Top view of the JBL Boombox portable speaker, showing the -Volume Up- and -Play-Pause- buttons.

How to Factory Reset JBL Speaker

We describe here how to factory reset most any JBL speaker, for returning these Bluetooth speakers to their default factory settings. Factory resetting restores these units to their default settings. It also clears any earlier paired Bluetooth devices from the speaker’s memory. Moreover, clearing old settings halts these speakers from pairing to any nearby active Bluetooth devices after the reset. Also, you might reset these speakers to get them ready for sale or re gifting, or to stop them from pairing with devices you no longer wish it to link with.

How to Factory Reset JBL Speaker: Step by Step

1. Turn on the JBL Speaker

In this example, we’re resetting the JBL Xtreme 2.  But a similar procedure works on most any other JBL speaker, although the keys you press to start it may differ depending on the model.

At any rate, when the JBL speaker is off, all buttons are dark, including  Power, Bluetooth, and Connect+ lamps. button, as shown next.

Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and dark (OFF).
Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and dark (OFF).

Then, press and release the Power button.  That button should right away light up as shown in the following pictures.  The green arrow points at the Power button, as shown in the last picture above.

Next, the Power button comes on, as shown next. In our case, since we’ve paired this particular speaker with our tablet before, it automatically pairs with it now. We know that because the Power button glows a solid color (often blue or white), rather than slow blinking.  Yours may light up with different colors or flash patterns depending on the model of JBL speaker you have.

Top view of the Bluetooth speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and glowing blue, meaning that the speaker is ON and paired.
Top view of the Bluetooth speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and glowing blue, meaning that the speaker is ON and paired.

2. Wait for the Power Up Sound

Just about every model of JBL speaker except for the earliest models, makes a rising electric guitar strum sound when it powers up. Then the speaker is ready for factory resetting after this sound finishes.

Now if your speaker pairs with an in-range Bluetooth device, you’ll also hear the three rising single guitar notes a few seconds after the startup cord.  No matter though.  In fact, whether or not the speaker pairs with a Bluetooth device does not change how you factory reset it.  In either case, the reset routine is the same, as we enumerate next.

3. Press the Reset Buttons Together to Continue with How to Factory Reset a JBL Speaker

Now most JBL speakers use the Play-Pause and Volume UP buttons for starting a factory reset. But some, like the Charge 4, the Go 2, Go 3 models, assign the Bluetooth and Volume Up button pair to this function. Still others like the JBL Flip 3 and Clip 2 models, assign the Bluetooth and Phone buttons for this. So if one key chord does not factory reset your model of JBL speaker, we suggest trying these others.

At any rate, for the speaker here, see the next picture to find the Pause Play and UP Volume buttons.

Top view of the speaker, with the -Volume UP- and -Play Pause- buttons highlighted.
Top view of the speaker, with the -Volume UP- and -Play Pause- buttons highlighted.

The JBL speaker then enters the factory reset process, as shown in the next picture.

Note that all lighted buttons glow for a couple seconds as the factory reset advances. The Power button might glow a pale blue or white, and the Connect or Bluetooth button glows gray-white for a second or two.  Again, the lights you see depend on your speaker model.  For our demo, we circled the buttons in green that glow on our test speaker, as shown next.

Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- and -Connect- buttons glowing during reset, circled.
Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- and -Connect- buttons glowing during reset, circled.

Then after a short pause, the JBL speaker turns off. Thus all the lights go off, and it makes the power-down guitar sound.

4. Next, Check that the Reset Did Indeed Happen

Next, power on your JBL speaker again, as described in step 1 earlier.  In short, press and release the Power button, as shown next.

Now this time, after factory reset, our speaker immediately comes up in Bluetooth pairing mode, as pictured next.

Note that we did not press the Bluetooth / Pairing button first, since after a factory reset, the speaker automatically enters BT pairing mode without us having to press this button.  Note that some button blinks to show that this mode is in effect. Which one actually blinks, again, depends on the model of JBL speaker you have.  Now when the (usually the Power or Bluetooth) button blinks, the speaker is not currently paired. Indeed, we expect it not to pair to anything after a factory reset.

Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and glowing blue, meaning that the speaker is ON and paired.
Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- button highlighted and glowing blue, meaning that the speaker is ON and paired.

5. Done with How to Factory Reset a JBL Speaker !

Factory reset is done at last. Thus you may now pack it up for sale, or pair it again with your favorite Bluetooth devices.

Note that any JBL speaker, after a factory reset, will no longer automatically pair with any previously paired in-range Bluetooth device in pairing mode. So, to restore auto BT pairing, you’ll need to forget the previously paired speaker listed in the Bluetooth devices section of your source device settings.  Once that’s done, then manually pair the speaker with that device again if so desired. Then after that, any time that both speaker and that device have Bluetooth turned on, pairing with automatically happen once again.

Related Posts to How to Factory Reset JBL Speaker

    1. How to Factory Reset Chromecast Audio
    2. Factory Resetting the Echo Studio Speaker
    3. How to Factory Reset Google Home Mini
    4. Factory Resetting a Netgear Wireless Extender
    5. How to Factory Reset Amazon Echo Dot Speakers

Other Posts About the Typical JBL Speaker

    1. How to Put JBL Speaker in Pairing Mode
    2. JBL Speaker Button Functions, Meanings
    3. How to Connect JBL Speaker to Alexa
    4. Charging a JBL Speaker Quickly
    5. How to Pair JBL Speaker to iPhone

References for How to Factory Reset a JBL Speaker

    1. JBL Speaker Official Product Page at JBL.com

Revision History

    • 2021-08-05: First published.