JBL Charge 5 Speaker Button Combinations

The JBL Charge 5 speaker has several button combinations  to access various functions. To work these, there are six buttons and a few lamps across its top. There’s also a battery gauge light strip. The Power button lights in white to show that the 5 is ON or OFF. The Bluetooth lamp blinks or glows solid to show the speaker’s pairing status. And, there’s also a port access panel on the back near the bottom of the unit. This protects the USB charge output port.  Interestingly, the USB-C charging input port is outside of this protected area.  Nonetheless, here, we offer our JBL Charge 4 Button Combinations guide.  This shows where the control Button Combinations are on the 5. Furthermore, it explains what each button does, tells when to press them, and how to use them in general.

JBL Charge 5 Speaker Button Combinations: Functions, Descriptions, and Locations

Here we cover the following button combinations.

1. 1. Reset Button Combination
   2. Service Mode Combination
   3. Lock Mode Combination

The Reset Button Combination

You can reset the 5 to factory default settings by pressing the Volume UP and Play-Pause buttons together. Then hold them in until the reset begins.

You may wish to reset the 5 to correct any unusual behaviors you see. These can include failing to pair, sound distortion, failure to power OFF, and so on. Note that resetting seems to invalidate any saved connection information to this speaker on your source Bluetooth devices. So you’ll have to forget those connections. Then re pair the 5 after a reset to play your music through it again.

The Service Mode Button Combination

First, in this mode, the Charge 5 does not power ON without the charger. Thus, it will not run on the battery while in Service Mode.  Furthermore, when you do connect the charger, it powers up without pressing the Power button.

Further, you cannot turn off the Charge 5 while it is in Service mode. Not unless you disconnect the charger. And then, it powers off without pressing the Power button.

How to Turn On Service Mode on the JBL Charge 5 Speaker

To turn on this Service mode, power on the 5 first. Then press the Bluetooth and Play-Pause Button Combinations at the same time. Hold them in until the unit powers OFF, which takes ten seconds or so.

Find these Button Combinations pointed out in the last picture. Note that you can enter this mode as long as the speaker is ON. So it doesn’t matter whether the charger is present or not.

How to Turn Off Service Mode

Now you can restore proper operation by disabling this mode. But note that in Service mode, to switch it back off, you must connect the charger. Why?  Because when in Service mode, the 5 won’t come on without outside power. But you can’t change modes without powering up the unit first.  Thus, you need the power adapter to make this fix.

1. 1. So, connect your speaker to AC power and turn on the 5.
   2. Then, with the unit Power button glowing, press the Bluetooth and Play-Pause button combo. Then hold for ten seconds or so, until the unit powers off.
   3. Then, normal operation returns.

Finally, at this point, the Power button should turn the JBL Charge 5 Speaker on again. And that’s either with or without the charger.

JBL Charge 5 Speaker Lock Mode Button Combination

Entering this mode powers down the 5. It also disables the buttons, except for the combo you need to exit this mode. Furthermore, in this mode, the button and battery gauge lamps all glow.

How to Enter Lock Mode

To turn on  Lock mode, power up the Charge 5 first. And then press and hold in the Pairing and Volume UP (+)  buttons at the same time. Hold them in until the Charge 5 powers OFF. This takes ten seconds or so.

Note that you can enter this mode as long as the speaker is ON. Note that it doesn’t matter whether you connect a charger.  So this mode differs from  Service mode because in that mode, you do need a charger to exit it.

How to Exit Lock mode

Again, you can restore correct operation by cancelling this mode. But note that when Lock mode is active, you can switch it back off without connecting the charger. That is as long as the battery is not completely dead.

But if you don’t know battery status, then be sure that you can boot the 5 after you exit Lock. So just go ahead and connect external power anyway.

1. 1. Connect the 5 to AC power.
   2. Then, press and hold the Power button for ten seconds. Then release.
   3. Wait two seconds.
   4. Finally, press and release the Power button.  The speaker should then boot up normally, with proper operation returning after that.

Other JBL Charge 5 Speaker Posts

1. 1. Charger Wattage Rating
   2. How to Turn ON Low Frequency
   3. Factory Reset
   4. The Watts Rating

References for JBL Charge 5 Speaker Button Combinations

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