Top front view of the JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth speaker.

How to Hard Reset JBL Charge 5 Speaker

Here, we show how to hard reset JBL Charge 5 speaker.  Hard resetting puts the unit back into its default state. Plus, it deletes any earlier paired Bluetooth devices from memory.  Thus, hard resetting stops the unit from auto connecting to any nearby Bluetooth devices afterwards. Also, you should reset to get the unit ready for sale or re gifting.

How to Hard Reset JBL Charge 5 Speaker: Step by Step

1. Turn on the Charge 5

Press and release the Power button.  It should light up solid white right away.

Picture of the JBL Charge 5 speaker top view. Showing the dark -Power- button.
The JBL Charge 5 speaker top view. Showing the dark -Power- button.

Then, that button lights up.

Picture of the -Power- button glowing.
The -Power- button glowing.

Now since we’ve paired the 5 with devices before this, it does not enter Bluetooth pairing mode by itself. We know that because the Bluetooth button remains OFF, rather than blinking white.

Picture of the dark -Bluetooth Pairing- button.
The dark -Bluetooth Pairing- button.

Note the dark Bluetooth button, to the right of the glowing Power button in the last picture.

2. Wait for the Power Up Sound

The 5 makes a rising electric guitar strum sound when it powers up. Then you can hard reset it once this sound finishes.

3. Press the Volume UP and Play-Pause Buttons Together

See the next picture to find the UP Volume and Play-Pause buttons.

Picture of the -Volume Up- and -Play-Pause- buttons.
The -Volume Up- and -Play-Pause- buttons.

The 5 then enters hard reset, as shown in the next photo. Note that both the Power and Bluetooth buttons and the egg shaped ring around them.  All of these light up for a couple seconds during reset.  I.e. The ring and both buttons glow gray-white.

Picture of all lights glowing.
All lights glowing.

Then after a short pause, the JBL Charge 5 speaker turns off. All lights go off, and it makes the power-down guitar sound.

The next picture shows the 5, powered down.  All buttons are dark.

Picture of the JBL Charge 5 speaker after hard reset. All buttons dark.
The JBL Charge 5 speaker after hard reset. All buttons dark.

4. Check that your JBL Charge 5 Speaker Did Hard Reset

Next, power on the 5 again, as we did in step 1 above.  In short, press and release the Power button.

Now this time, after hard reset, our speaker instantly comes up in Bluetooth discovery mode, as shown next. We did not need to press the Bluetooth button first.  Note that the Bluetooth button blinks to let you know that the speaker has entered pairing  mode. When this button blinks or is dark, the 5 is not currently in a pairing. Indeed, we expect it not to pair to anything after a reset.

Picture of the -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons lit.
The -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons lit.

5. Done with How to Hard Reset JBL Charge 5 Speaker !

Hard reset is now complete. Thus you may now pack the 5 up for sale, or pair it again with your favorite BT devices.

So as noted earlier, the 5 no longer auto pairs with any device after hard reset. Thus you need to forget the JBL Charge 5 speaker in the source device.  Then you may manually pair the 5 with that device again if you so desire. Then, any time that both speaker and that device have Bluetooth turned on, pairing with automatically take place once more.

Other JBL Charge 5 Speaker Posts

    1. Firmware Update Details
    2. Buttons Guide
    3. Bass Mode Explained
    4. What Cause the Red Light Blinking
    5. LFM Explained

References for How to Hard Reset JBL Charge 5 Speaker

    1. Official JBL Charge 5 Speaker Product Page
    2. Where to Buy the JBL Charge 5 Speaker