How do i put my earbuds in pairing mode

Want to use your Galaxy Buds, Buds Pro, Buds Live, Buds +, or Buds 2 with your Android, iPhone, PC, or Mac? Read on to discover how.

Getting a new pair of Galaxy Buds can be exciting! But the stress of having to learn how to pair them to all your different devices can easily dampen your fun.

Plus, since these buds are made by Samsung for Samsung devices, there’s a lingering question of whether they can actually be used with other devices. 

The answer is: Yes! You can connect your Samsung Galaxy Buds to any Bluetooth-enabled device. And we’re here to guide you through how to do just that. Let’s get to it!

In This Article

• How to Put Galaxy Buds Into Pairing Mode
• How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Samsung Devices
• How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Android Devices
• How to Connect Galaxy Buds to an iPhone
• How to Connect Galaxy Buds to a Windows Laptop or PC
• How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Mac
• What to Expect When Connecting Galaxy Buds to Non-Compatible Devices
• Conclusion

How to Put Galaxy Buds Into Pairing Mode

The setup process for Galaxy Buds is especially effortless with Samsung devices. This is all thanks to the automatic pop-up prompt, which allows you to pair your buds with just one tap.

However, if you want to use Galaxy Buds with non-Samsung devices or if this pop-up fails, you’ll need to switch them into pairing mode to initiate a manual connection.

The process of turning your Galaxy Buds to pairing mode discussed below applies to all models, including Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds Plus, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds Pro, and Galaxy Buds 2.

This can be accomplished in two ways:

Via the charging case

1. If your Galaxy Buds are out of the charging case, put them back inside the case.
   
   Putting Galaxy Buds Live back to the case
2. Close the case, and wait for 5-6 seconds.
   
   Galaxy Buds charging case
3. Open the case lid, and your Galaxy Buds should enter Bluetooth pairing mode.
   
   Open your Galaxy Buds case to enter pairing mode.

Via the touch sensors

If you have connected them with another device, you’ll need to turn on pairing mode manually. Here’s how to do it:

1. Put your earbuds in your ears. 

   https://www.headphonesty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/pairing-mode-manually-1.mp4

2. Hold both Buds’ touch sensors for around 10 seconds.

   https://www.headphonesty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/pairing-mode-manually-2.mp4

3. Wait until you hear slow successive ‘beeps’ that confirm your buds are in pairing mode.
   
   Holding Galaxy Buds sensor

If you’re having difficulty turning your Galaxy Buds into pairing mode, you may need to reset your buds. For this, you can refer to our guide on how to reset Galaxy Buds.

How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Samsung Devices

Like many modern-day tech gadget lineups, Samsung’s Galaxy has expanded into the wearables market. And with it comes the Galaxy Wearable app.

This app will help you connect and manage your Samsung buds, watch, and band in a more integrated environment. The app also allows you to take complete control of your earbuds on most Android devices, but do be aware that some features are only available for Samsung devices.

This app is just one of many reasons the Galaxy Buds Pro are our number one pick for wireless earbuds for Android.

To use the app, follow these steps:

1. Download the Galaxy Wearable app from Google Play Store.
   
   Install Galaxy Wearable App
2. Turn on the Bluetooth on your Samsung phone.
   
   Turning on Bluetooth
3. Open the charging case to enter the buds into pairing mode. There should be a pop-up that asks if you want to connect.
   
   Automatic connection pop-up
4. If there is no pop-up, launch the Galaxy Wearable app and select your Galaxy Buds.
   
   Pairing your Galaxy Buds via the Wearable app
5. Tap OK on the prompt to start pairing.
   
   Confirm pairing through the Galaxy Wearable app
6. You can also manually disconnect your buds through the Wearable app by tapping on the menu (☰) and selecting Disconnect.
   
   Disconnecting Buds via Wearable App

The pairing steps above only work if you haven’t connected any other device to the Galaxy Wearable app. If you already did, you can connect to your Galaxy Buds by selecting ‘Add new device’ under the app menu (☰).

How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Android Devices

You can also connect your Galaxy Buds directly to your Android phone like any other Bluetooth device. This is especially helpful if you don’t want to use the app because of all the distracting notifications or even if you wish to save space on your phone.

Here’s how:

1. Turn your Galaxy Buds to pairing mode.
2. Open the Bluetooth settings on your Android device, then turn it on.
   
   Turning on Android Bluetooth
3. Wait for your phone to detect the Galaxy Buds. Tap your Galaxy Buds’ name to start pairing.
   
   Pairing Galaxy Buds manually

Alternatively, you can download the Galaxy Wearable app and let it handle the pairing process.

How to Connect Galaxy Buds to an iPhone

If you’re among the over 1 million people using an iPhone, you might be wondering if connecting your Galaxy Buds to it will be challenging.

The good news is that it isn’t all that difficult, whether connecting manually or via the Samsung Galaxy Buds app.

If you’re using Galaxy Buds+ or Buds Live with an iPhone 7 or later, you can use the Galaxy Buds app. This will allow you to use features such as Find My Earbuds, access battery status, use ANC with compatible earbuds, and much more.

Any user, however, can implement a manual connection. Here’s how:

1. Make sure the Buds are not connected to other devices by resetting the Galaxy Buds. To do this, tap and hold both earbuds until you hear a chiming sound. This will also turn them to pairing mode.

   https://www.headphonesty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/How-to-Connect-Galaxy-Buds-to-an-iPhone-via-manual-connection-1.mp4

2. Turn on your iPhone’s Bluetooth by going to Settings > Bluetooth and tapping the toggle to green.
   
   Turning on Bluetooth on iPhone
3. Wait for your Buds’ name to appear on the available Bluetooth devices, then tap to start pairing.

Via Samsung Galaxy Buds app

If this is your first time using the Samsung Galaxy app, follow these steps:

The app only supports Galaxy Buds Plus and Galaxy Buds Live, and only works for Apple devices with iOS 10 and up.

1. Open the Samsung Galaxy Buds app and tap Get Started
   
   Starting up Galaxy Buds app
2. Turn your earbuds to pairing mode.
   
   Turning Galaxy Buds to pairing mode
3. Choose your Galaxy Buds from the list of devices on the on-screen menu and wait for the pairing setup to finish.

   Sometimes, a pop-up will appear asking whether you wish to ‘send diagnostic information’. This will help you identify potential issues with your earbuds should the need arise. Select Agree if you wish to use this feature.

   
   Selecting Galaxy Buds model from in-app interface

If you wish to add another device (like another pair of Galaxy Buds), here’s how:

1. Open the Samsung Galaxy Buds app and select Options by tapping the 3 vertical dots icon.
   
   Going to Galaxy Buds app settings (From: Youtube/Greggles TV) 
2. Tap Connect New Device.
   
   Adding new device to Galaxy Buds app (From: Youtube/Greggles TV)
3. Enter pairing mode.
4. Choose your device from the list of devices and wait for the successful connection prompt.
   
   Connecting new device to Galaxy Buds app (From: Youtube/Greggles TV)

How to Connect Galaxy Buds to a Windows Laptop or PC

Though the Wearable App is only available for mobile devices, you can still connect Samsung Galaxy Buds to laptop computers and PCs. The process will be quite similar to pairing with other Bluetooth devices.

Here’s how to pair your Galaxy Buds to laptop computers and PCs:

1. Turn on the buds into pairing mode.
2. On your Windows PC or laptop, head to the Settings menu (or press the Windows key + I) and go to Device > Bluetooth & other devices.
   
   Going to Windows Bluetooth settings
3. Click on Add Bluetooth or other devices > Bluetooth and wait for your PC to find your Galaxy Buds.
   
   Adding a Bluetooth device through the Settings menu in Windows.
4. Once they’re visible, click on their name, and you should be good to go.
   
   Wait for the Buds to appear and click on them to confirm pairing.

You can also update the software on your Galaxy Buds through a PC through the Galaxy Buds download center.

How to Connect Galaxy Buds to Mac

Similar to connecting Galaxy Buds to a Windows PC or laptop, you can also pair your earbuds to Mac devices just as quickly. Here are the complete instructions for pairing Galaxy Buds to Mac devices:

1. Enter the buds into pairing mode.

   For good measure, disconnect them from any device before you start pairing them to your Mac.

2. Open up the Bluetooth menu on your apple device.
   
   Bluetooth Settings on Mac
3. Find the Galaxy Buds under the Bluetooth devices list, and click ‘Connect.’
   
   Connecting Galaxy Buds to Mac

What to Expect When Connecting Galaxy Buds to Non-Compatible Devices

Galaxy Buds are designed for extensive compatibility. Part of this comes from the fact that Samsung phones account for over a quarter of the smartphone market, with which Galaxy Buds pair well.

Another reason is that they also support the AAC Bluetooth codec, which is used by iPhones, in addition to SBC and their proprietary Scalable Codec. This means you can expect their promised sound quality even when using iOS devices.

However, that doesn’t mean you will get all of the features that come with a Samsung-exclusive connection.

Features that won’t work

Based on our research, we’ve found that the following features won’t work when using Galaxy Buds with non-Android devices:

• Seamless switching: Automatically switch your buds’ audio input between two Samsung devices.
• 360 Audio: Immersive audio profile, which is only available for devices running the latest One UI (Samsung’s custom Android).
• Buds Together: This allows you to pair two sets of Galaxy Buds to listen to the same music. It’s similar to Apple’s feature that enables you to pair two sets of AirPods to one phone.
• Gaming Mode: Bluetooth audio often has a slight latency, which results in delayed sound. Gaming Mode reduces the audio latency in exchange for higher battery consumption.
• Bixby Voice Assistant: Galaxy Buds are one of the best earbuds with a microphone, but you won’t be able to use Samsung’s in-house voice assistant with the standard Bluetooth connection. Luckily, you can still use Google, Alexa, or Siri by configuring touch inputs.
• Automatic pairing: The Galaxy Buds will automatically initiate a pairing sequence with a Samsung phone when you open the case. Non-Samsung phones require manual pairing.

Features that still work

You can still use the active noise cancellation regardless of the device because it’s already activated out of the box. However, you can only customize the noise-canceling intensity through the Galaxy Wearable app for Android devices or the Galaxy Buds app for iOS.

Conclusion

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds have truly been making waves since they first made an appearance on the market in 2019.

Given their broad compatibility and the craze each subsequent iteration of the Galaxy buds lineup has invited in recent years, we dont blame you for owning a pair (or more) of these lightweight, sleek true wireless earbuds.

So, whether you’re trying to connect older models of Galaxy earbuds or the newer ones, we hope this quick guide would’ve shown you all the ways you can accomplish that in under a few minutes.

If you’re looking to use your Galaxy Buds for portable gaming, check out our separate guide on how to connect Galaxy Buds to Nintendo Switch!

You now know how to pair your Galaxy buds to your chosen device. If you’re amongst the millions of us that have a Samsung phone, you’re probably also ready to explore the expanded feature range.

Before you sign off to experience bliss using your Galaxy buds, we’d love to hear how this guide worked for you and what, if any, Samsung-exclusive features you’re currently using. Let us know in the comments below!

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