How to Pair Sony SRS XB31 to iPhone

An iPhone with a Sony SRS XB31 speaker.

This post shows how to pair the Sony SRS XB31 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker with an iPhone, or other iOS or iPadOS based device.

How to Pair Sony SRS XB31 to iPhone, Step by Step

With your SRS XB31 switched OFF (power button is dark), run through these directions to pair it to your iPhone mobile device. We use an iPad Air computer for this demo, since we do not have an iPhone in shop right now. But the procedure is pretty much identical.

1. Go to the Home Screen on your Device

Firstly, press the Home button to bring up the smart device’s Home screen.

2. Find the Settings App

We found ours on the second page of the Home screen, as shown next.

iOS Home Screen with Settings App Highlighted

3. Bring up the Settings App

Thirdly, tap the Settings app icon.

The smart device then shows the first page of its settings, as shown in the next step.

4. Go to the Bluetooth Settings Page to Continue with How to Pair Sony SRS XB31 to iPhone

Our Bluetooth Settings screen displays as follows. Note that our Bluetooth is running here. But since our SRS XB31 is currently shut OFF (is not in Bluetooth pairing mode), it does not show up in the BT devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never paired this speaker with our iOS device before.

5. Turn On your Sony SRS XB31

Turn on the SRS XB31 by quickly pressing its Power button. See this, pointed at by the green arrow, in the next picture.

Sony SRS XB31 speaker -Power- button.

The speaker then powers up, and its status lamp glows green, as seen in the next picture.

The -Power- lamp glowing.

Also, the Bluetooth lamp will blink in some pattern to indicate that the SRS XB31 is ready to receive a Bluetooth pairing request, as we see in the next picture.

The Sony SRS XB31 speaker, showing the Bluetooth Status lamp glowing.

If it blinks evenly, then it’s passively waiting for a Bluetooth connection request to come in.

But if it flashes in a pulse-pulse-pause, pulse-pulse-pause pattern , then it’s broadcasting its pairing information over Bluetooth so other devices can find it. I.e. The speaker is in pairing mode in this case.

Moreover, since our test iPhone like device does not know about this speaker, the SRS XB31 will not pair with it automatically.

6. Put the Speaker into Discovery Mode

Now, to see this speaker on your iPhone, place it into Bluetooth pairing mode if it’s not in that mode already. To do that, press the Power button, and release when the unit beeps, and the Bluetooth lamp begins fast flashing.

Find the Power button as shown above, pointed at by the green arrow above.

7. Find the Speaker on your Mobile Device to Continue with How to Pair Sony SRS XB31 to iPhone

See the screen shot next. We found our SRS XB31, as we point out with the green arrow.

The iPhone Bluetooth Settings page, showing the speaker as Discovered.

8. Pair with your SRS XB31

Tap the listed speaker in the discovered devices list.

Your mobile device then pairs with the SRS XB31.

The iPhone Bluetooth Settings page, showing a Sony SRS XB31 speaker as Connected.

I.e. The the mobile device’s Bluetooth Settings screen might then change to look something like the last picture. Note the now-paired Sony SRS XB31 entry, as pointed at by the green arrow.