No, Galaxy S25 Ultra’s bundled S Pen lacks Bluetooth, so Air Actions and remote controls aren’t supported.
The question comes up the moment someone picks up Samsung’s 2025 flagship with the built-in stylus. The phone still houses a pen in the frame, writes with low latency, and taps into the familiar tools menu. The change: the stylus that ships with this model drops Bluetooth Low Energy. That single tweak removes remote gestures and camera shutter tricks, while keeping writing, drawing, and screen annotations intact.
Bluetooth S Pen On Galaxy S25 Ultra — What Changed
Earlier Galaxy Ultra phones paired a pen that could talk over BLE. That link powered flick gestures in mid-air, music playback control, and slide shows from across a room. On the 2025 model, the in-box pen works offline only. You still press the side button to open the tools wheel on the screen, but no remote link exists between the pen and the phone.
| Device / Stylus | Bluetooth & Air Actions | What Still Works |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S24 Ultra + S Pen | Yes (BLE + gestures) | Remote camera, media control, Air Command, handwriting |
| Galaxy S25 Ultra + in-box pen | No (no BLE) | Writing, drawing, Air Command, Screen write, Smart select |
| S Pen Pro (separate) | Bluetooth capable | Works fully on models that support BLE actions |
Quick Answer For Shoppers
If you need remote gestures for photos or slides, last year’s Ultra with its bundled BLE pen fits that brief. If you mainly jot notes, annotate screenshots, or sketch on the go, the 2025 phone still nails those jobs with the same handy dock-inside-the-phone design.
How Writing And Drawing Behave On This Phone
Writing feels snappy and smooth. The tip remains fine at roughly 1.5 mm, and palm rejection is strong. The tools wheel still pops up for screen capture markup, translate on the fly, and quick notes. Pressure and tilt are recognized, so shading and line weight changes respond as expected in drawing apps.
Air Command Tools You Still Get
You can capture a region with Smart select, pin a note to the screen, or create a screen recording with pen annotations. Handwriting converts to typed text in Samsung Notes, and Shape correction tidies rough circles and boxes. None of these need a wireless link; they run locally the moment the tip touches glass.
Why Bluetooth Was Removed
Samsung lists this stylus as a non-BLE accessory in its official guidance. With no battery to charge inside the pen, upkeep is simpler and the pen stays light. The trade-off is clear: fewer remote tricks, the same on-screen precision. See Samsung’s wording under “Learn about the different S Pens,” which states that BLE features and Air actions do not apply to this phone’s stylus on the support page. Samsung’s troubleshooting note also lists BLE features like Air actions as unavailable on this phone’s stylus in the Air actions article.
Can A Different Stylus Restore Remote Gestures?
Short answer: no. A Bluetooth-ready pen like S Pen Pro still pairs with devices that accept BLE actions. But the 2025 Ultra does not expose the Air actions layer, so pairing a BLE pen won’t bring back remote shutter or slide gestures on this phone. You still can write and draw, yet the phone won’t listen for those motion commands.
Comparison With Last Year’s Model
The 2024 Ultra shipped with a BLE-equipped pen, so it handled camera shutter clicks, media controls, and slideshow flips from a distance. The 2025 phone keeps the embedded slot, the responsive digitizer, and the same tools menu, but it treats the stylus like a passive pen. If your day-to-day needs swing between notes and remote selfies, weigh that trade carefully.
Setup And Everyday Workflow
There’s no pairing screen for the in-slot pen. Pull it out, and the phone wakes a quick note or the tools menu based on your settings. The hover pointer helps with precise text selection. For long reading sessions, the side button can be set to open your favorite tool, so you can mark up web pages or PDFs in seconds.
Pen Settings You Can Still Tweak
Open Settings > Advanced features > S Pen to adjust shortcuts for pressing the side button, choose which tools sit in Air Command, and set quick note behavior. You can also change pointer visibility, pen sounds, and show a small preview when the tip hovers over text or images.
Workarounds For Remote Control Needs
Photo fans can stash a tiny Bluetooth shutter button on a key ring. Presenters can carry a slim clicker that speaks to PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Samsung DeX. Both accessories cost little, weigh almost nothing, and beat fumbling for the on-screen shutter or trackpad during a talk.
Spec Clues And Feature Sheets
Marketing pages tend to spotlight camera zoom, glass hardness, and AI tools. When a brand pulls a wireless trick from a pen, the spec sheets get quiet. That is the tell here. The 2025 phone’s materials tout the pen slot and writing tools, yet skip any mention of gestural control or remote shutter. When a feature is missing from the spec grid and the support docs say the same, the safe read is that the phone sticks to local pen input only.
Compatibility Notes
The stylus for the 2025 Ultra is designed specifically for this phone’s slot and digitizer. Other pens that rely only on the Wacom layer write on the screen, but BLE-only tricks won’t kick in. That matches Samsung’s stance: actions that rely on a wireless link are not available on this model. If you own tablets or foldables that still accept BLE actions, an S Pen Pro remains handy for those devices while your phone sticks to local tools.
| Stylus Type | Pairing Needed? | Features On S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled pen (in-slot) | No | Writing, pressure/tilt, Air Command; no Air actions |
| S Pen Pro | Yes for BLE on supported devices | Writes; no Air actions on this phone |
| Third-party capacitive | No | Basic drawing; no pressure/tilt or Air Command |
Who Should Pick This Phone If They Care About A Stylus
Writers, students, planners, and artists who value in-hand notes and sketches will feel right at home. The docked pen means the tool is always with you, and the screen tools remain rich. If your daily routine leans on remote shutter clicks, look for a pocket remote or choose a model where the pen still speaks BLE.
Tips To Get The Most Out Of The Pen
Tune Shortcuts
Map the side button to the tool you open most: Smart select, Screen write, or Translate. That saves taps every day.
Use Quick Notes From The Lock Screen
Pull out the pen while the screen is off to jot a note. It saves to Samsung Notes in black ink for quick capture.
Try PDF Markup
Open a PDF, tap the pen icon, and mark edits right away. You can color code highlights and add sticky notes.
Pair With Great Apps
Notable picks include Samsung Notes, Clip Studio Paint, Sketchbook, and Concepts. Each app respects pressure and tilt for smooth strokes.
What Reviewers And Samsung State
Hands-on reports from major tech outlets point to the same setup: the 2025 stylus writes well but skips BLE. Samsung’s support materials say plainly that BLE features and Air actions are not part of this pen or this phone’s feature set. That means no charging for the pen, no pairing screen for gestures, and no battery warnings.
Buyer Checklist
- In-box pen sits in the phone and never needs charging.
- Writing, drawing, and tools menu are present.
- Remote shutter and wave gestures are not supported.
- Trying a BLE-ready pen won’t add Air actions on this model.
- A tiny Bluetooth remote can fill the photo gap if needed.
Final Take For Stylus Fans
This phone keeps the docked pen and strong writing tools while skipping BLE extras. If your needs center on notes, markup, and sketching, it delivers with speed and precision. If you want remote control tricks, plan on a pocket remote or choose hardware that keeps BLE pen gestures.