JBL Speaker Won’t Connect/Keeps Disconnecting

JBL has been engineering audio technology for almost 70 years, and is a world leader in professional audio. Offering everything from cinema quality to compact, on-the-go listening, their products can be found in a number of audio technology stores. Unfortunately, even after decades of engineering, it is not uncommon to have minor issues, such as connection via Bluetooth.

If your JBL Bluetooth speaker won’t connect, it could be due to several reasons. One common cause is that the speaker and device are not in range of each other. To fix this, move closer to the speaker or increase the Bluetooth range between them.

Another potential issue is that the phone and speaker are not compatible. Make sure that the phone and Bluetooth speaker are both updated to the latest firmware versions.

Check for any app updates as well. If that does not solve the problem, try resetting both devices by pressing and holding down both buttons for about 10 seconds until they turn back on.

If you’re still having trouble connecting, it may be time to consider replacing your JBL Bluetooth speaker. If the phone is connected to other Bluetooth devices in your home, those devices may be interfering with the connection between the speaker and your Bluetooth device. Try turning off any unnecessary Bluetooth devices in your home and/or turn on only the Bluetooth speaker and phone

JBL Speaker Keeps Disconnecting

Bluetooth is one of the most widely used technologies in the world and is used to transfer data between devices wirelessly. Commonly known as pairing, this transfer is often between devices such as phones, speakers, headphones, and keyboards.

If your JBL speaker keeps disconnecting, likely causes include:

Older software not supporting newer software
Another device interfering with the connection
Power issues in the device
Too much distance between devices
Too many devices connected

Most Bluetooth-enabled products are clearly marked; however, you may find issues when pairing when you are using an older phone or computer. For example, an old Macbook may have a hard time connecting to the newest Bluetooth speaker because the software is not compatible.

Check Device Proximity

Even if your speaker claims a large connectivity radius, always make sure that your device is close to the speaker when initially pairing. Once connected, you can move further away. But if you are far away from the initial connection, your speaker may struggle.

Check Other Connections

In some cases, if your speaker has been paired with another device, that connection can interfere with your link. Make sure that no other devices are close by and trying to pair with the speaker. You can do this by un-pairing those devices so that the speaker will only connect with yours.

Check the Charge

Some speakers are fitted with power-saving features. These can include turning off the Bluetooth when the power is getting low. To ensure the strongest connection, make sure your device is sufficiently charged.

Move Away From the WiFi Router

Even though newer devices are designed to account for other frequencies, you may notice connection issues if your speaker is too close to the WiFi router. This is because WiFi uses similar radio frequencies as Bluetooth technology.

JBL Speaker Won’t Connect

If your JBL speaker won’t connect at all, there are a few other things you can check. In addition to ensuring you are close enough to the speaker, have sufficient charge and that there are no other devices connected, you should also:

Make sure your Bluetooth is on both the speaker and device
Follow the pairing process laid out in the manual
Try performing a speaker reset
Clear the Bluetooth cache of saved devices

In many cases, the issue is a simple fix. However, if you try all of the suggested fixes and are still not getting a connection, it could be a problem with the Bluetooth chip. This will need to be replaced, or you will need a new unit.

Check Bluetooth Is On

Whether connecting to a phone or desktop, double-check that the Bluetooth is enabled. This is often found in settings and will prevent any connections if not turned on.

MacBook Bluetooth settings can be found on the top right corner
iPhone Bluetooth settings are found in the Settings app
Windows laptop Bluetooth settings can be found in Settings, under Devices
Android Bluetooth settings are located on the top right of the screen
Depending on your make and model, you can find Bluetooth in your TV’s settings

Check the Manual for Pairing the Process

Where some devices will begin pairing mode the first time they turn on, JBL speakers have a specific set of instructions for pairing.

To pair a JBL speaker:

Fully charge the speaker.
Turn the speaker on.
Press the Bluetooth button until the power button starts to flash.
The device should now be discoverable on your device.

When the speaker is ready to pair, the power button will flash a blue light. Once paired, you should not need to repeat these steps. Instead, the speaker should automatically connect when turned on and in range.

Check Your Device’s Discovery Mode

Many devices will automatically connect to a known Bluetooth device when in range. If this happens, that device may need to be disconnected from one device to pair with another.

For example, if your phone has been paired with a smart hub, it will likely reconnect upon entering the house. Since your JBL speaker is presumably switched off, your phone will find the smart hub connection since it is always on. Should you turn on your speaker, you may need to enter discovery mode once more to pair with a second device.

You may even need to disconnect from the smart hub, or whatever device it has paired with, to connect to the speaker.

For TV’s, if you have more than one device connected, you might need to unpair other devices in order to focus on the speaker.

Turn It Off and On Again

This is often suggested and works in most cases because our electronics run off internal programs and software. If left to run continuously, they begin to overflow with too much data that needs to be wiped clean to keep working correctly.

Both your speaker and the device to which you are trying to connect, be it a phone or laptop, use temporary memory to store data. After a certain point, that data becomes too much. You may start to see lagging in your device, such as apps crashing on your phone. To fix the issue, you need to power down the device to wipe the memory clean again.

Disconnect Your Device

In the same way, temporary memory can reach capacity and need to be wiped clean. Unpairing or ‘forgetting’ the speaker on your device can fix internal program bugs that may be preventing it from connecting.

To do so:

For a Mac: Click on the Bluetooth symbol on the top right of your Macbook screen and open ‘Bluetooth Preferences.’ Find the JBL speaker and click the ‘x’ to close the connection.
For an iPhone: Find Bluetooth in the Settings app and click on the ‘information’ symbol to the right of the speaker. Select ‘forget this device.’
For Windows: In Settings, choose Devices, then Bluetooth & other devices. Click on the JBL speaker and select ‘remove device’ and confirm.
For Android: In Settings, choose Connected devices and then Connection preferences. In Bluetooth, tap the ‘settings’ symbol next to the JBL speaker and select ‘unpair.’
For TV: In most makes and models, you can find Bluetooth devices under Settings in the menu. Using the remote, find the speaker, and select ‘disconnect.’

Once your device is no longer connected, try reconnecting, following the pairing instructions for the speaker.

Check for Updates

Checking for updates for both your device and speaker may fix connectivity issues. If your device is not up to date, it may not have the required firmware to connect via Bluetooth successfully. This includes general updates along with any app updates that may be available.

Similarly, your speaker may require an update for the same reasons. If your phone or computer is running the most recent update of Bluetooth firmware, the speaker may not be able to connect without the update.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on December 9, 2020.

For issues connecting to your computer, it could be that it lacks the correct driver to run the speaker. A driver is a software used to connect your computer to certain devices. To find driver updates, search the device name along with the word ‘driver.’

Perform a Reset

Unlike powering down, a reset will completely wipe the speaker clean of any cache stored internally. By taking the speak back to factory settings, you can start fresh without any internal bigs preventing the connection.

A reset will clear the Bluetooth cache, meaning it will delete and ‘forget’ any devices that may be paired. To perform a reset:

Turn the power on and be sure that it is charged.
Press and hold the ‘volume up’ and ‘play’ buttons for five seconds.
The device will shut down and reset.
Leave the speaker off for a few minutes to completely power down and fully charge before using again.

When the reset is done, the speaker will be like new, and you will need to repair any devices.

Final Thoughts

If you find that your JBL speaker won’t connect or keeps disconnecting, chances are it is a simple fix. It could be that your device is too far for the initial connection, something is blocking the signal, or there is another device previously paired that is also trying to connect.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 9, 2020.

You can usually fix these issues by coming closer, ensuring the Bluetooth is on and that your speaker is in pairing mode. However, sometimes, it may be necessary to disconnect your device or perform a reset of the speaker.