BudsLink is a new Linux application that enhances the control of popular Bluetooth earbuds, including Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds. Unlike standard functionality in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, which primarily allows audio playback, BudsLink provides users with access to essential features like battery levels and active noise cancellation directly from their desktop.
Developed using GTK4 and libadwaita, this app connects to supported devices via L2CAP and RFCOMM sockets, part of the BlueZ stack in Linux. It’s more flexible than previous solutions like LibrePods, offering broader hardware compatibility and seamless desktop integration.
With BudsLink, users can view battery levels for each earbud as well as the charging case, provided the devices support this feature. Additionally, users can enable settings such as Active Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound modes, media pause and resume through in-ear detection, and adjustable equalizer presets, depending on the device capabilities.
The application currently supports a wide range of earbuds, including various models from Apple, Sony, and Samsung, with plans to expand further. It also introduces innovative panel integration, allowing features to be accessed without opening the BudsLink app. Various desktop extensions are available for GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Cinnamon users, making it easy to adjust settings from the desktop environment.
To install BudsLink on Ubuntu, users need to have Flatpak set up along with the Flathub repository. The installation command is as follows:
flatpak install flathub io.github.maniacx.BudsLinkFor those using Ubuntu 26.04 LTS who prefer a graphical interface, the Bazaar application can be utilized for browsing and managing Flatpak installations.
For more information about BudsLink, visit the official BudsLink website.