Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to Apple iPhone

Front view of the JBL Boombox BT speaker.

This post shows a typical way to connect a Bluetooth speaker to Apple iPhone so that you can play audio content from that phone through these Bluetooth speakers.

Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to Apple iPhone: Step by Step

We run this demo with a JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker. But s similar routine works with all other JBL Bluetooth speakers.

So, with your unit powered off (power button is dark), run through this routine to connect it to your iPhone. We’re using an iPad Air tablet for this demo since we do not have an iPhone to get screenshots from. But the setup pages are about the same. So, the routine is virtually the same.

1. Bring Up the Home Screen on your iPhone

Press the Home button to reveal the iPhone’s Home screen.

2. Find the Settings App

We found ours on the second page of the iOS home screen as shown next.

iPhone Home screen with Settings app highlighted.

3. Bring up the Settings App

Tap the Settings app icon.

The iPhone then displays the first page of its settings, as shown in the next step.

4. Go to the Bluetooth Settings Page to Continue with the Routine to Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to Apple iPhone

Our Bluetooth settings screen displays as follows. Note that our Bluetooth is enabled here. But since speaker is currently de energized, it does not show up in the devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never paired this speaker with this iOS device before. See this as shown in this list of previously paired Bluetooth devices, shown next.

The previously paired Bluetooth devices list on an iPhone. Note that the JBL speaker we’re going to connect does not appear here yet.

5. Turn On JBL Speakers

You turn on most JBL speakers by quickly pressing its Power button. See this circled in green for our example, in the next picture.

A JBL speaker turned OFF, with its -Power- button circled.

The speaker then powers up.

But since the iPhone would not know about JBL speakers that it never connected with before, this connecting will not happen automatically. The light that comes on in the Power button denotes this not-paired state by glowing solid white in our example, as we see next.

Just one of many common JBL speakers, top view, powered ON.

6. Put the JBL Bluetooth Speakers into Pairing Mode

Now, to see JBL speakers on your iPhone, place them into Bluetooth discovery mode (a.k.a. Pairing Mode). To do that, press and release the Bluetooth button, as shown in the next picture.

JBL speakers like this one, showing the -Bluetooth- button highlighted.

When you press the Bluetooth Discovery Mode button, the speaker makes a repeating single pluck guitar note sound several times. Also, the Power button changes from a solid white glow to flashing blue. See this next.

The speaker in Bluetooth discovery mode. Showing the Power button, flashing blue, highlighted with the yellow arrow.

7. Find your JBL Flip 4 on your Phone to Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to Apple iPhone

See the screen shot next. We found our speaker, as pointed at by the purple arrow.

iPhone like Bluetooth Settings screen, showing -Tom’s Flip 4- JBL speaker discovered but not paired yet highlighted.

8. Next, Connect with your JBL Speakers

Tap the listed speaker in the Other Devices section of the Bluetooth Devices list.

Your iPhone then pairs with the speaker (“Tom’s Flip 4” in this example). The iPhone’s Bluetooth Settings screen then changes to look something like the following.

iPhone like Bluetooth Settings screen on iPad Air, showing the -Tom’s Flip 4- Bluetooth speaker connected and highlighted.

9. Done with the Connect a Bluetooth Speaker to Apple iPhone Procedure !

Finally, we have now successfully paired an example of JBL speakers with an iPhone. Thus, you can now play music through it. And on some models including the Flip 4, you can also make calls on your phone, and hear them all through this speaker.