Samsung’s decision to relocate Galaxy Buds 3 Pro controls from the Galaxy Wearable app to the general Settings menu in OneUI8 is a baffling move that undermines the very ecosystem it has spent years cultivating.
The Wearable app has long served as a unified hub for managing Galaxy Rings, Watches, and Buds. It’s where users expect to find their device controls—intuitively, consistently, and efficiently. Fragmenting that experience by isolating Buds settings into the system menu erodes ease of use and breaks the logic of centralized device management.
Loss of Accessibility: The Wearable app offered streamlined access to ANC, touch controls, battery indicators, and firmware updates. Now, users must navigate deeper into Settings, losing the convenience of a single tap.
Ecosystem Disruption: Samsung’s strength lies in its interconnected device experience. Removing Buds from the Wearable app breaks that continuity and sends mixed signals about platform cohesion.
User Expectations Ignored: Watches and the Ring remain in the Wearable app. Why not Buds? This inconsistency confuses users and dilutes the value of the app itself.
Samsung has introduced a new UI for Buds Manager apps within OneUI8, with cleaner visuals and battery indicators—but that’s no substitute for unified access. A better path would have been to enhance the Wearable app, not sideline it.
Feedback to Samsung: Restore Galaxy Buds 3 Pro controls to the Wearable app. Maintain consistency. Respect user workflows. Strengthen—not splinter—the ecosystem.
