Samsung Galaxy buds are not the best wireless earbuds out there. For sure this has improved with the upgrade Buds plus, but I personally do not have a good experience with them. I do frequently use it with my PC too. So, if you’re wondering how to pair galaxy buds to a laptop/desktop, the answer is yes. In this article, I’ll guide you on how to connect Galaxy Buds to laptop via Bluetooth.
The first thing I noticed with my Galaxy Buds is the volume was too low. Especially if I was using it outside, I could barely listen to the music playing. I even had issues with the microphone in the buds, which seems to have been fixed by the software updates and I fixed the low volume issue by using bigger ear tips.
For anyone wondering what buds can be connected to your laptop, all of them below are capable.
- Samsung Galaxy Buds – First Gen
- Samsung Buds Live
- Samsung Buds Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
- Samsung Galaxy Buds +
- Gear iconX
You can connect your Samsung Galaxy earbuds to a Laptop running Windows or macOS(MacBook). I connect galaxy buds pro to iPhone all the time and they work without any issues.
1. How To Connect Galaxy Buds To Laptop on Windows 10/11
So let me guide you on how to pair Samsung Buds to laptops running Windows 10 or Windows 11. All you need to make sure before you go ahead is that your PC / Laptop must have Bluetooth. This is because the galaxy buds connect via Bluetooth.
1.1 How To Pair Galaxy Buds To Windows 10 Laptop
Put your earbuds back in the case and turn off Bluetooth on any devices that are around the case and were paired/connected to the earbuds. This is very important as if you don’t turn off Bluetooth on other devices that the earbuds were previously connected to, windows 10 won’t detect your buds. It’s weird I know, but yeah that’s Windows 10 for ya :D!
To connect galaxy buds to laptop on Windows 10, do the following:
- On your Windows 10 laptop, at the bottom of your screen, you should see a “Type here to search”. Click on it and type “Bluetooth”.
- The first option that should come up is “Bluetooth and other devices settings”, click on it.
- It takes you to the “Bluetooth & other devices” settings page.
- Now open the cover of the Galaxy earbuds case with the buds inside them. This puts the buds into pairing mode automatically. If you have any previously paired devices around when you open the cover, Galaxy buds will automatically try to reconnect to those devices.
- Click on “Add Bluetooth or other devices”.
- In the next window, select “Bluetooth”.
- It will now start looking for any Bluetooth devices around your laptop ready to be paired.
- Once you see your Samsung Galaxy buds listed, simply click on it to start the pairing process.
- Give it a few seconds to add the galaxy buds to your system and connect to it.
- Once the pairing process has been completed, you will receive a “Your device is ready to go!” message. You can also see that it says that the Galaxy Buds is connected for voice and music.
- Enjoy your Galaxy buds headphones with your laptop.
That’s how to connect Galaxy Buds to laptop running Windows 10.
Sometimes you might need to uninstall programs on Windows 10 that are creating issues while connecting to a new Bluetooth device.
If you are facing any issues to pair galaxy buds with your laptop, please leave a comment down below with a detailed description of the issue you are facing and the operating system/laptop/desktop model, etc.
READ: How To Connect Your Galaxy Buds To Chromebook
1.2. How to connect galaxy buds to laptop on Windows 11
Connecting or pairing your Galaxy Buds to your Windows 11 laptop is exactly the same as Windows 10. Since Windows 11 has a slightly different UI, you might get confused.
Follow the following steps to get it paired with your Windows 11 Laptop.
- Click on the Windows logo from the bottom toolbar and open Settings.
- On the left-hand side, open “Bluetooth & devices” and click “Add device”.
- This opens up a new window, choose the first “Bluetooth” option.
- Select your Galaxy Buds from the list and wait for a few seconds for the pairing to complete.
- Once done, you can select the buds as the primary output source from the volume controls in the bottom right corner of the screen.
That’s how to connect galaxy buds to laptop on Windows 11 via Bluetooth.
1.3 How To Connect Galaxy Buds Live To Laptop
- Put the buds live back in your ears and long press both buds for a few seconds until you hear the chime.
- On your laptop, go to start and search for “Bluetooth” and open “Bluetooth and other settings”.
- Click on “Add device” > “Bluetooth”.
- Wait for “Galaxy Buds Live” to show up and click on it.
- Once paired, you will hear the confirmation sound on your Buds Live.
- Finally, select the Galaxy Buds Live as the default audio output for your laptop.
That’s how to connect Samsung buds live to laptop running windows. This applies to all the laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, dell, Acer, HP, Asus, etc.
I had issues initially putting the Galaxy Buds live in pairing mode. If the laptop is not detecting your Buds, the only way is by putting them on and pressing on the touchpads for a few seconds.
For someone just getting their hands on the wireless headsets, check out Samsung’s article about the buds and their touch controls.
Video Guide on How To Connect Galaxy Buds To Laptop on Windows 10/11
2. How To Pair Galaxy Buds Using Swift Pair on Windows 10/11
Swift pair is a feature introduced by Microsoft with Windows 10. Swift pair essentially allows users to pair or connect a device that supports this feature seamlessly without having to go through the manual pairing process.
Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds pro, or any Samsung earbuds for that matter do support the Swift Pair feature.
As long as you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can make use of this feature. Make sure you enable Swift pair on your laptop/desktop before trying to pair galaxy buds using Swift Pair.
Follow the steps mentioned below to connect Samsung earbuds using the Swift pair :
- Put the buds back in the case and close the cover.
- Make sure no devices that you have previously paired your earbuds to are in close proximity. If not possible to remove them, turn off Bluetooth on those devices.
- Open the lid of your Samsung earbuds case, which should put it into pairing mode. If there are any familiar devices around, swift pair won’t be able to detect your earphones.
- Give it a few seconds and you should see a notification on the bottom-right corner of the screen as you see in the screenshot below.
- Click on “Pair” and your buds will be paired and connected to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop/desktop via Swift pair.
Next time you want to use your headphones, simply open the case and if your computer is not actively connected to another Bluetooth audio device, it will seamlessly connect to your wireless Samsung Earbuds.
3. how to connect galaxy buds to MacBook [macOS]
Follow the steps mentioned below to connect galaxy buds to MacBook. Regardless of which version of macOS you are using, these steps will apply to all.
- Open the Galaxy Buds case while the earbuds are still inside the case.
- Click on the Bluetooth icon on the top of the screen and see if it lists the “Galaxy Buds”.
- If the Galaxy Buds are listed, click on it and it should connect your Galaxy Buds and start playing audio from the earbuds.
- If you do not see the Bluetooth icon on the top of the taskbar, click on the settings icon on the Dock.
- Open Bluetooth.
- Now open the Galaxy Buds case and let the system pick up Galaxy Buds.
- After a few seconds, it should list the Galaxy Buds.
- Finish the pairing by clicking on the “Connect” button and it should be good to go.
That’s how to connect galaxy buds to MacBook via Bluetooth.
That’s how to connect Galaxy Buds to laptop running Windows 10/11 or MacBook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Facing issues pairing Samsung buds to your laptop? Check out the FAQs below.
Leave a comment with the issue that you are facing if you cannot find a solution for that in this guide.
If your buds won’t connect to your laptop, make sure there is no other device around that they have been previously paired to. Turn off Bluetooth on other devices except for your laptop and they will connect.
You can do a couple of things, first reset your galaxy buds and then reinstall Bluetooth drivers on your laptop. This should resolve this issue.
Yes, as long as your laptop has Bluetooth functionality, you can connect your Samsung buds to them. Regardless if you have a Windows laptop or a MacBook running macOS.
You can use all Samsung earbuds models with any laptop that has Bluetooth feature enabled and able to scan for new devices.
This article was a lifesaver. I spent 20 minutes trying to pair these Buds2 with no luck. Putting them in my ears and touching the “buttons” on both buds instantly made them appear on my bluetooth pairing list. Thank you!
Thanks very much! The key item to note is that the buds should be in the case and the case should be opened after selecting ‘Add Bluetooth or other device’. Finally managed to connect after owning the Buds for 3 months!
Hey Manohar, Thank you for pointing that out! Do you have the latest buds or previous generations?
Hi! I think I regularly experience an issue which is not addressed in your very helpful FAQ. I know that when buds are connected to PC and I want to start using them with my phone, I need to first disconnect buds from PC. But often, if I leave buds connected to PC for some idle time and it goes to hibernate mode, it does not automatically release the connection. So I need to turn PC back on just to disconnect buds and start using them with my phone. Weird, isn’t it?
Hmmm, That is weird! Have you tried putting the buds back in the case and then see if that releases the connection? I assume you are trying to reconnect to your android phone, is that correct? and the PC is a Windows or macOS system?
I thought I was going nuts! It’s fantastic that something as simple as turning Bluetooth off on the nearby devices was the only holdup. Paired and done in seconds.. THANK YOU!!
@bram I know, I face this issue with most of the Bluetooth accessories. The only time I don’t have issue connecting to the buds are if I connect to them from my iPad or the iPhone.
Anyways, I am glad this worked.
Hello!
I got them pair with no problem, but the sound is only coming out of the left ear. Both ears are fully charged and will work on my phone, but even after I disconnect from my phone and connect to my PC, the right bud just doesn’t play. Do you know how to fix it? I’ve tried tapping both at the same time, restarting, and repairing. I’m lost =(
Hi Patrick, I have faced this issue myself. Honestly, after a recent software update, I have not faced this issue. But try putting both the earbuds in the case and charge it. Try pairing it while the charger is plugged in. A trick that works for me sometimes is, I only leave the bud that is not working to charge and after 5-10 minutes, they seem to work fine. Let me know if this helped. If they are new, don’t bother and just get them replaced.
This does not work for me on Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2 and newest Galaxy Buds Software R170XXUATF2. My Laptops Qualcomm Atheros AR3012 (Driver Version Bluetooth 4.0 (Version 10.0.3.18) does not pick up the pairing from my Buds (automatic or manual pairing). It just never shows up in the device list.
Hi Chris, It can be a bit of a struggle sometimes. Try resetting the Bluetooth driver, put the buds in the case again. Even do a restart and try again. I know it sounds simple but a restart can solve soo many solutions.
Let me know how you go.
This worked! I was having trouble connecting to my laptop and I’m all set now. Thanks!
I am glad this worked. 🙂
thank you so much, that worked perfectly!
You are amazing! I have been fighting with this for DAYS. Everything works now.
Fantastic! I am glad this helped.