Unable to pair Pixel Buds Series-A with S24 (Model SM-S921U)

[Zalincal]

I recently upgraded from an S21 to S24.  Had used my Pixel Series A buds with the S21 but can't get them to pair with the newer S24.  As a part of the transition, the S24 did have the buds listed as a past device the phone had paired with.  When I couldn't get the pairing, I deleted the device from the "past paired" list on the S24 and then ran a scan.  But the scan doesn't find the Pixel buds either.

The buds are still working because I can pair them with my laptop.

The S24 is running One UI ver 6.1 and Android 14.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[SamsungModerator1 · Accepted solution]

Hello, 

If you cannot connect a Bluetooth accessory to your S24, going through the connection troubleshooting step-by-step will help get your devices working together.

Verify that your Bluetooth is turned on your S24 

From the Bluetooth settings menu, tap Scan, and then select your desired Bluetooth device from the list of available devices. Follow the prompts to complete the pairing (make sure the devices are within 30 feet of each other and that the Bluetooth device is in pairing mode)

You can try resetting the network settings on your Galaxy device to see if that clears the problem (Resetting your network settings will remove all Wi-Fi networks and reset your mobile data settings. You will need to reconnect to any stored networks) Open Settings, then tap General management, and then tap Reset. Tap Reset network settings, then tap Reset settings, and then tap Reset

You can clear the Bluetooth's data cache on the phone: Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Sort Icon, tap Show System Apps, tap Ok, tap Bluetooth, tap Storage, tap Clear Data, tap Ok

You may need to reconnect the Bluetooth device in question, along with any other devices you had connected.

Some Bluetooth devices may need a support app in order to connect to a phone or tablet. For example, Samsung earbuds and smart watches connect through the Galaxy Wearable app.

If you are using a third-party Bluetooth device, please check with the manufacturer to see if a support app is required.

Try pairing a different Bluetooth device to the phone. If it pairs, there is a problem with the original Bluetooth device that wasn't connecting. You will need to contact the Bluetooth device's manufacturer.

[Zalincal]

Thanks for the response.  Unfortunately, this did not resolve the issue.  I should have mentioned earlier that the S24 phone is able to connect to my car's bluetooth as well as my Galaxy Watch 4.  So, just like the Pixel buds, the phone is also able to connect via bluetooth to other devices.

For the suggestions provided, here were the outcomes:

1. Resetting network settings: Tried this but it did not help.  After the reset, the S24 phone was still unable to find the Pixel buds upon a scan.  However, it did find the Galaxy Watch 4.  The downside to trying this is that in order for the phone to reconnect to the Galaxy watch, the watch also had to reset so I lost all the data on it.

2. Clearing the Bluetooth data cache: This I wasn't able to do.  I found the location where I could clear it but the options to clear the cache ( and to clear the Bluetooth data) where both disabled.  I couldn't find a way to enable them. (see screenshot below)

3. App requirement for the Pixel buds: I didn't have to use any mobile app to connect these Pixel buds to my older phone (the S21).  None the less, I looked through the Google website and couldn't find anything.

Let me know if you have any other thoughts on resolving this.  I will also post this issue on Google's Pixel forum and perhaps reddit.

Thanks again!

[Zalincal]

Update: The S24 is now able to pair with the Pixel Buds (A-Series).  The only thing that changed since my previous post was an upgrade to the software on the phone.  It was scheduled but since I was mucking around on the phone already, decided to go with the "Install Now" option.  As soon as the phone restarted, I enabled bluetooth and both the Galaxy watch and Pixel Buds showed up on the available devices list.  Weird. I've attached a screenshot of the software info if that helps identify how this got resolved.

Cheers