Samsung Galaxy Buds come in pairs for an immersive, all-around audio experience. Each earbud works separately, meaning you can use one individually or fit both, depending on your preferences.
Even though Galaxy Buds have convenient features, they have their fair share of shortcomings. One Galaxy Bud might stop working for no apparent reason, leaving you frustrated.
An unresponsive earbud is a common issue with most wireless earphones, and the problem is not a preserve for Samsung Galaxy Buds. Fortunately, you can breathe life back into your malfunctioning Galaxy Bud.
This guide provides tips for troubleshooting a Galaxy Bud that is not working.
Key Takeaways
- Low battery power is one of the main culprits for an unresponsive Galaxy Bud. Each earbud has a built-in battery and a separate charge percentage.
- One Galaxy Bud might stop working because of an audio imbalance. Use the Galaxy Wearable app on your smart device to check the sound balance between the left and right earbuds.
- When using a replacement earbud, you must pair it with the existing one for them to work as a pair.
- Clean your Galaxy Buds and the charging case frequently to remove gunk, dirt, and dust for optimum audio performance.
- One Galaxy Bud might also stop working or become unresponsive because of outdated firmware. Update the earbuds software to fix sound and connectivity issues.
One Galaxy Bud Not Working – Troubleshooting Tips
Reasons Why One Galaxy Bud is Not Working & How to Fix Them
Understanding why one Galaxy Bud is not working can help you fix the issue quickly and avoid similar problems in the future. Here are a few reasons one of your Galaxy Buds might stop working or become unresponsive and how to fix them.
Low Charge
Low battery power is one of the main culprits for an unresponsive Galaxy Bud. Both earbuds have built-in batteries with varying charge levels.
If one Galaxy Bud has insufficient battery power, you might experience audio drops, or the earbud might stop working.
Moreover, even though your earbuds share the same charging case, they have different recharge slots. One slot might have issues, causing the earbud not to charge correctly or receive adequate power.
Solution – Charge the Earbuds
Charging your Galaxy Buds is the most practical way to fix low battery power. Place the earbuds properly into the case and close the lid.
How to Charge Galaxy Buds
Ensure the charging slots don’t have dirt or debris before inserting the earbuds. Plug a Samsung-approved charger into the charging case and charge your Galaxy Buds for one or two hours.
The charging terminals shouldn’t have any dirt or debris on them
Pairing & Bluetooth Issues
Galaxy Buds use Bluetooth to pair and connect to compatible devices. Pairing issues might arise when connecting your earbuds to your phone or tablet, causing one Galaxy Bud to malfunction.
The Bluetooth range might also cause connectivity issues since the unresponsive earbud is too far from the device you want to pair it with.
You can solve pairing issues by restarting or resetting both earbuds. You can also unpair and re-pair connected devices or pair the earbuds with a different Bluetooth-compatible device.
Solution 1 – Restart Galaxy Buds
- Place the Buds in the charging case.
- Close the lid.
- Wait for 6-10 seconds until the indicator light on the case goes out.
- Open the charging case lid.
- The earbuds will enter pairing mode.
- Restart your phone and check if the malfunctioning earbud is now working.
Solution 2 – Reset Galaxy Buds
- Insert the Buds into the charging case.
- Keep the charging case lid open.
- Load the Samsung wearable app on your smartphone.
- Tap About earbuds.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset again to confirm your selection.
How to Reset Galaxy Buds 2
Solution 3 – Unpair and Re-Pair
- Go to your smart device’s Bluetooth Settings.
- Under the list of paired devices, select your Galaxy Buds.
- Tap Delete, Unpair, or Forget.
- Place the Buds into the case.
- Close the lid for 6-10 seconds.
- Open the charging case.
- Turn on Bluetooth on your smart device.
- Move the earbuds closer to your phone or tablet.
- Pair the earbuds with your smart device and check if the audio is back in the malfunctioning Galaxy Bud.
Un-pairing Galaxy Buds
Solution 4 – Reset Bluetooth Settings
- Go to your phone’s Bluetooth Settings.
- Tap the slider next to Bluetooth to turn it off.
- Wait for a few seconds.
- Tap the slider again to toggle Bluetooth on.
- Move your earbuds closer to your device.
- Check if the audio in the malfunctioning earbud is back to normal.
Outdated Firmware
One Galaxy Bud might stop working because of firmware issues. Both earbuds require frequent software updates to ensure they function optimally. They might eventually malfunction or become unresponsive if you don’t upgrade the software to the latest version.
Solution – Update the Galaxy Buds Firmware
The only solution to firmware problems is downloading the latest software version. You only need the Galaxy Wearable app to update your Galaxy Buds.
Here are the steps:
- Load the Galaxy Wearable app on your device.
- Tap Earbuds settings.
- Tap Earbuds software update.
- The app will search for new software updates.
- Tap Update to install the latest version.
Updating Galaxy Buds
Dirt and Debris
You might not notice it at first, but dirt and gunk can cause one or both Galaxy Buds to stop working unexpectedly. Even though Galaxy Buds have a charging case that protects them from dust and other elements, the earbuds might collect dirt while using them.
One earbud might produce muffled sounds or go silent because of clogging by debris. Moreover, the earbuds might not charge correctly because of dust and earwax. Giving the earbuds a thorough clean using a cotton swab and a dry gentle brush can help solve this problem.
Solution – Clean Your Galaxy Buds
- Gently slide the rubber tip covering the earbud.
- Clean the mesh covering and earbud tip using a cotton swab.
- Use a soft, dry cloth to remove dust and earwax from inside the earbud tip.
- Attach the earbud rubber tip to the earbud.
- Clean the charging contacts in the case and the sensors on both earbuds using a cotton swab.
How to Clean Galaxy Buds
Audio Imbalance
Unsurprisingly, one Galaxy Bud might not work as expected because of an audio imbalance. Samsung earbuds allow you to change the volume levels of individual earbuds using the Galaxy Wearable app. If the sound slider is on the extreme left, the right earbud will remain mute, and vice versa.
Solution – Adjust the Audio Balance
You can fix an audio imbalance in your Galaxy Buds by adjusting the sound level between the left and right earbuds. You’ll need the Galaxy Wearable app to make these changes.
Here are the steps:
- Launch the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone or tablet.
- Go to Earbuds Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Check the left/right sound balance option and adjust the slider accordingly.
Out-of-Sync Earbuds
As stated, Samsung earbuds come as a pair. Even though you can use each earbud individually, you must connect the left and right Galaxy Buds if you want to use them together. One Galaxy Bud might not function if it is out of sync with the other earbud.
Solution – Sync the Earbuds to Each Other
- Insert the earbuds into their charging case.
- Press and hold the touchpads on both earbuds for 7-10 seconds.
- Wait for the battery indicator light to flash green before returning to the initial light.
- The earbuds are now connected.
Hardware Issues
If you’ve tried all these steps and nothing seems to solve the problem, your earbud might be defective. Check the unresponsive earbud for visible damage before taking the next step.
Fortunately, you can buy a single Galaxy Bud to replace the damaged earbud. Contact Samsung support or visit their repair center first to confirm if your earbud has a hardware issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: I’m having problems connecting Galaxy Buds to each other. Why is this happening?
- Answer: It could be because of signal interference from devices like Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, and microwaves.
- Low battery power might also cause the earbuds not to connect. Restart the earbuds to resolve the issue. Alternatively, reset the Bluetooth connection or update the Galaxy Wearable app on your device to fix the problem.
- Question: How do you connect left and right Galaxy Buds?
- Answer: Samsung earbuds come as a pair. Even though you can use each earbud individually, you must connect the left and right Galaxy Buds if you want to use them together. Insert the earbuds into their charging case. Press and hold the touchpads on both earbuds for 7-10 seconds until the battery indicator light flashes green before returning to the initial light. The earbuds are now connected.
- Question: How do I reset my Samsung earbuds to pair?
- Answer: Place the earbuds into their charging case and keep the lid open. Load the Galaxy Wearable app on your device and tap on About earbuds. Next, hit Reset, then tap Reset again to confirm your selection.
- If you don’t have the Galaxy app, reset the earbuds by pressing both sensors for 10 seconds until you hear a chiming sound. Place the earbuds into the charging case and close the lid for 30 seconds.
- Question: Why is one side of my Galaxy Buds not charging?
- Answer: Check your charger if one side of your Galaxy Buds is not charging. Galaxy Buds and the charging case only work with Samsung-approved chargers. Ensure the earbuds do not have dirt and dust before placing them in the charging case. You can try charging the case separately or restarting the earbuds to see if this resolves the problem. If not, you may need to replace the earbud.
- Question: Why did my left Galaxy Bud stop working?
- Answer: Your left Galaxy Bud might stop working because of pairing issues, audio imbalance, low battery power, or a hardware issue. You can solve pairing issues by restarting both earbuds. Place them in the charging case and close the lid for 6-10 seconds to reboot the Galaxy Buds. Ensure the unresponsive earbud has adequate charge by charging it for at least 15 minutes.
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Buds are renowned for their comfort, convenience, and quality. However, they are not exempt from problems.
Your left or right wireless earbud might stop working or become unresponsive for no apparent reason. Fortunately, by following this guide, you will be able to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
