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AirPods on Galaxy Phones Lose Most Smart Features, Engadget Reports

Engadget: AirPods pair with Galaxy phones, but settings, Siri, updates, Find My and health features need Apple devices.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-26 02:41

Opening an AirPods case next to an iPhone brings up a card showing the earbuds and battery levels, with one-tap connection. Next to a Galaxy phone, that card does not appear. Owners of AirPods 4, AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3 must double-tap the front of the case, or hold the button on the back of older models, until the light flashes white, then connect through Bluetooth settings.

Apple warns that users "can't use Siri, but you can listen and talk." Engadget reported that the limitation extends further. Automatic device switching, ear detection, Spatial Audio head tracking, the Ear Tip Fit Test, Live Translation, hearing health tools and the heart rate sensor on AirPods Pro 3 depend on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Firmware updates and Find My also require an Apple device.

AirPods settings can only be changed through an Apple device. Without one, users are stuck with default settings or whatever was last configured. That includes the press-and-hold action on the stem, automatic ear detection, Spatial Audio and head tracking, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume.

Live Translation on recent models including AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 5 processes through an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, meaning iPhone 15 Pro or newer. The Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection features on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are set up on an iPhone or iPad. Heart rate readings from AirPods Pro 3 go to Apple's Fitness app.

Automatic switching works only across devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Apple uses that account system instead of standard Bluetooth multipoint, so AirPods will not stay connected to two non-Apple devices at the same time. Engadget cited that as one reason not to buy new headphones without Bluetooth multipoint.

Some controls still work on a Galaxy. SoundGuys found that pressing the stem while connected to a Galaxy plays, pauses and skips tracks, although the controls cannot be customized. The site also found that noise cancellation on AirPods Pro 2 is about the same on Android as on iOS. Sound quality is less certain because AirPods stream over Bluetooth using the AAC codec, and older SoundGuys testing found Android phones performed worse with it than an iPhone.

Firmware updates arrive automatically while AirPods are charging and within Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad or Mac connected to Wi-Fi, according to Apple. Without such a device, Apple's solution is to book an appointment at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Updates can add features: firmware 9A348 brought a custom EQ to AirPods 4 and later, along with AirPods Pro 2 and later. The EQ can only be adjusted in the AirPods settings menu, which exists only on Apple devices. Apple offers an Android app for Beats headphones that installs firmware and updates, but there is no AirPods equivalent.

Find My works from any browser at iCloud.com/find, but AirPods must first be paired with an iPhone or iPad signed into an Apple Account before they appear. If they have never been paired, they cannot be tracked at all. Even after pairing, the web version of Find My can only show a location and play a sound; it cannot play a sound from the charging case. If the AirPods are lost in an Android-only setup, users are on their own, Engadget reported.

Some features can be restored through third-party apps. CAPod, a free Google Play download with optional in-app purchases, adds a battery pop-up when the case is opened and automatic play and pause based on ear detection. LibrePods, an open-source app, unlocks noise control modes, Conversation Awareness, head gestures and the long-press setting. It needed a rooted phone at launch, but Google has since fixed the Android bug that made root necessary. Android Authority reported in April that Samsung owners would need One UI 9, which began rolling out to the Galaxy S26 series in September.

AirPods Pro 3 cost $249, the same as Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Samsung says its earbuds reach their "full potential" with a Galaxy phone.