The front right view of the Sony SRS XB21 speaker.

How to Put Sony SRS XB21 in Pairing Mode

To pair your SRS XB21 Sony speaker with a Bluetooth source device for the first time, or to refresh old connection info in that device, you have to know how to start up pairing mode on the speaker.  That’s because in this mode, the speaker broadcasts its name and valid connection information over the Bluetooth airwaves.  This is necessary for connecting to the speaker wirelessly using this data in order to play your music on it.  So in this post, we show you how to put the Sony SRS XB21 speaker into pairing mode, to let you to link it with phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers.

How to Put Sony SRS XB21 in Pairing Mode, Step by Step

1. Turn On the XB21

Turn on the speaker by rapidly pressing its  Power-Pairing  button.

E.g. See this button, that we point out with the green arrow, in the next picture.

The -Power- button on the Sony SRS XB21 speaker. How to Put Sony SRS XB21 in Pairing Mode.
Sony SRS XB21 -Power- button.

The speaker then comes on.

Picture of the glowing -Power- light.
The -Power- lamp glowing.

2. Press and Hold that Same Button for Two or Three Seconds

Secondly, This lets you see your XB21 on your source device. So, place the speaker into pairing mode by pressing and holding the the Power-Pairing button, as pointed out in the first picture above.

When you press this button, the speaker plays a rising sequence of beeps, and the unit announces in a lady’s voice, “Bluetooth pairing.”

The flashing -Bluetooth Status- light on the speaker.
The -Bluetooth Status- lamp blinking.

Also, the Bluetooth Status lamp begins rapidly flashing blue. The unit is now in pairing mode thus.





3. Done with How to Put Sony SRS XB21 in Pairing Mode

While the Bluetooth Status lamp is flashing, you should be able to see the XB21 on any in-range phone, computer, tablet, or smart speaker, that is within several feet of it, as shown next.

Screenshot of the The iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing Sony SRS XB21 speaker as Discovered but not Connected.
The iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing Sony SRS XB21 speaker as Discovered but not Connected.

Note in the last picture, that the speaker appears as “SRS-XB21”.  So at this point, you could connect to the speaker if you wish.

Other Posts About the Sony SRS XB21

    1. How to Pair Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Speaker
    2. Making the SRS XB21 Sony Speaker Discoverable
    3. How to Hard Reset the Sony SRS XB21
    4. How to Check Sony SRS XB21 Battery Life

Related Posts to How to Put the SRS XB10 Sony Speaker in Pairing Mode

    1. How to Put Sony SRS XB01 in Pairing Mode
    2. Putting the Sony SRS X11 Bluetooth Speaker into Pairing Mode
    3. How to Put Sony SRS XB43 into Pairing Mode
    4. Sony SRS XB13 Speaker, How to Put into Pairing Mode
    5. How to Put UE Roll Speaker into Pairing Mode

References

    1. Sony SRS XB21 Product Page at Sony.com

Revision History

    • 2020-09-25: First published.