Bose Speaker Won’t Charge/Hold Charge

Bose makes quality speakers that sound great and are one of the most popular speaker brands, but like with any tech product, there will be technical difficulties for some people. If your Bose speaker isn’t holding a charge or charge at all, there could be a number of reasons why, and sometimes it isn’t because of the speaker itself.

A possible reason for a Bose speaker not charging could be a damaged power cable. If the cable is not properly connected or is damaged, the speaker will not receive power and will not charge. To solve this issue, check that the power cable is properly connected and in good condition. If it is damaged, it may need to be replaced.

In this article, we will be walking through the various battery-related issues a Bose speaker can have. If you would like to learn more, we encourage you to read on!

Bose Speaker Won’t Charge: Causes/How to Fix

If your speaker isn’t charging, there are a number of reasons why this might be the case. The first thing you should do is try a different cable. If it is a micro USB cable, then there is a big possibility that it is damaged. If it wiggles around in your Bose speaker’s micro USB port, then that is likely the issue at hand.

USB C cables can also give out, although that is less likely as they are built sturdier. So even if your speaker takes this type of cable, it is still a good idea to try another cable before proceeding to troubleshoot further.

Bose Bluetooth Speaker Won’t Charge

If your Bose speaker isn’t charging and you can confirm that no other cables will charge it and your wall outlet works, see if your speaker is on the latest update. This is a very generic troubleshoot, but software can contain bugs that can mess with an electronic’s ability to receive power into the battery. Keep in mind, this will all be referring to the Bose SoundLink Revolve.

If you are on the latest software version, you can try resetting the speaker. Press the volume and AUX buttons for 10 seconds and set up the speaker again. If this isn’t working, then you can safely say that it is a hardware issue.

This is where things can get tricky because multiple things can be wrong with the speaker.

Charging port. If a charging port becomes damaged, whether it be from water damage or bent pins, it won’t be able to deliver power to your device. If you suspect either has happened, then by default, it will have to be fixed.
Charging circuit. The charging circuit is responsible for transferring power into the battery, so to speak. If this isn’t working, then, like with a broken charging port, there will be no way for the battery to get any power. This is oftentimes a malfunction, and the device needs to be serviced.
Battery. If the battery fails, it will need to be replaced. Luckily, replacing it as the user is simple. On the 2011-2014 models of the Soundlink Wireless Mobile Speaker specifically, you need to remove 2 screws at the bottom of the speaker to remove the cover and the cover below that, which is also secured by two screws. From there, you swap the old battery for the new one. This method is similar to other Bose speakers as well.

Bose Speaker Won’t Charge (Flashing Red/Orange): Causes/How to Fix

If the speaker is not charging but it has a red/orange flashing light, it indicates that the speaker can still power on, but something isn’t right. This is likely a firmware bug that soft bricks the speaker.

A soft-bricked device is when a device fails to boot successfully while showing signs of life. An example of this would be if a device powers on and asks you to plug it into a PC to restore it. A fully bricked system is one that won’t work at all without taking some abnormal measures.

In this case, your speaker can be easily restored. You can reset the firmware with these methods based on your model.

Bose Soundlink Color: Hold the AUX and volume down buttons for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Mini: Hold the mute button for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Color 2: Hold the power button for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Revolve: Hold the power button for 10 seconds

Bose Speaker Won’t Hold Charge/Stay Charge: Causes/How to Fix

If your speaker isn’t holding a charge, it means that the battery life has severely depleted. This naturally happens over time as a lithium-ion battery is rated for so many cycles before the battery life starts to deplete.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on November 18, 2020.

In lithium-ion batteries, it is estimated that the battery is good for 300 to 500 charge cycles. But even then, the difference (in a larger battery at least) shouldn’t be drastic enough to the point it is basically unusable when away from a wall. If you want to learn more about these batteries, this video explains them well:

Unless your Bose speaker is really old and you’ve charged it 3x the amount of cycles it is rated for, it definitely should be holding a decent charge still.

The first thing you should do is reset it:

Bose Soundlink Color: Hold the AUX and volume down buttons for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Mini: Hold the mute button for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Color 2: Hold the power button for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Revolve: Hold the power button for 10 seconds
Bose Soundlink Color: Hold the Play/Pause button for 15 seconds

You should also ensure you are on the latest software version. If you are and have reset it, the battery itself could be faulty, which is rare, but it is possible. In that case, refer to the next section.

Bose Speaker Battery Replacement: Causes/How to Fix

Luckily, and unlike many consumer electronics these days, replacing a Bose speaker’s battery is relatively easy for the user depending on the model..

On the Soundlink Wireless Speaker manufactured from 2011 – 2014, you remove two screws at the bottom of the speaker with a 2.5mm (0.1 in) hex wrench to remove the cover and the cover below that, which also is secured by two screws. From there, just swap the old battery for the new one.

On the Soundlink Mini, replacing the battery is even easier. Peel back the rubber cover on top of the battery and unscrew the four 6.0 mm (0.24 in) screws using a T8 Torx Screwdriver. The battery will lift right out. You can buy a replacement battery.

This should resolve the issue, but remember to exhaust prior troubleshoot methods above before buying a new battery; sometimes, rapid battery drainage is a software issue.

It should be noted that on newer speaker models, it doesn’t appear that Bose includes the ability for users to replace the battery themselves. For example, on more recent Bose speakers such as the current Bose Soundlink Revolve, they have made it much more difficult to service yourself. Thus you will need to send it to them for a battery replacement..

Final Thoughts

Rechargeable batteries generally work well these days. In the days before lithium-ion batteries, you had to worry about issues such as unplugging your device once it is done charging to avoid fire hazards.

But even though current battery technology is nice, things can still go wrong, even for a speaker. Even then, many problems aren’t from the battery itself, but rather the charge port is broken or the charge circuit malfunctioning. The software also plays a part as well for charging the device properly.