JBL speakers are carving out a name for themselves as a leading brand in the audio product market. Whether it’s their wireless headphones or their portable speakers, they’re delivering products few manufacturers can rival.
But let’s face it, no product is perfect – not even JBL. Their devices come with a fair share of technical issues and product glitches.
Perhaps the most perplexing issue users grapple with is the JBL speaker’s inability to turn on and its penchant for slipping into an often-permanent standby mode.
In this guide, we’re here to help you avoid the headache of having to replace your speaker or even sell it at a discounted price due to these issues. We’ll explore every possible solution out there to remedy these common problems.
What will we cover?
- Ensuring your JBL speaker powers on
- Taking your speaker out of that all too familiar standby mode
So let’s dive in and put these problems to rest once and for all!
Common Fixes For Speaker Issues
It is really important that you give these solutions a shot before trying the ones below.
These fixes typically work for most issues you will face with JBL speakers and should be attempted before you try any of the solutions below (if at all possible).
Update Firmware
- Get the JBL Portable/JBL Connect Mobile App on your preferred mobile device.
- Find your JBL speaker on the mobile app via connecting the two.
- Once the app recognizes your speaker, there will be a cog icon on the bottom center. If it has a red dot, there is a firmware update your speaker needs to get.
- Download the firmware update.
Reset The Speaker
Do not worry about losing firmware updates with a factory reset as they should remain intact regardless.
For the sake of eliminating any possible confusion and more dead-end google searches on your part, I will be going over every JBL speaker at the time of this article and its reset instructions.
JBL Xtreme/JBL Flip – Push down on both the Volume + button and the Resume button. Hold both down until the product turns off.
JBL Link – Hold down the Mute toggle until the device shuts off, and you have reset the device.
JBL Charge – Grip the Volume + Button and the Bluetooth toggle until the buttons’ surrounding lights flash. Once this is done, you will need to manually shut off the speaker to complete the reset process.
JBL Clip – Press down on the Power button and the Play button for a long period of time. When the reset is complete the device will power down, letting you know that it did reset correctly.
Troubleshooting a JBL Speaker that Won’t Turn On
This problem can feel like a rock in your throat with many consumers fearing that their expensive JBL product has become a visually appealing brick. Thankfully, this is not always the case and can be fixed with a bit of research.
The first thing you should do is check to make sure that the battery still has a charge. Considering the prolonged battery life of newer speakers it can be quite easy to forget that it has been a few days since you plugged in your trusty JBL speaker.
If your product is in fact charged then it may be time for you to check for defective parts in your charging cable, outlet port, or even the internals of your product. Before you start dissecting your speaker like a middle school science project, make sure it isn’t the charging cable or USB outlet. If you discover that it is one of the two or even the battery itself, depending on the product you will be able to find a replacement quite easily.
You should also check the warranty itself to see if you can get the entire speaker replaced entirely. If your charging cable is on the fritz then you shouldn’t need a new speaker, but if there is a defective part inside the speaker – you deserve a working product. It should also be noted that over time your battery will inevitably fade into retirement age and as the months stack up – the battery life goes down.
JBL Speaker Stuck In Standby Mode
The standby mode of JBL speakers works as a way to preserve the battery and determine whether or not the speaker is being used actively as has slipped into a state of prolonged inactivity. Although this is an incredibly useful tool that most consumers appreciate, it can begin to get very annoying and tedious when the speakers auto-shutoff every twenty or so minutes while you are trying to watch a movie or go through a preferred playlist.
While this problem does have some straightforward solutions depending on which product you own – several consumers have found this issue to be borderline unfixable on their own personal devices.
Most JBL products have a menu interface that can be found on the speaker itself, if so you are in luck! I have seen a number of menu solutions of how to manually force your speaker out of standby mode and will be listing all possibilities below.
These are not step-by-step solutions but individual fixes on their own.
- Press down on the Power button for ten seconds or until the device completely turns off.
- Hold down both the Volume + button and the Power button until the device fully shuts off.
- Hold down the Bluetooth button and the Power button concurrently for around fifteen seconds.
While it might feel like the easiest solution for this problem is to simply disable standby mode – several JBL products have not given this option to the consumer to the collective groan of many JBL enthusiasts. Some more creative consumers have recommended keeping the product on a low volume for as long as you need it to work, though I can hardly recommend this as a genuine fix.
For more JBL speaker troubleshooting, see:
- How to fix a JBL speaker that won’t turn off
- How to fix a JBL speaker that keeps disconnecting
- How to connect multiple JBL speakers
Conclusion
If you have tried all the solutions above and found no permanent fix then it may be time to start looking for that warranty. As high quality as several JBL speakers are, unfortunately, they come with their fair share of design oversights like any speaker brand.
The next time you come into issues with your JBL speakers, try to remember the advice found in this article to help guide you past any possible problems!
Final Thoughts
My JBL speaker isn’t turning on despite being fully charged. What can I do?
If your JBL speaker isn’t turning on, it could be due to a variety of reasons including a software glitch or a hardware issue. First, try resetting the speaker following the instructions provided in the user manual. If that doesn’t work, the problem might be with the charging cable, USB outlet, or an internal part. It’s recommended to try a different charging cable or outlet. If none of these work, it might be best to contact JBL customer service or check if your speaker is under warranty.
Why does my JBL speaker keep going into standby mode?
The standby mode on JBL speakers is designed to preserve battery life when the speaker is not in active use. However, if your speaker is switching to standby mode while you’re using it, this could be due to a setting or a software issue. Some users have reported success with resetting the speaker or updating the firmware via the JBL Connect app. If the issue persists, consider reaching out to JBL customer service for assistance.
How can I update the firmware on my JBL speaker?
To update the firmware on your JBL speaker, you’ll need to download the JBL Portable or JBL Connect app on your mobile device. Once the app is installed and your speaker is connected to the app, look for a cog icon in the center bottom of the screen. If there’s a red dot on this icon, it indicates that there’s a firmware update available. Follow the prompts to download and install the update.