Why Do My Galaxy Buds Keep Pausing? (5 Fixes)

Samsung makes a fantastic smartphone with its Galaxy series using the Android OS. They also make the Galaxy Buds, one of the primary competitors to Apple’s AirPods, along with an extensive spread of big-brand wireless earbuds.

Regardless of which generation of Galaxy earbuds you’re using, the pausing glitch is reported here and there in all of them. Restarting the Galaxy Buds, ensuring they’re updated, disabling other, connected devices, staying in range, or messing with the auto-pause feature will generally fix the issue. 

Regardless of the version, Galaxy Buds are not cheap pieces of hardware with a history of malfunctioning. A lot of times, it’s just a matter of merging modern tech with people, in the sense that we sweat, have oily skin, and we don’t sit still all day—all of which can trigger the auto-pause.

5 Reasons Your Galaxy Buds Keep Pausing

1. Dealing with the Auto-Pause Feature

The auto-pause feature on a pair of Galaxy Buds is simply an automated process that pauses whatever media you’re listening to when you take the buds out of your ears. It’s a feature that works well in principle but doesn’t in action for two reasons.

The first is that Galaxy Buds (1st gen) don’t resume what you were listening to when you put the buds back in your ears. For two, several things can affect the earbud’s sensors that detect whether or not they are still in your ears.

The problem often crops up if you like to wear your Galaxy Buds while running or exercising, the problem often crops up. Galaxy Buds are designed to fit your ears tight but comfortably, with an airtight seal. You create a lot of vibration when stressing your body—running, jogging, in-place aerobics, or even weightlifting.

This is often enough to ever-so-slightly dislodge the earbuds from their typical positioning in your ear. Most of the time, it’s fine. Some of the time, it’s enough to trigger the auto-pause feature. Sweat and oily skin are enough to break that air-tight seal as well.

As of this writing, there is no feature to turn off or disable the auto-pause feature. But, is worth trying some of the following:

• Keep your earbuds clean, once a week at the very least
• Never put them in when you are sweaty or dirty from work or exercise
• Always put them in before you begin work or exercise
• Keep them charged up (Problem is more prevalent below 20% charge
• Keep your ears clean (Earwax build-up can disrupt the sensors
• Stay within range of your smartphone

Some of the above solutions we will elaborate on are below. The primary concern here is keeping the buds clean and your ears clean. That way, the sensors are never disrupted.

2. Galaxy Buds Require a Reset

Sometimes, all you need to do is reset your Galaxy Buds. No matter how well-designed the software is, there is always potential for glitches and hiccups, both of which a soft reset will generally solve. However, you can also do a hard reset if you don’t mind setting the buds up again.

To do a soft reset, you must have the Galaxy App on your smartphone, iOS or Android. Most of the reset process takes place within the app.

1. Open the Galaxy Wearable App
2. Select “General”
3. Select “Reset”
4. “Confirm” the soft reset

That’s all there is to it—quick and simple. However, that’s just a soft reset, which will do the trick 99% of the time. If necessary, you can do a hard reset, which doesn’t require using the app.

• Make sure the buds are completely charged in the case
• Remove both Samsung Galaxy Buds from the case
• Locate the sensors on each bud
• Press and hold down on each sensor for at least 15 seconds
• Once 15 seconds are up, place the buds back in the charging case
• Wait for a full minute
• The buds should be factory reset at this point and will require setup with your smartphone device

Unless there is something physically wrong with the Galaxy Buds or they are not clean, the above processes should address any internal software issues.

3. Check for Updates

While there is probably no link between Galaxy Buds auto-pausing randomly and a firmware update, the lack of an update can cause all kinds of internal problems. Look at it this way: if you don’t keep the firmware updated, the number of issues that compile, one on top of the other, can eventually lead to a disruptive auto-pause problem.

Besides, keeping them updated will avoid all sorts of minor issues that are unrelated but frustrating nonetheless.

1. Open the app on your smartphone or tablet
2. The app should inform you if there is an available update
3. Open up the notifications tab
4. If there is nothing in your notifications, there is no available update
5. Place the Galaxy Buds in their charging case
6. Allow them to charge 100%
7. Open the charging case lid but leave the buds in there
8. Open the app again
9. Go to “Settings”
10. Select “Software Update”
11. Select “Download”
12. Confirm by selecting “Install”

The last part of the bullet points is the manual version of installing software updates. You should choose this option if no updates have hit your notifications tab.

4. Disable Other, Connected Devices

Samsung Galaxy Buds are like many of the other wireless earbud options on the market—they can connect to multiple devices simultaneously. This normally becomes a problem if you are accessing one device and have another connected device running simultaneously.

Although there are a lot of conveniences in keeping multiple devices connected, it usually ends up being more of a headache if you use a bunch of different connected devices more than just occasionally.

You can’t disable the link from other devices from the Galaxy app. You have to physically pick up each device, go into Settings, and remove the Galaxy Buds from the Bluetooth connection on those devices.

If you have a primary device with which you use your Galaxy Buds, it’s best to stick with it. Multiple connections are convenient in a bubble. Unfortunately, there is no bubble in the real world.

5. Battery Life

Low battery status is known for causing minor issues with Galaxy Buds. Now, that’s not Galaxy Buds specifically and only. A low battery on any pair of earbuds (especially those loaded with many features) generally causes minor problems.

With Galaxy Buds, the Auto-Pause feature becomes more of a headache when the charge drops below 20%. Think about it like this—every sensor and sound component on the Galaxy Buds require power to function at full capacity.

When your battery gets low, it’s having to maximize (or attempt to) the efficiency of every component without much gas left in the tank. This is the time when things that are occasionally problematic become far more upfront and prevalent.

Even things like Bluetooth range become affected by low battery. While 20 feet away may have been fine at an 80% charge, it’s not so much at a 15% charge. The best way to alleviate this problem is to keep your Galaxy Buds charged simply.

All Things Considered

It’s completely understandable if reading troubleshooting articles like this gives the impression that Galaxy Buds are literally pieces of plastic garbage you insert into your ear canal. The truth is, everything has its problems and Galaxy Buds are phenomenal wireless earbuds that have issues from time to time.

As of right now, the auto-pause feature is one that is heavily criticized but mostly because it doesn’t continue the media you’re listening to when you put them back in. For the most part, keeping them clean, keeping them charged, and limiting device connections will avoid most problems.