The -Power- and -Volume DOWN- buttons on the Sony SRS XB21 speaker.

How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21

Show you how to hard reset your Sony SRS XB21 Extra Bass portable BT speaker to its default settings.  Hard resetting restores this version of the Sony XB series speaker to its default state. Plus, hard resetting erases any earlier paired Bluetooth devices from memory. Then this wiping stops this speaker from pairing to any nearby Bluetooth devices. Also, you might hard reset to get it ready for sale or re-gifting, or to stop it from pairing wirelessly with devices you no longer wish it to connect with.

How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21, Step by Step

1. Turn the Speaker ON

Press and release the Power button for a half-second or so. Find the Power button as shown in the next picture.

The -Power- button on the Sony SRS XB21 speaker. How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21.
Sony SRS XB21 -Power- button.

Find the Power button, as shown in the last picture above.

Then, the status light comes on, as shown next.

The glowing -Power- light on the speaker.
The speaker’s -Power- lamp glowing.

The speaker may make a ding-dong tone sound as it comes up, should it connect to a nearby device. Or it may make no noise at all if it does not.  Whether the speaker pairs or not though, this reset routine works the same way, as follows.





2. Press and Hold the Power and Volume DOWN Buttons Together

Find these buttons as shown next.  They are both on the top button panel, as we point out in the next picture.

Picture of the -Power- and -Volume DOWN- buttons.
The -Power- and -Volume Down- buttons.

The XB21 then enters the hard reset operation.

Then after a mini pause, the unit goes down, and the Power lamp darkens, as shown next. Note that on the SRS XB21, there is no goodbye sound.

The dark -Power- lamp on the Sony SRS XB21 speaker.
Sony SRS XB21 -Power- lamp dark.

3. Check that your Sony SRS XB21 Did Indeed Hard Reset

Next, power on the unit again, as detailed in step 1 above.

Note that after hard reset, the XB21 boots up in discovery mode. The Pairing Mode lamp flashes white quickly to let you know this.

The glowing -Bluetooth Status- light.
The -Bluetooth Status- lamp glowing.

This is a signal that you may then look for this speaker on a nearby BT device, and pair to it if you so desire.

4. Done with How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21 !

The hard reset is now finished. So you may now sell or gift it, or pair it again with your favorite Bluetooth devices.

After a factory reset, the XB21 no longer automatically syncs with any previously paired Bluetooth device. Thus, to restore auto pairing, you manually sync it with a device. Then after that, any time that both speaker and that device have Bluetooth activated, and they’re near to each other, pairing would automatically take place once more.

Related Posts to How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21

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    2. How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB10 Speaker
    3. Hard Resetting the Sony SRS XB13 Bluetooth Speaker
    4. How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB43 Desktop Speaker
    5. Hard Resetting the JBL Charge 4 Portable Power Bank Speaker

Other Posts About the Sony SRS XB21

    1. Checking the Battery on the Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Speaker
    2. Sony SRS XB21 WPC Button Explained
    3. Sony SRS XB21 Add Button Explained
    4. How to Connect to Sony SRS XB21 Speaker
    5. Pairing Two Sony SRS XB21 BT Speakers

References for How to Hard Reset Sony SRS XB21

    1. Sony SRS XB21 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Product Page at Sony.com

Revision History

    • 2021-09-23: First published.