Galaxy Buds 3 Pro just got 5 much-needed upgrades, but you need a Galaxy S25 to get ‘em

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung has announced 5 key upgrades coming to its third-gen earbuds
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro/Buds 3 upgrades are exclusive to One UI 7
…which means that right now, you need a Galaxy S25 to get them

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Buds 3 just got several key upgrades – for those of you who just bought one of the company's newest Galaxy S25 or S25 Ultra smartphones, that is.

I'll list the updates coming to Samsung's July 2024-issue earbuds in detail momentarily – there are five to get through – but you should know right from the get go that to enjoy them, you'll need to be running One UI 7 (read: Samsung's answer to Android 15). It's the much-touted OS that made its debut in Samsung's S25 lineup, introducing a UI overhaul with all-new AI and navigation perks, including the Now Bar.

But as any Galaxy S24 or S24 Ultra owner knows, you could be waiting until May to get One UI 7, owing to Samsung's apparent plan for multiple beta versions for anything not in the S25 lineup – and if Google goes ahead and announces Android 16 in May, that might instantly make the update feel, ahem, outdated before it gets its full rollout.

Anyway, back to the upgrades for some of you and, following an announcement on February 27, Samsung has explained five changes to be on the lookout for if you own an S25 or S25 Ultra along with a set of 3-suffixed Galaxy Buds.

The first is new Galaxy Buds 3 settings, found within the rejigged One UI 7 Quick Settings panel. Basically, you'll no longer have to fire up the Galaxy Wearable app in order to tweak your Buds’ settings – you’ll now be able to do it right from Quick Settings. Less clunky!

Also mentioned by Samsung was the ability to set sound preferences for individual apps (also within Quick Settings), a tailored sound experience for those with hearing issues, Galaxy AI with Interpreter in 20 languages, and a new microphone software upgrade that should interpret the ambient sound around you to adjust volume.

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Buds 3: the 5 upgrades

Tweak sound settings more easily: with One UI 7, you won't need to go in through the Galaxy Wearable app on your smartphone, you can do it directly in the quick settings panel.
App-specific personalized sound settings: you can set sound preferences for individual apps within the quick settings panel.
Tailored sound for specific hearing needs: an updated Adapt sound feature expands on ambient sound capabilities for more clear and accurate in-call experiences or when watching videos and so on.
Easy communication in 20 Languages: thanks to Galaxy AI with Interpreter in Listening Mode, you'll be able to hear translations for conversations piped directly into your Galaxy Buds.
Intelligently optimized sound: Adaptive Noise Control will use your Buds' onboard mics to analyze your immediate surroundings and automatically adjust the optimal level of noise-nixing, without the need to tweak it yourself.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 3 were launched in July 2024 and to stay sitting pretty on the cutting-edge of technological advancements, these upgrades – especially within Samsung's flagship earbuds – feel both necessary and welcome.

The issue, of course, is whether or not you've got the necessary software to enjoy it, which is currently tied exclusively to whether or not you've bought a 2025 Samsung phone. Of course, if you need to have the newest and best, updating to the latest handset as and when it lands, this is no stumbling block for you. But that's not all of us.

As we noted in our review of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Samsung chose to take a leaf out of Apple's playbook last year, by introducing a swatch of decidedly 'walled garden' features with the proposition – perks you'll always need a new-ish Samsung source device to enjoy. And that's all well and good if there's reasonable backwards compatibility. But if the electronics giant can't deliver its latest One UI 7 update to its wider fanbase (and by that I mean people who bought one of the company's newest phones and earbuds in 2024) sooner rather than later, that could be an issue.