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JBL Speaker Won’t Charge or Stay Charged

When buying speakers, JBL is a safe choice; they make nice, highly speakers with great sound for the money. But like with any electronics, things don’t always go according to plan, which is very frustrating when it does happen. In the case of battery troubles, it can turn your nice equipment into a brick.

If your JBL isn’t charging or is depleting in battery quickly, it could be a bad battery, but more often than not, it is a software issue rather than a hardware one. If it is a hardware issue, it could be a bad cable. Try factory resetting and swapping to a different cable.

JBL Speaker Won’t Charge or Stay Charged

We will be going over the various charging related issues that a JBL speaker can have; if you would like to learn more, we encourage you to read further.

JBL Speaker Won’t Charge: Cause/How to Fix

JBL Speaker Won’t Charge: Cause/How to Fix

There are a variety of reasons why a JBL speaker suddenly stops charging. The first thing you need to do is try another cable if it’s a micro USB cable. If the connector wiggles around in your speaker’s USB port, then that is possibly the problem at hand. This problem is more apparent with Micro USB cables.

However, USB C cables may also give out, but it is less likely since they are sturdier. Even if this form of cable is compatible with your speaker, it is still good to try another cable before continuing further. 

Sometimes, the connector plating whatever type you have is not well constructed or just simply because of wear and tear similar to this Apple lightning cable which started to chip off. Check your connectors to see if you have this problem.

Apple Lightning Cable Plating Coming Off

If your JBL Bluetooth speaker does not charge and checking with other cables would not charge it and you are positive your wall outlet is working. See if the newest software update is on your speaker. The software can contain bugs that mess up the ability to charge properly. 

You can reset the speaker on the JBL by holding down the Bluetooth and volume down buttons for 5 seconds. This works on the JBL Go and JBL Flip. To reset The JBL charge, hold the play pause and volume up buttons until you see the power button glowing. 

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on December 22, 2020.

If this hasn’t resolved your issue, there might be a hardware issue with the speaker itself. Possible problems are as follows:

  • Charging port. It is surprisingly easy for a charging port to be compromised in the right situations. Debris can get into it, which prevents the cable from sitting into the USB port as it should; additionally, the connector pins can get bent if force is applied. If the pins look fine, look for any debris in the port and fish it out with a thin object such as a sewing needle. In case of water damage, you can use a hairdryer to remove the moisture. 
  • Charging circuit. It is the responsibility of the charging circuit to pass power to the battery. If it isn’t working, then there will be no way for the battery to charge it needs to function, as with a damaged charging port. This is always a failure, and it is important to service the system.
  • Battery. It’s not common for the battery to cease to function, but it happens. The batteries in JBL speakers are user-replaceable, although it won’t be as easy as popping off a cover and swapping it out by hand. Methods differ by model even in the same lineup. NewPower99 sells battery replacement kits that include everything you need with video tutorials that show you how to service the device.

JBL Speaker Won’t Stay Charged: Cause/How to Fix

JBL Speaker Won’t Stay Charged: Cause/How to Fix

If your speaker is not holding a charge, it likely means that the battery has surpassed the number of charge cycles that lithium-ion batteries are rated. These batteries are only rated for so many charge cycles before the battery life begins to deplete. This naturally occurs over time. Thus, you won’t notice it right away, but if your speaker is 5+ years old, then there is a good chance it has had more charge cycles than what it was rated for.

Lithium-ion batteries are expected to hold 300 to 500 charging cycles overall. On smartphones, this depletes much more rapidly than the average Bluetooth speaker. Aside from the JBL Go, the latest JBL wireless speakers have a battery of around 12 hours, which lasts multiple days. So while the charge cycle rating may seem low, at minimum, assuming the speaker is charged every 3 days will give you plenty of years of optimal battery performance. 

If the battery is not lasting that long any more, we’ve looked at replacement batteries at amazon and they seem reasonably priced and also rated well by other customers. You might want to check that option out.

JBL Speaker Won’t Fully Charge: Cause/How to Fix

JBL Speaker Won't Fully Charge: Cause/How to Fix

If your speaker is charging but stops partway through, this could indicate damage to the charging part. It’s not uncommon for the metal connectors to become bent if the USB cable has had force applied to it. 

Another reason why the speaker isn’t charging fully can come down to a loose connection between the cable and the charging contacts inside the USB port. If the connector easily wiggles inside the port, it is very easy for the connector and charging part to lose contact with each other mid-charge even if you shift the device only slightly. 

This is particularly a problem with micro-USB cables. In recent years most tech has moved onto USB C as a standard, and has been working out very well. You’ll find them on laptops, smartphones, speakers, and more. They are more durable, can transfer data, and can be plugged in reverse.

This can happen with USB-C cables as well, but it is less likely. Many times the problem is due to debris getting into the USB port. You can remove the debris carefully with a long, thin object such as a sewing needle. If something comes out, then you should be good to go!

When to Buy a New JBL Speaker

When to Buy a New JBL Speaker

JBL has been making speakers for many years now, and many people tend to hold on to them for a while. If you currently have a 5+ years old speaker and are experiencing shorter battery life, loose cables, and other problems. It probably makes the most sense to upgrade at this point rather than repairing depending on how much money you initially spent. 

Newer wireless JBL speakers are fantastic for the money and offer sound quality that often punches above their weight. 

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 22, 2020.

There are multiple JBL Bluetooth speakers on Amazon pick from based on your needs.

  • The JBL Charge provides a powerful sound and a battery bank, and long battery life. 
  • The JBL GO is very portable and affordable. 
  • The JBL Xtreme is waterproof. 
  • The JBL FLIP is the mid-range option of the bunch. 

They are all great in their own way, and if you are having trouble deciding which one you should pick up, which, to be fair, isn’t uncommon due to how similar the Xtreme and Charge appear at first glance. 

This video explains each of the models and who they are best suited for:

If you already have one of these recent models and none of the troubleshooting methods above has worked, you should contact JBL about the possibility that the device is defective. It isn’t normal for these speakers to have battery issues, especially if they are the more recent model. 

Final Thoughts

JBL speakers are great products, and having battery issues with something meant to be portable is very frustrating, especially when you are in the middle of a party. Your music suddenly shuts off way faster than it should. 

Most often, when a speaker stops charging or won’t charge all the way, it is due to problems with the charging port itself or the cable. Debris can easily find its way into an exposed charging port in the right circumstances. Many people have experienced the dread of accidentally bending the charging connector or USB cable. 

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 22, 2020.

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