BudMatch Help
How can we help?
How a trade works, what to check before you meet, and how to re-pair a replacement bud for every model we support.
hello@budmatch.siteWhat's happening during beta
BudMatch is free while we're testing. No fees, no payment.
Chat opens as soon as you both agree a price. There is nothing to pay first and nothing to pay after.
Later, a 5% service fee per side will unlock chat instead. We'll say so clearly before that changes, and anyone who used the beta keeps their existing matches free.
The money for the bud itself is always between you and the other person. BudMatch never handles it.
How a trade works
List the bud you have
Pick your model, say which side you have and which side you need, describe the condition, and set your asking price. Free to list.
We find the other half
We match you with someone holding the opposite side of the same model. You get a notification and an email the moment it happens.
One of you proposes a price
The seller’s asking price stands to begin with. The other side can accept it, decline, or counter with their own number — up to three counters between you. BudMatch does not set, suggest or adjust the price. Whatever you agree is the price.
Chat opens
Once you agree, chat opens and you can arrange the handoff. During beta this costs nothing.
Video call, then meet and test
Check the bud on camera before you travel. Then meet somewhere public and test it with your own case before any money changes hands.
Direct offers
If you see a listing you want in Browse, you can skip the automatic matching and send a direct offer. Enter the amount you're willing to pay and the listing owner will see it under Offers in their profile. If they accept, the price is settled at your number and chat opens straight away — no counters needed. If they already have an active match, they'll need to cancel it before accepting your offer.
What ends a match
A match ends if:
- Either side declines the negotiation
- Nobody accepts within the three counters
- Either party deletes their listing
- Either party switches their listing type (selling → buying)
Both listings go straight back into the pool and start matching against new people. The two of you won't be matched with each other again.
Before you meet
Do this before you travel anywhere. A ten-minute video call rules out almost everything that makes a trade fall apart, and it costs you nothing.
The model marking, out of the case
Ask them to take the bud out and hold it to the camera. The model number is usually printed on the flat of the stem, or inside the housing where the ear tip sits — pull the tip off and it is moulded or printed underneath. If they cannot show you a marking that matches the listing, stop there.
The L or R marking
Same places as the model number. It must match the side in the listing. A seller who is unsure which side they have is a seller who has not checked.
It seats and charges in their case
Bud into their case, lid closed, lid opened. The case LED should respond. This proves the contacts are clean and the battery takes a charge.
It pairs with their phone
Ask them to open their Bluetooth screen on camera and show the bud connected by name. Then play audio so you can hear it coming from that bud.
Physical condition
Look for cracks around the stem joint and for water marks or corrosion on the charging contacts. Both are things a photograph hides and a video call does not.
What the video call does not prove
Seeing the bud pair with their case only proves the bud works. It does not prove it will pair with your case, which is the thing you are actually buying. Cross-pairing can only be tested in person, with your case, and that is the test that matters.
When you meet
Meet somewhere public. Bring your own case and your phone. Put their bud in your case, run the re-pair procedure for your model from the guide below, and confirm both buds play before any money changes hands.
Reset guides
Forget the device
Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings and forget/unpair the old earbuds entry entirely before doing anything else.
Place both buds in your case
Your original surviving bud and the new one from the trade. Make sure both are seated and charging.
Factory reset
The exact method depends on your brand — see the brand guide below.
Pair as a new device
Take the buds out of the case — they enter pairing mode automatically. Find them in your Bluetooth list and connect.
The three re-bond patterns
Roughly eight in ten single-bud replacements work on the simple method — both buds in the case for 30 seconds. The rest need one of these, which depend on the chipset family rather than the brand name.
Case button
Xiaomi, Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Jabra
Both buds in the case, close the lid, open it again, then hold the case’s function or connect button with the buds still inside. The indicator flashes and the buds re-pair to each other automatically.
Touch and hold
Haylou, Baseus, Joyroom, Lenovo, Aspor, Realme, JBL
Both buds in the case with the lid closed. Clear the pairing record on your phone, then take both buds out and hold both touch areas for 5–15 seconds until the LEDs alternate. Both flash, then one slow-flashes: they have re-bonded and are waiting for a phone.
Samsung touch variant
Galaxy Buds series
Both buds in the case, then touch and hold both touch areas for 7 seconds until the indicator flashes green.
Why a reset fails
Block touches is on (Samsung)
Coupling fails silently if Block touches is enabled in the Galaxy Wearable app on your original bud. Turn it off first. This is the most common reason a Samsung reset appears to do nothing.
Case LED is red (Samsung)
A red case light means the buds are not coupled. Take them out and put them back in.
The buds are too far apart
They have to be physically close to each other while re-bonding, not just near your phone. Most manuals leave this out.
Low battery
Charge both the bud and the case above 50% before you start.
Different generations
Buds Pro is not Buds2 Pro. Buds2 is not Buds+. Liberty 4 NC, Liberty 3 and Liberty 4 Pro all differ in chip, microphones and sensors despite looking alike. QC Ultra is not QC II.
A lone left bud (Jabra)
On several Jabra models the left bud only ever connects to the right bud, never straight to a phone. A left bud on its own has no standalone use.
A lone left bud (older Realme)
Older Realme models use a master/slave arrangement where the right bud talks to the phone and the left pairs to the right, so a lone left bud may not work by itself.
Reset method by brand
Two different operations, often with different hold times. A factory reset wipes a set back to new. Re-pairing a replacement bud re-bonds two buds to each other, which is what a BudMatch trade needs. Where the two differ, do the second one.
Samsung Galaxy Buds
Factory reset
Place both buds in case. Open Galaxy Wearable app → Earbud settings → Reset. Or close case lid for 7 sec, reopen.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds in the case, then touch and hold both touch areas for 7 seconds until the indicator flashes green.
Turn off Block touches in the Galaxy Wearable app first, or coupling fails silently. A red case LED means not coupled — remove and reinsert.
Sony WF series
Factory reset
Place buds in open case. Press and hold touch sensors on both buds for 15 sec until LED flashes red then turns off.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented as a re-bond procedure.
Both buds must be running the same firmware version. If they differ they will not link no matter how long you hold anything, and no reset fixes it. Check both versions before you meet.
Xiaomi / Redmi Buds
Factory reset
Place both buds in case. Press and hold case button for 10 sec until LED flashes 3 times. Pair fresh via Bluetooth.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds in the case, then hold the case button: 20 seconds on Redmi Buds 6, 30 seconds on Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro. Xiaomi documents this specifically for replacing a single earbud.
Realme Buds
Factory reset
Place both buds in case. Press and hold case button for 10 sec until LED scrolls. Take buds out to pair fresh.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds out of the case, hold both touch areas for about 5 seconds until the LEDs alternate.
Older models use a master/slave arrangement — the right bud talks to the phone and the left pairs to the right, so a lone left bud may not work by itself.
OnePlus Buds
Factory reset
Place both buds in case. Close lid for 5 sec, reopen. Or use the HeyMelody app → device settings → reset.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds in the case, lid closed then opened, then hold the case button until the indicator flashes.
Oppo Enco
Factory reset
Place buds in case. Hold case button 10 sec until LED blinks rapidly. Open lid to enter pairing mode.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds in the case, lid closed then opened, then hold the case button until the indicator flashes.
Jabra Elite
Factory reset
Place buds in case. Press and hold button inside case for 10 sec until LED flashes purple. Buds will enter pairing mode on removal.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Put the new bud in the case alongside the existing one, close the lid and charge for 20 minutes or more, then pair normally.
On several Jabra models the left bud only ever connects to the right bud, never straight to a phone. A left bud on its own has no standalone use.
Soundcore
Factory reset
Place buds in case while charging. Press and hold button on both buds 3 sec until LED flashes red 3 times then turns white.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented as a distinct procedure. Anker sells replacement singles directly, so a matching bud is expected to bond on the standard reset.
The replacement must be the exact model. Liberty 4 NC, Liberty 3 and Liberty 4 Pro differ in chip, microphones and sensors despite looking alike.
JBL TWS
Factory reset
With both buds out of case and connected, double-tap right bud then on third tap hold 5+ sec until they shut off. Some models: hold case button 10 sec.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds out of the case, hold both touch areas for 5–15 seconds until the LEDs alternate.
JBL Tour Pro 2
Factory reset
Use the touchscreen on the case: tap Settings → Reset. This model has a built-in display for case controls.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Same as other JBL models once reset — hold both touch areas until the LEDs alternate.
Haylou
Factory reset
Place buds in case. Long-press the button on the case for 8–10 sec until LED flashes. Or long-press both bud touch sensors 5 sec outside of case.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds out of the case, hold both touch areas for about 15 seconds until the LEDs alternate.
Baseus, Joyroom, Lenovo, Aspor
Factory reset
No manufacturer procedure published for these.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Both buds out of the case, hold both touch areas for about 15 seconds until the LEDs alternate. These share a small number of budget Bluetooth chipsets and the procedure comes from the chipset rather than the brand.
Nothing / CMF
Factory reset
Place buds in case, keep lid open. Press and hold button on back of case for 15–20 sec until LED flashes orange then off.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented. Nothing has a single-bud parts market behind it; CMF does not yet.
Huawei FreeBuds
Factory reset
Place buds in open case. Touch and hold both bud touch areas for 15 sec until LED flashes white rapidly.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented either way.
Bose QC Earbuds
Factory reset
Place buds in case, close lid 30 sec. Open lid, press and hold case button 30 sec until LED flashes white twice then blinks blue.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented, and the evidence conflicts — one specialist reseller states its QuietComfort Earbuds II singles cannot be paired to another bud.
Edifier, Vivo
Factory reset
No manufacturer procedure published for these.
Re-pair a replacement bud
Not documented either way.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send my charging case with the bud?▼
Will the traded bud work with my case?▼
Why are Apple AirPods not on BudMatch?▼
What if the reset doesn't work?▼
Can I make an offer without posting a listing?▼
How many times can we go back and forth on price?▼
Does BudMatch decide the price?▼
What if neither of us accepts?▼
Is BudMatch free to use?▼
What if my match turns out to be a scammer?▼
How do partner shops work?▼
What BudMatch is not
We don't handle the goods. Nothing passes through us. You meet, or you arrange a courier between yourselves.
We don't handle the delivery.We don't ship, track, insure or guarantee anything in transit.
We don't handle the money. What you pay for the bud goes directly to the other person, in whatever way you both agree. BudMatch never holds it and takes no cut of the sale.
We don't inspect listings. Condition is whatever the seller says it is. That is exactly why the video call and the in-person test above matter.
What we do: find you the other half, and give you somewhere to talk.
Contact us
BudMatch · Sri Lanka