Galaxy Buds · Troubleshooting

Locate misplaced Galaxy Buds with a chime or last-known location

Find My Earbuds plays a loud chime from one or both earbuds to help locate them nearby, and integrates with SmartThings Find to show a last-known location if the buds ever go out of Bluetooth range.

What you should know

  • Open Galaxy Wearable, tap the earbuds image, then open the ellipsis (more options) menu and select Find My Earbuds.
  • Tap the chime icon for the left, right, or both earbuds to play a sound and help you locate them nearby.
  • For buds that are out of Bluetooth range, open the SmartThings Find app to see the last location where they were connected, provided offline finding was enabled beforehand.
  • Enable Offline finding in SmartThings Find settings ahead of time so lost buds can potentially be located using other nearby Galaxy devices' networks.

The in-app chime only works while the earbuds have battery remaining and are within Bluetooth range of the paired phone — it cannot ring buds that are powered off or far away.

Why it matters

Because earbuds are small and easy to leave behind in a couch cushion, gym bag, or car seat, having Find My Earbuds and SmartThings Find set up before they're lost is the difference between a quick chime-guided search and buds that are gone for good.

Best practices

  • Turn on Offline finding in SmartThings Find as soon as buds are paired, rather than waiting until after they're already missing.
  • Use the chime feature immediately when buds go missing at home, before their battery has a chance to run out.
  • Keep the earbuds' case in a consistent spot — most 'lost buds' searches are actually solved by locating the case rather than the earbuds themselves.

Common problems and fixes

Find My Earbuds shows the buds as unavailable
They're likely out of Bluetooth range or powered off; check SmartThings Find for a last-known location instead.
Chime doesn't play even though the buds show as connected
Confirm media volume isn't muted on the phone and that the buds aren't currently seated deep in a bag muffling the sound.

Tips and tricks

  • Playing the chime for 'both earbuds' rather than one at a time is faster when you're not sure which ear a single missing bud belongs to.

Frequently asked questions

Does Find My Earbuds work if my phone is off?

No — the chime is triggered from the Galaxy Wearable app, so the paired phone needs to be on with Bluetooth active; SmartThings Find's offline network relies on other nearby Galaxy devices instead.