Samsung Galaxy Buds On: Complete Setup Guide

Quick summary: The Samsung Galaxy Buds On are open-air earbuds that sit on your ear, so you can still hear what’s going on around you. Here’s the complete setup on a Samsung Galaxy phone, plus the settings I turn on and off.

Key takeaways

• If they don’t enter pairing mode when you open the case, press and hold the button on the back until the front light blinks.
• Controls live on the touchpad behind your ear: tap, double tap, triple tap, or touch and hold.
• Turn on UHQ audio and clearer calls for better sound, at the cost of a little battery.
• Dynamic EQ is the one I’d use.
• They sound much fuller than Ray-Ban Meta speakers, but there’s no ANC because nothing goes in your ear.

Step 1: Put the buds in pairing mode

Opening the case usually puts them in pairing mode. If it doesn’t, press and hold the button on the back of the case until the light on the front starts blinking.

Step 2: Pair with your Galaxy phone

Go into Bluetooth and scroll to the bottom. Galaxy Buds On shows up, and a pop-up may appear too. Tap Connect and keep the case open while it connects.

Step 3: Agree to the setup terms

You’ll go through the Galaxy Wearable and Galaxy Buds Manager terms. The diagnostic options are optional, and I usually skip them. I do keep automatic updates on for the buds and for Galaxy Buds Manager so I don’t have to think about it. The app then shows you how to wear the buds.

Touch controls

Touch the touchpad behind your ear:

• Tap once: play/pause
• Double tap: next track, or answer/end a call
• Triple tap: previous track
• Touch and hold: adjust volume or reject a call

You can customize the left and right buds separately. For example, touch and hold can open your assistant (Google Assistant or Bixby), change the volume or open an app. You can also turn the call-answering and call-declining gestures on or off. Using your index finger behind the ear is the most comfortable way to do it.

Voice commands and head gestures

You can set up Google Assistant, and there are built-in voice commands for things like play, next song, and volume up or down. With the buds in, you just say it and it works.

Head gestures let you answer calls and respond to notifications by nodding yes or shaking your head no. I turned it on to see how I like it.

Sound quality and the equalizer

• 360 audio: makes it sound like you’re in a concert hall. I keep it off.
• Equalizer: the good one here is Dynamic. It sounds really good. You can also set a custom EQ.
• Advanced quality options: I turn on UHQ (ultra high quality) audio and clearer sound on calls. They use a bit more battery, but music and calls sound better.

Connections and notifications

Keep the seamless connection options on if you want calls and audio to move easily between devices. Notifications on buds reads notifications to you briefly. I turned it off, but some people will like it.

Advanced features I recommend

• In-ear detection: plays calls through the phone speaker when both buds are out. I like that.
• Pause and resume media: I keep it off, because if I take one bud out I usually want to keep listening with the other.
• Auto-detect left and right: you can wear either bud in either ear.
• Pause media when you’re asleep: a great, smart feature.

Labs, gaming mode and Find My Earbuds

Gaming mode lowers latency so what you hear matches what you see, but it isn’t available while the high-quality audio options are on. I keep auto volume off. Turn on Find My Earbuds so you can locate them. You can also check for updates manually, read the built-in tips and user manual, and use the accessibility balance slider if one ear hears better than the other.

How do they sound?

Compared with open-ear audio like Ray-Ban Meta glasses, these sound a lot better and fuller. It almost sounds like they’re in my ear, even though they sit on top of it and I can still hear my surroundings. There’s no active noise cancellation, since that needs a seal in your ear. If you want open-air earbuds that work great with your Samsung phone, these are really cool.

• Galaxy Buds On at Samsung
• Galaxy Buds On at Best Buy
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