Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Elliot Kaye said Friday that Samsung should have coordinated with the agency before announcing it would recall 2.5 million units of its Galaxy Note 7.
"What should have happened is the company comes to us right away and we can quickly turn around, once we get all the information we need, the proper recall," Kaye said on "Squawk Alley."
The commission officially recalled Samsung's premium device on Thursday. The recall will include about a million of the Galaxy phones because of serious fire and burn hazards.
The tech company earlier this month said it would offer trade-ins for its "Phablet" devices after it received several reports of battery explosions.
Kaye said early communication with the commission is better for companies because they get a much smoother process.
"More importantly," he said, "it's better for consumers because they get an independent verification that the remedy is the right one."
Samsung said replacement devices should be available at most retail locations no later than Wednesday.