Picture of the JBL Charge 4 power bank speaker, top view, showing the buttons panel.

JBL Charge 4 Software Update Instructions

Here’s our JBL Charge 4 software update instructions.  This routine can take up to thirty minutes to finish, depending on the speed of your internet link.  Plus, you can’t undo it once done.  That is, you won’t be able to return to any prior firmware version after installing a software upgrade.  So, be sure that you indeed want the update before going ahead with it.





JBL Charge 4 Software Update Instructions: Preparation Steps

You’ll need and internet connection, a Bluetooth enabled mobile or desktop computer device, the JBL Connect app, and the speaker itself.

So, connect your mobile device to the internet and install the JBL Connect app if you haven’t already.

Connect your Charge 4 JBL to household power, because we don’t want its battery going dead during the software update.  A dying battery could corrupt the programs in the speaker’s memory, therefore bricking the speaker, rendering it useless and not repairable.

So, to be safe, plug the speaker into AC power, using the included USB-C cable, as shown in the next picture.

Picture of the JBL Charge 4 Bluetooth speaker, back view, showing the port door open and the USB-C cord plugged into the power input port.
JBL Charge 4 Bluetooth speaker, back view, showing the port door open and the USB-C cord plugged into the power input port.

Finally, connect the other end of the USB-C cord into a strong enough AC adapter, and plug that adapter into a working AC outlet.

Then, pair your mobile device with the speaker.

You are now ready to begin the updating software process.





JBL Charge 4 Software Update Instructions: Step by Step

1. Find the JBL Connect App on your Mobile Device

We found ours on the fourth home page in the Apple iPad Air 2, as shown next.

Screenshot of the iOS 13 Home page, with the JBL Connect app highlighted.
iOS 13 Home screen, with the JBL Connect app highlighted.

2. Run the JBL Connect App

The app takes a few seconds to show you some pretty animations when you first start it, as shown in the next picture.

Picture of the JBL Connect app, showing its -Start Up, Searching for Products- screen.
JBL Connect app, showing its -Start Up, Searching for Products- screen.

But then it finds your paired JBL Charge 4 BT speaker and shows you its status screen, as pictured next.

Note the red dot on the Settings button in the bottom center of the speaker’s picture, as pointed at by the green arrow.  This means that there are important actions to take pending for this speaker.

Screenshot of the JBL Connect app Home page for our speaker, with the red dot on the -Settings- button highlighted.
JBL Connect app Home page for the Charge 4 speaker, with the red dot on the -Settings- button highlighted.

Also note that if there are no current messages or software updates available for this particular speaker, then no red dot will appear.  In that case, your speaker already has the latest version of the onboard software.

3. Tap the Settings Button

Touching the Settings button brings up the screen about the available software upgrade, as shown next.

Screenshot of the JBL Connect app, showing the -New Firmware- page, with the orange -Upgrade- button highlighted.
JBL Connect app, showing the -New Firmware- page, with the orange -Upgrade- button highlighted.

This screen gives details about the available software update.  In our case here, it suggests the JBL Charge 4 upgrade to software version 3.0.0.0.  It also tells us that the current software version is 2.7.





4. Tap the Orange Upgrade Button

Touching the Upgrade bar brings up the Plug Speaker In screen if you haven’t connected the speaker to AC power yet, as shown in the next picture. Otherwise, the upgrade process starts.  Jump down to step 5 to see the screenshots of that process in action.

Screenshot of the JBL Connect app, displaying the JBL Charge 4 -Plug Speaker In- Prompt, with the -I Followed the Instructions- button highlighted.
JBL Connect app, displaying the JBL Charge 4 -Plug Speaker In- Prompt, with the -I Followed the Instructions- button highlighted.

If this screen comes up, then go ahead and attach your speaker to power, as described at the top of this post.  Then, tap the I Followed the Instructions button.  This is the gray bar in the last picture, pointed at by the dark blue arrow.

5. The Software Update Process on JBL Charge 4 Begins

The update then starts.  The Connect app displays a progress screen as shown next, to let you know how far along the upgrade is.

5a. Software Update Progress, at Fourteen Percent Complete

Screenshot of the app, showing that the software upgrade progress, at 14 percent done.
The app, showing that the software upgrade progress, at 14 percent done.

5b. Software Update Progress at Twenty-Eight Percent Complete

We’re probably about a minute into the upgrade at this point in the process.

Screenshot of the app, showing the JBL Charge 4 software upgrade progress, at 28 percent done.
The app, showing the JBL Charge 4 software upgrade progress, at 28 percent done.

5c. Software Update Progress at Forty-Five Percent Complete

Screenshot showing the software upgrade progress, at 45 percent done.
Showing the software upgrade progress, at 45 percent done.

5d. Software Update Progress, at Seventy-Five Percent Complete

Screenshot of the JBL Charge 4 software update progress, at 75 percent done.
The JBL Charge 4 software update progress, at 75 percent done.

8e. Software Update File Transfer 100 Percent Complete

Once the app copies the upgrade file to the speaker, you get the  Restarting  screen, as shown next.





But note that the speaker is still in the process of installing the new software for several minutes after the Restarting screen appears. This screen alerts us that the speaker will restart automatically, and it asks that we not to unplug the speaker while it’s running the upgrade. As this goes on, keep your speaker close to the mobile device running the app while the speaker upgrades.

Screenshot of the software upgrade progress screen, restarting the speaker.
Showing the software upgrade progress page, restarting the speaker.

6. Wait for the Speaker to Shut Off

Watch the Power light on the speaker, as shown next.  That lamp will soon go dark, as shown next, pointed at by the green arrow.

Picture of the JBL Charge 4 power bank speaker, top view, showing the Power button highlighted.
The JBL Charge 4 power bank speaker, top view, showing the Power button highlighted.

The speaker may or may not turn itself back on again.  Ours did not.  If, like ours, yours did not come back up after the software update, then go ahead with the next step (Step 7).  But if yours did come back online though, then skip Step 7 and pick up with Step 8.

7. Power On the Speaker

Press the dark Power button to turn the JBL Charge 4 on again.  The unit should again pair with your mobile device where you’re running the JBL Connect app.  The Power and Bluetooth buttons turn solid white  as your speaker successfully pairs again with your tablet or phone, as shown next.

Top view picture of the speaker, showing the -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons lit and highlighted.
Top view of the speaker, showing the -Power- and -Bluetooth- buttons lit and highlighted.

Meanwhile, back in the Connect App, the Upgrade Successful appears when the app receives confirmation from the speaker that the software update completed without errors, as shown next.

Screenshot of the JBL Connect app, showing the -Software Upgrade Successful- page, with the -OK- button highlighted.
JBL Connect app, showing the -Charge 4 Software Upgrade Successful- page, with the -OK- button highlighted.

8. Press the OK Button

With your speaker successfully paired to the JBL Connect app again, press the orange OK button, as pointed at by the dark blue arrow in the last screenshot.

The app then displays the JBL Charge 4 status screen once more.  However, this time, note that there’s no longer the red dot on the Settings button, as shown next.  This means that the software update succeeded and that the speaker is now running the current firmware version. In this case, it’s version 3.0.0.0.

Screenshot of the JBL Connect app, displaying its -Home- page for this Speaker, with the -Settings- button, that has no red dot now, highlighted.
JBL Connect app, displaying its -Home- page for this speaker, with the -Settings- button, that has no red dot now, highlighted.

9. Done!

You’re now successfully updated the software to the current version in your JBL Charge 4 portable speaker.





Other Posts About the JBL Charge 4 BT Speaker

  1. JBL Charge 4 Hard Reset Instructions
  2. How to Pair JBL Charge 4 with Alexa Echo Speakers
  3. Finding JBL Charge 4 Firmware Version
  4. JBL Charge 4 Buttons Guide, What Each Button Does
  5. Updating Firmware on JBL Charge 4, How To

Related Posts to JBL Charge 4 Software Update Instructions

  1. JBL Xtreme Software Update Instructions
  2. JBL Charge 3 Software Update Instructions

References for JBL Charge 4 Software Update Instructions

  1. JBL Charge 4 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker Product Page, on JBL.com

Revision History

  • 2020-12-05: First published.