How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds Earbuds: Quick Steps

To pair Samsung Galaxy Buds, hold their touch controls until you hear a sound indicating they’re in pairing mode. However, there are different ways to pair them to your device.

In this article, we’ll describe how to pair and connect Samsung Buds to any device you want. We’ll also explore possible pairing issues and ways to troubleshoot them.

Step 1: Activate Pairing Mode on Samsung Galaxy Buds & Headphones

Activating the pairing mode in Samsung Galaxy Buds works automatically or manually. Here’s how you do it both ways.

Let’s start with the automatic method:

1. Turn OFF Bluetooth on all devices except the one you want to pair your Galaxy Buds to.
2. While having your earbuds inside the case, open the lid.
3. The pairing mode should initiate automatically after a few seconds.

The second one is the universal manual pairing method:

1. Remove both earbuds from the charging case and place them in your ears.
2. Press and hold both touch controls for a few seconds or until you hear a sound. This indicates they’re in pairing mode.

The third manual method is to:

1. Place the earbuds in your charging case.
2. Press and hold both controls for a few seconds (around 7 seconds) or until you see the LEDs between the Buds blinking.

Choose the device you want to connect to

After learning every way to initiate Bluetooth pairing mode in your Samsung Galaxy Buds, jump to steps on how to connect them with different devices and operating systems:

• Windows (PC computer)
• iOS (iPhone, iPad)
• Android (smartphone, tablet)
• MacOS (MacBook, Mac)
• WearOS (Samsung Galaxy Watch)
• TV (Samsung’s Tizen OS)
• Nintendo Switch
• ChromeOS (Chromebook)

Step 2: How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a Windows Laptop & PC

While having a dedicated pop-up message on a Galaxy phone, they haven’t implemented Google Fast Pair, which would make pairing with Windows 11 laptops slightly simpler.

Consequently, here’s the only way to pair Galaxy Buds with Windows 10 and 11.

Not all Windows PCs have Bluetooth support. Laptops most certainly have it, while you need to buy a Bluetooth dongle for your desktop PC.

Windows 11

1. Left-click on the Wi-Fi icon next to a clock on the bottom of the screen, which opens the quick settings.
2. Left-click on the Bluetooth symbol so it turns into the color of your OS (blue, in my case).
3. Right-click on the same Bluetooth symbol and select “Go to Settings“.

4. Inside Bluetooth & devices settings, click on “Add device” (either the button or the big plus (+)).

5. Before going further, activate the pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds. Here’s how you do it.
6. In Windows and Add a device window, select “Bluetooth“. PC is now searching for your earbuds, which can take longer than usual, so be patient.

7. When you finally see your Galaxy Buds, click on them to connect.
8. They’re now successfully connected.

Windows 10

1. Click on the Notifications button in the very bottom-right corner of the screen (next to a clock and a date).
2. Left-click on the tile with a Bluetooth symbol to activate it. Then, right-click on the same symbol and select “Go to Settings“.

3. In the Settings, click on “Add Bluetooth or other device“.

4. Now, go and activate pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds.
5. Return to Windows, where you click the “Bluetooth” option in the “Add a device” window. Windows might take a little longer to find your earbuds, so be patient.

6. Connect Galaxy Buds by clicking on them when they appear.
7. They’re now connected to your Windows 10 device.

Step 2: How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to an iPhone & iPad (iOS)

Apple and Samsung are tech rivals, so you shouldn’t expect any special treatment when pairing one with the other. You have to do it the long way. Here are the steps:

1. Swipe from the upper-right side of the screen and tap on the “Bluetooth” symbol.

2. Long-press the Bluetooth symbol and tap on “Bluetooth Settings…“.

3. Grab your Galaxy Buds and put them in pairing mode.
4. Looking back at your iOS device, Galaxy Buds should appear under “OTHER DEVICES“. Tap on them.

5. They’re connected when their name moves to “MY DEVICES“.

How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to Android (Phone, Tablet)

Samsung made it so you can pair them to a device using 3 different methods. One is exclusive to Samsung Android devices (just like Apple has one for its AirPods and AirPods Max).

The first method is the standard one:

1. You swipe from the top of the screen to open notifications. On the top, tap the “Bluetooth” icon to enable the feature. A new Bluetooth searching widget should appear.

2. Now, use one of the methods above to activate the pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds.
3. On your Android device, scroll down to see “Available devices“. Click on Samsung Buds and select “Pair“.

4. Earbuds are connected when you see a volume bar showing from the sides.

Samsung Galaxy Wearable app method

A second technique involves using the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app. Note that this only works for iOS and Android devices:

1. Using Google Play, download and install the Galaxy Wearable app.
2. Activate the pairing mode and make your Galaxy Buds discoverable by using the instructions above.
3. Open the Galaxy Wearable app and select that you’re searching for Galaxy Buds.
4. Select the Galaxy Buds model and follow the onscreen instructions.

If you have a Samsung phone or tablet

The last method only works on a Samsung phone or a tablet (with an Android 7.1.1 or newer):

1. Enable the Bluetooth feature on your Samsung device.
2. Activate the pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds.
3. You should see a pop-up message on your Samsung device. Tap “Connect“.

Step 2: How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a Mac, MacBook (MacOS)

MacOS is one of those systems that treats all headphones equally. They all have to take the standard pairing method, even AirPods (unless connected to the same Apple ID).

Fortunately, MacOS uses just a few steps to pair Bluetooth accessories, which makes it easy for beginners.

1. No matter what you’re doing in your MacOS, go to the upper left corner of the screen and click on the Apple logo. Select “System Preferences…“.

2. Inside the new window, find and click on “Bluetooth“.

3. In Bluetooth settings, activate Bluetooth by clicking the “Turn Bluetooth On” button.
4. Now, enable pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds using detailed instructions from above.
5. Returning to your MacOS, the Galaxy Buds should appear as a string of letters and numbers (their MAC address) with a headphone icon next to them. Click on “Connect“.

6. Your Buds are now connected, displaying their full name.

Step 2: How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a Samsung Watch

Despite coming from the same brand, Samsung hasn’t implemented any quick pairing solutions between Galaxy Watches and Buds.

Fortunately, pairing any Bluetooth headphone to a Galaxy Watch is just a few taps away.

1. Unlock your Galaxy Watch to access the watch face (or home screen, whatever you call it).
2. Swipe from the top to access quick settings.
3. Find the icon with the headphones and a Bluetooth symbol. Swipe right and left to find it.

4. Before tapping the icon, ensure your Galaxy Buds are in pairing mode. See the instructions above.
5. Now, tap on the headphones/Bluetooth icon. Galaxy Watch will start showing new “available devices“.

6. Scroll up and down to find your Galaxy Buds. When you find them, tap on them.
7. Tap the checkmark icon to confirm the pairing.

8. You should now see your Galaxy Buds under “Paired devices“.

Step 2: How to Pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to Other Bluetooth Devices

Here, we explore how to pair your Galaxy Buds with less common but still popular devices. Learn how to pair them to:

• TV (Samsung’s Tizen OS)
• Nintendo Switch
• Chromebook (ChromeOS)

How to pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a TV (Tizen OS)

1. Take your remote controller and click the button with a “House” icon. It opens the Tizen OS interface.
2. Go all the way to the bottom-left corner of the screen to click on “Settings“.

3. In Settings, click on “Sound” and pick the first “Sound Output” option.

4. Go ahead and click on “Speaker List“. Your TV is now searching for available Bluetooth devices.
5. Use the instructions above to activate pairing mode on Galaxy Buds.
6. Click on your Buds when they appear on the screen. Select “Pair and connect“.

7. Finish your pairing process by clicking “OK“.

How to pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a Nintendo Switch

1. In your Nintendo Switch home screen, look for the sun-looking icon labeled “System Settings“. Click on it.

2. In Settings, go down to “Bluetooth Audio” and click it. Select “Add Device“.

3. Now, follow the steps above to activate pairing mode on your Galaxy Buds.
4. Shortly, your Buds should appear on your Switch. Select them and click “OK” when the message stating limitations pops up.

Limitations include the inability to play local multiplayer games, connect more than 2 controllers to your Switch, and the incapability to use a microphone on your Galaxy Buds for chat features.

How to pair Samsung Galaxy Buds to a Chromebook (ChromeOS)

1. Click on the “Clock” in the bottom-right corner of your home screen.
2. In a newly opened quick settings widget, click the Bluetooth icon to enable it.
3. Then, click the small arrow next to the Bluetooth icon to open quick Bluetooth settings.

4. Inside quick Bluetooth settings, click on the plus (+) next to “Pair new device“.

5. Go ahead and enable pairing mode on your Samsung Galaxy Buds. See the steps above.
6. In a new “Pair new device” window, your Buds should shortly appear under “Available devices“. Click on them when they do.

7. Your Buds are connected when you see a volume bar and your Buds’ name popping up at the bottom of the screen.

Activating Pairing Mode on Samsung Galaxy Buds

Fortunately, Samsung doesn’t complicate when it comes to activating pairing mode. Using the steps described above, you can start the pairing process using the original Galaxy Buds to the latest Galaxy Buds FE.

How to verify your Samsung Galaxy Buds are in pairing mode

Galaxy Buds earbuds aren’t exactly informative when it comes to pairing activation feedback. Even LEDs stay solid and only show battery capacity or blink when resetting the Buds.

You only get to hear some kind of feedback when you activate pairing mode by holding the controls and both earbuds.

However, there are exceptions.

• The LED in the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 charging case starts to blink red/green when you activate pairing mode by holding the touch controls on both devices for a few seconds.

Connecting Samsung Galaxy Buds After Pairing

Connection after successful pairing is typically automatic. However, there are occasions when that latter doesn’t work, and you need to resort to manual reconnection.

Let’s dive into both reconnection methods and why you sometimes need to connect manually.

Automatic reconnection

After pairing, your Galaxy Buds and the device they paired to remember each other. Consequently, when you turn your Buds ON and enable Bluetooth on a device, they should reconnect automatically.

Manual reconnection

In case the earbuds don’t automatically connect, you need to do it manually. The reasons why your Galaxy Buds haven’t reconnected automatically are different.

• You might’ve paired your Buds to a second device, so they’re now trying to pair with that device instead of the first one.
• If you’ve paired them to multiple devices, you might’ve left Bluetooth enabled on one of them. As a result, your Buds have connected to the other device. Turn OFF Bluetooth on nearby devices.
• A software glitch occurred, which prevents your Buds from successfully pairing. Resetting them should work, but more on that later.

Here’s how you manually reconnect your Samsung Galaxy Buds:

• On iOS: Home screen > Settings > Bluetooth > enable Bluetooth and find your Buds under “MY DEVICES”.
• On Windows 11: Home screen > click on Wi-Fi symbol > left-click on Bluetooth & then right-click on Bluetooth > Go to Settings > View more devices > find your Buds.
• On Windows 10: Home screen > click on Notifications > left-click on Bluetooth & then right-click on Bluetooth > Go to Settings > find your Buds under “Audio”.
• On Android: Home screen > swipe from top > enable Bluetooth > long-press on Bluetooth icon > find your Buds.
• On MacOS: Click Apple logo > System Preferences > Bluetooth > enable Bluetooth > find your Buds.
• On ChromeOS: Click on the clock > click on the Bluetooth icon > click the small arrow next to it > find your Buds.

If Samsung Galaxy Buds Don’t Pair: Troubleshooting

Anything that runs on software with thousands of lines of code will eventually experience some kind of glitch or error. Nobody is perfect, even programmers.

Of course, there are other reasons why your Galaxy Buds don’t want to pair besides software-based. Let’s discuss all the reasons.

Another thing worth doing before going further is determining whether issues originate from the earbuds or the device you want to pair them to.

• Simply try pairing your Samsung Galaxy Buds to multiple devices:
  • If they fail to pair with all devices, there’s definitely something wrong with the Buds.
  • If they manage to pair with other devices, you need to see what’s wrong with your first device.

Minor glitch

A temporary connection problem is a sort of minor glitch. An event when a feature (such as Bluetooth) is initiated with an error, causing it to behave out of order.

• To fix a minor glitch, it is usually enough to simply restart your device and turn Off and back On your Galaxy Buds.
  • You turn Off and On your Galaxy Buds by placing them in the charging case, closing the lid for 7 seconds, and reopening it.

Error in software code

Any reappearing connection issue is a result of an error in a code. It might’ve occurred randomly and will get fixed by simply restarting a device or turning your Galaxy Buds Off and On.

On the other hand, it can be persistent and requires you to either reset your earbuds (more on that later) or update their firmware.

Unfortunately, updating Samsung Galaxy Buds firmware requires you to wirelessly connect to your earbuds, even when updating via PC.

• The only thing you can do is to check available updates on a device you try to pair them to.

Battery running low

When in pairing mode, earbuds have to “scream” for other devices to find them. This means they radiate at a higher power than usual, which consumes more energy.

Therefore, they must have some energy left in them to complete the pairing process. Since you can’t check the Samsung Galaxy Buds app for precise battery percentages, you have to check the charging case.

• Place both Samsung Galaxy Buds into the charging case and close the lid. Observe the LED light in front of the case.
  • Solid green (flashing for 5 seconds) means high charge (above 60%).
  • Solid yellow (flashing for 5 seconds) means medium charge (30%-60%).
  • Solid red (flashing for 5 seconds) means low charge (below 30%).
  • Blinking red (slowly) means a really low charge.
  • Blinking red (rapidly) means Samsung earbuds aren’t charging due to overheating.

Continuous glitches

If the pairing issues continue even after restarting, resetting, and charging, there might be something seriously wrong with your Galaxy Buds.

In that case, it’s best to contact Samsung customer service to get further instructions or to send them for a repair. If your Buds are under warranty, they should repair them for free.

How to reset Samsung Galaxy Buds

For some reason, you CAN’T reset your Samsung Galaxy Buds without the Galaxy Wearable app. 

Meaning that you MUST pair them with an Android, iOS, or a PC. In the case of pairing issues, the latter is impossible.

Therefore, try pairing them with multiple devices in hopes of them connecting with one. If you succeed, here’s how you reset your Samsung Galaxy Buds using the app:

1. Connect your Galaxy Buds with a device that has a Galaxy Wearable app.
2. Open the app and connect your Buds with it.
3. In the app, you should see the image of your Buds and the battery percentages. Tap on “Earbuds settings“.
4. Tap “Reset” and confirm your action by tapping “Reset” again (red text).

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Samsung makes some solutions straightforward, whereas some are a bit confusing and illogical, like resetting. Nonetheless, we hope you’ve successfully paired your Galaxy Buds and haven’t encountered any serious issues.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments, and we’ll help you as best we can.

In the meantime, if you’re curious about which earbuds are the best in specific price ranges, check out our guides for:

• Best wireless earbuds under $100
• Best wireless earbuds under $200
• Most comfortable earbuds