragraph and give me the option to copy it. If I circle an image, I can just tap an icon to immediately save it to my gallery. I can pin anything I highlight to the screen, keeping it always visible, which I've found to be an effective way to multitask.

Copy Text from Photos

I am smitten with the ability to highlight and copy text directly from images. I use this feature all the time. It's great being able to take a screenshot knowing I can extract text later, effectively turning a screenshot into a form of note-taking. It's even more impressive being able to copy text out of a photo.

When helping a family member create a website for her business, I copied text directly from the business card and brochure she sent me. When I need to RSVP for a birthday party from a physical invite my kids bring home, I can highlight the number in the photo and call.

This is one of my favorite kinds of features—one that simply adds something I long wished I could do because it seemed like a natural extension of how my device should work. After all, if you don't understand the difference between a text box and a JPG, it doesn't always make sense why you can highlight text on one part of the screen but not another. Now you can.

Fix the Alignment of Crooked Handwriting

As I mentioned, I write by hand quite often. I typically use a template with lines, but when I don't, my handwriting sometimes sags as I move across the screen. Galaxy AI now offers a way to fix that beyond pulling out an eraser.

Now I can highlight a single word or entire sentence of sagging text and have Samsung Notes straighten out the line. I'm wowed by the results, which don't feel like manipulation at all since each character remains precisely how I wrote it.

Speaking positively of any AI features, well—this is a big shift for me. I have yet to feel excitement for any AI hype at a product announcement, and I respond to the results of generative AI primarily with disgust.

Yet now that CPUs are powerful enough for some of this to be processed on-device, I'm slowly gaining interest in what's possible. While I continue to abhor the energy usage of cloud-based AI, the privacy implications of handing over that much data, and the rampant theft involved in creating generative tools, not all features marketed as AI are created equal. On-device features that aren't attempting to create things on my behalf, but rather are available as increasingly powerful buttons for me to tap, are fine by me.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a foldable smartphone that combines the functionality of a tablet with the convenience of a phone. It features a large, flexible internal screen that automatically picks up where you left off on the cover display.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a foldable smartphone that combines the functionality of a tablet with the convenience of a phone. It features a large, flexible internal screen that automatically picks up where you left off on the cover display. It is the definition of mobile productivity and entertainment with advanced multitasking capabilities, powerful performance, and enhanced Galaxy AI capabilities.

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