While Samsung Galaxy Buds are great earbuds with decent battery life and convenient additional features, they are still prone to failure, just like any other earbuds. One of the most common issues users face with these buds is charging failure. Usually, only one earbud stops charging for no apparent reason.
Samsung doesn’t say much about this issue and suggests only one or two basic troubleshooting tips. If those tips don’t work, they recommend taking the earbuds to the service center. However, there’s so much more you can try when your left or right Samsung Galaxy Bud is not charging.
In this guide, I will try to list all the fixes that could potentially bring your malfunctioning Galaxy Bud back to life and make it charge again.
Key Takeaways
- The most likely reasons your left or right Galaxy Bud won’t charge include improper earbud placement, jammed charging pins, dirty or corroded charging contacts, and a dead earbud battery.
- Other potential reasons include firmware glitches which can be fixed by restarting, updating, or resetting your Samsung Galaxy Buds.
- Compared to other earbud models, opening Galaxy Buds and replacing the battery inside it is much easier. The exact battery model inside Galaxy Buds is VARTA CP1454 (3.7V, 0.2Wh).
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Ways to Fix Samsung Galaxy Left/Right Earbud Not Charging
When your left or right Galaxy Bud is not charging, there are two potential culprits. It can either be some problem with the charging case or your earbud. In this post, we will address both.
Left/Right Galaxy Bud Won’t Charge – Quick Fixes
Leave The Earbud Inside the Case for a While
If the earbuds haven’t been used for a long time, you may experience charging issues because of over-discharged batteries. It doesn’t matter if you’re experiencing problems with one or both earbuds.
For starters, let’s leave the earbuds inside the case for some time, even if the charging indicator doesn’t turn on. Don’t close the lid, and occasionally check what’s happening. You can even leave them inside the case overnight. This might kick-start the circuits inside the earbud, and your earbud might start charging miraculously.
If leaving the earbuds inside the case doesn’t help, move on to the next suggestion.
If the buds haven’t been used for some time, leave them inside the case overnight. There’s no guarantee this will fix the problem, especially if the battery is dead, but you have to start somewhere.
Restart Your Galaxy Buds
Whenever a piece of electronics doesn’t work, be it a smart TV, PC, phone, or anything else, restart is the first thing we do. Why would Galaxy Buds be any different?
To restart your Galaxy Buds, place them in the charging case and close it. Wait for about 10 seconds, then open the case and take them out. This will basically unpair them from your phone and re-pair them.
While this fix is more effective when experiencing problems with touch controls or pairing issues, it might also fix the earbud that won’t charge. If not, I have more tips for you.
Update Your Galaxy Buds Using the Wearable App
The next thing we are going to try is updating your earbuds. There are multiple ways to do so. Each option requires using the device your earbuds are connected to. So, you will either have to use your phone with the Wearable app installed on it, or your PC/Mac with the Galaxy Buds Manager app for PC/Mac.
If you don’t have the Wearable app (phones/tablets) or the Galaxy Buds Manager app (PC/Mac) installed on your device, download and install it.
Then, place the earbuds in the case, close the lid, wait for a few seconds, and open it. The buds will go to pairing mode, and you should see a popup message on your screen. Once you tap on Connect, you will see a series of on-screen prompts, guiding you through the process of setting up your Galaxy Buds with the Wearable app. If the popup doesn’t appear, you will have to manually connect the buds to the Galaxy Wearable app.
If the earbuds don’t connect automatically with the Wearable app, you have to do it manually.
Connecting Galaxy Buds to the Wearable app
Once the earbuds are connected to the app, you just have to update them. Open the Wearable app, go to About Earbuds, tap on Update Earbuds Software, and finally tap on Download and Install.
Download and Install
Updating Galaxy Buds Using the Wearable App – Step-by-Step Instructions
As mentioned earlier, you can update your Galaxy Buds via your PC or Mac. The steps are similar. Instead of using the Wearable app, you will have to use the Galaxy Buds Manager app.
Updating Galaxy Buds via PC/Mac
Reset Your Galaxy Buds
The easiest way to reset your Galaxy Buds is through the Wearable app. First, make sure the earbuds are connected and recognized by the app.
Then, go to About earbuds, and tap on Reset earbuds. Confirm by tapping on Reset once again.
Reset once again
How to Reset Samsung Galaxy Buds – Step-by-Step Guide
While Samsung doesn’t offer any tips on how to manually reset your earbuds (no info on the official Samsung Care webpage, nor in the manual), I’ve found instructions on how to manually reset some other models that might work on Samsung Galaxy Buds. However, I can’t confirm that this method works for Galaxy Buds.
Make sure that both earbuds have some charge left. Put them in the case, close the lid, and then take them out. Put them in your ears and press the touch controls on both earbuds simultaneously for 6-10 seconds. You should hear a chime once they are reset.
Using an Unapproved/Incompatible Charger
An incompatible charger is unlikely the culprit. However, there’s a slight chance that your existing charger caused some kind of glitch by supplying inadequate power.
Worse, an incompatible charger might have supplied too much power and damaged/burnt some part of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Under normal circumstances, this shouldn’t happen, as PCB has protection against overcharging.
To rule out an incompatible charger as a culprit, try using another charger, preferably a Samsung charger, to charge the case.
Try using an original Samsung charger
Check if the earbud is charging. If not, try the next solution.
Try a Different Charging Method for the Case
This is another unlikely cause of the problem, but I have to cover everything. If you don’t have а DC charger, try using a Qi-compatible wireless charger or your Samsung phone to charge the case wirelessly while the earbuds are inside the case.
Switching to a different charging method could trigger your case to start charging the malfunctioning earbud. It’s not very likely, but you should still try it.
How to Wirelessly Charge Your Galaxy Buds Using Your Phone
The Charging Contacts Need to Touch the Charging Pins
This might seem a bit too basic, but you would be surprised how often people overlook these simple things.
For the Galaxy Buds to charge, the charging contacts on the earbud and charging pins inside the case have to touch each other. If there’s no contact, or if it’s not firm, the earbuds won’t charge.
Charging contacts (on the buds) and charging pins (inside the case) have to touch each other. If there’s no contact, the earbuds will not charge.
Some users discovered that the wingtip position on the earbuds prevented the earbuds from charging when put inside the case. Adjusting or twisting the wingtips might fix the problem for you.
Make sure the wingtips don’t prevent your earbud from charging
Even if the wingtips are not to blame, the contact may not be firm enough to initiate charging. Try wiggling the earbud until the light inside the case turns red.
The Charging Contacts and Pins Might Be Dirty – Clean Them
Over time, the charging contacts and charging pins will get dirty. This accumulated dirt, gunk, or even ear wax might prevent one of your Samsung Galaxy earbuds from charging.
Also, if you don’t wipe the earbuds dry after workouts or whenever they get wet, the excess liquid/sweat could cause corrosion. If the contacts or charging pins inside the case are corroded, you won’t be able to charge your buds.
Cleaning Galaxy Earbuds (Cotton Swabs and a Dry Cloth)
Use isopropyl alcohol to clean the charging contacts and pins inside the case. You can dip a cotton swap in isopropyl-alcohol and gently remove dirt from the contacts.
If the contacts are corroded, you may have to apply more force or use different tools (like a toothbrush or sandpaper). However, be careful when using these tools, as you can easily damage the charging contacts.
Cleaning Charging Contacts with a Toothbrush and Sandpaper
Charging Pins Inside the Case Might Be Stuck
The pins inside the case are retractable – when you put the earbuds inside, the pins go down. However, they can get stuck beneath the cover protecting the PCB inside the case. You could try getting it out with tweezers, or you could use a piece of wire. If you can’t get it out, you may have to remove that top cover to release the pins.
The charging pins are retractable, and if only one gets jammed, your Galaxy Bud won’t charge. You will have to unjam it.
Try Using WD40 to Lubricate the Charging Pins
While it’s not recommended to use WD40, I’ve seen people using it to lubricate the pins, and it actually worked.
After cleaning the earbuds’ charging contacts and charging pins inside the case, apply a small quantity of WD40 to the charging pins, and see if it helps. You can use a thin piece of wire or plastic to apply it.
Lubricating charging pins with WD40 might help
You may Be Dealing with a Dead Battery – Try Replacing It on Your Own
If none of the fixes listed above helped, you are probably dealing with a dead battery (the one inside the earbud) or a malfunctioning PCB (inside the charging case).
If the earbud gets very hot while inside your ear, the chances are the battery inside it is dead. You could try replacing the battery on your own and keep using the buds.
If the battery inside the Galaxy Bud is dead, replacing it is your only option.
The good news is that Galaxy Buds are fairly easy to open and repair, even if you are not a techy person. You will need a prying tool, a pair of flathead screwdrivers, some physical force, and lots of patience. Try not to damage the flat cable connecting the battery terminals to the PCB, as it’s thin and fragile.
Opening a Galaxy Bud is not a difficult task, but requires lots of patience.
The battery inside the Galaxy Buds is VARTA CP1454 (3.7V, 0.2Wh). It’s a simple button cell battery you can buy in specialized battery shops or get online (eBay, Amazon, etc.). You don’t have to use the same brand, but it has to be of the same size, and it should have the same power rating.
The battery inside Samsung Galaxy Buds is VARTA CP1454.
One of the users on Reddit noticed that his malfunctioning battery wasn’t actually dead. Over time, the battery’s metal jacket bent and isolated itself from the cells inside the battery, preventing it from charging. So, he just used his screwdriver’s handle to press the battery against the table or some other hard surface. That way, he joined the jacket with the cells inside the battery, and was able to charge the earbud again.
However, I wouldn’t recommend trying to fix the old battery. Since you are already opening the earbud, insert a new battery. After all, it’s not that expensive.
Galaxy Buds Teardown
Contact Samsung Service Center
If fixing earbuds on your own is not your thing, you can always contact Samsung’s Service Center and ask them for help. Note that they may charge you repair fees if the earbuds are not under warranty. And even if they are, if the damage was caused by water or something else that was not covered by the warranty, repair charges may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Why Is My Left Samsung Galaxy Bud Not Charging?
- Answer: Your left/right Galaxy Bud might stop charging for a variety of reasons. The most likely reasons are improper earbud placement, jammed charging pins, dirty or corroded charging contacts, and a dead earbud battery.
- The charging issue can also be caused by firmware glitches. In this case, you could try restarting, updating, or resetting the earbuds.
- Finally, the case can also cause charging issues. Besides the charging pins, the culprit can be a malfunctioning battery (the one inside the case) or a malfunctioning PCB.
- Question: Why is the left side of my Galaxy Buds not working?
- Answer: If the left side is not working, it could either be an earbud firmware/software issue or a hardware issue. To rule out firmware issues, try updating, restarting, and resetting the earbuds. If those solutions don’t work, the battery inside the earbud might be damaged or dead. You could try replacing it or contacting Samsung’s service center.
- Question: Can I charge only one Samsung Galaxy earbud?
- Answer: Yes, you can charge only one Samsung Galaxy Bud. You can also use just one while the other earbud is charging.
- Question: How do I reset my Galaxy Buds charging case?
- Answer: I don’t think there’s an option to reset the charging case only. If you want to reset your Galaxy Buds, you will have to do it through the Wearable app. Open the app, go to About earbuds, and then tap on Reset earbuds. Confirm that you want to reset them by tapping Reset on the popup message.
- Question: How long do Galaxy Buds last?
- Answer: If you are asking about battery life, the advertised earbud playtime per charging cycle is 6 hours. The case provides 13 additional hours or two charging cycles. If you are asking about the lifespan of Galaxy Buds, I can’t give you a definite answer – it all depends on how well you take care of your earbuds.
- Question: How do I find a dead Samsung earbud?
- Answer: If you have the oldest version of Galaxy Buds, you won’t be able to find them through the Wearable app. The Find My Earbuds feature within the Wearable app will only help you if the earbuds are connected to your phone.
- However, on newer models (Buds2, Buds Live, Buds Pro, and Buds2 Pro), you will get the most recent location of your buds when you tap on Find My Earbuds.
- Question: Can Galaxy Buds overcharge?
- Answer: No, they have built-in overcharge protection, so you can’t overcharge them.
- Question: Why are my earbuds not charging equally?
- Answer: That’s perfectly normal, even if they are used equally. The batteries will discharge and charge at different rates.
- Question: Can I charge Samsung Galaxy Buds Without the Case?
- Answer: No, you can’t. The only way to charge your Samsung Galaxy Buds is by placing them inside the case.
Conclusion
While Galaxy Buds are fairly reliable and offer decent performance, they may malfunction occasionally. One of the most common issues users experience with their Galaxy Buds is when the left or right earbud stops charging.
I hope this guide helped you figure out why your left or right Galaxy Bud won’t charge and find a way to fix them.
