Samsung Galaxy phones miss key Apple AirPods features and tools
Apple AirPods can connect to a Samsung Galaxy phone over Bluetooth, but many features rely on Apple devices and are unavailable on Android. That makes them less convenient to set up and use, especially for people who want features such as automatic switching, health tools or device tracking.
With a Galaxy, pairing requires manually putting the AirPods into Bluetooth mode, and settings remain at their defaults or the last values set on an Apple device. Siri, ear detection, Spatial Audio head tracking, Live Translation, hearing tools and the AirPods Pro 3 heart rate sensor are among the features that depend on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. AirPods still play, pause and skip tracks, and noise cancellation on AirPods Pro 2 reportedly works similarly on Android, but firmware updates require access to an Apple device or service provider. Find My also requires prior pairing with an iPhone or iPad, while its browser version offers limited tracking.
In short
- AirPods pair with Galaxy phones, but setup is manual.
- Many features and settings require an Apple device.
- Updates and full tracking are limited on Android.
Explained simply
Apple’s AirPods are wireless earphones designed by Apple, while Samsung’s Galaxy phones run Android, a different mobile operating system. The AirPods can connect to a Galaxy using Bluetooth, the standard wireless connection used by many phones and accessories.
Some AirPods functions are tied to Apple’s own devices and services, so they may not be available when the earphones are used with Android. This affects features such as voice assistance, automatic switching between devices and some health tools, while basic music controls still work.
The difference matters to people choosing earphones to use across phones and other devices. Features such as setup, software updates and location tracking can depend on which devices a person already owns.
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Originally published by Engadget as “What features do you lose if you use Apple AirPods with a Samsung Galaxy phone?”.