Back view of the JBL Clip 2, showing the red charging light highlighted.

JBL Clip 2 Charging Problems Solved

Most JBL Bluetooth speakers, including the Clip 2, offer truly portable operation via their lithium ion batteries inside, and so at times, they experience various charging problems. E.g. When said battery dies, you can recharge the speaker with an AC or car adapter. Sometimes though, you may notice that the JBL Clip 2 does not recharge fully, or at all, even when you connect the adapter to power, and then to the speaker.  So to solve that, we offer information here that may help you solve this issue.

How to Tell That You Have JBL Clip 2 Charging Problems

Among the ways you can know this, is by reading the battery status lamp on the speaker’s button panel.  Now this light changes from blue to pulsing purple and blue during play, to alert you that the battery is running low.

But there’s a problem if this flashing keeps going, even when you attach the charger.  Why?  Because the lamp should change at this point though, to solid purple or red, when you apply power.  When the light stops flashing, this means that the speaker is getting some juice from the adapter. But if the red or purple blinking continues, then correct recharging is likely not occurring.

You can also feel the power supply’s case ten or fifteen minutes after connecting it to the speaker.  Then, it should feel warm.  The same with the speaker too.  Note that the speaker itself may heat up a little also during correct recharging.  But if you detect no heating, then again, the JBL Clip 2 definitely has charging problems.

Moreover, the status lamp normally shows battery recharging status.  I.e. As long as charging continues, the purple / red glow continues.  And, as mentioned, the lamp fully darkens when charging is done when the speaker is not running.  But if the lamp is still blinking after several hours of recharging, then chances are, charging is not working as it should.

Thus when you discover the charging problems, you’ll want to find out why they’re happening, and how to solve them.  So in this piece, we give several charging problems that the JBL Clip 2 may encounter.  Then we give possible solutions for this seen-often failure.





 JBL Clip 2 Charging Problems, Problems and Solutions

As we stated above, it’s normal that the status light pulses red or purple when the cells inside are about dead.  But again, the light should switch to a solid glow when you connect the speaker to a working charger, and the charger to a power outlet, and battery recharging begins.

Rear view of the JBL Clip 2 speaker, powered ON while charging, showing the purple charging light highlighted.
Rear view of the JBL Clip 2 speaker, powered ON while charging, showing the purple charging light highlighted.

Normally though, this lamp never glows read / purple when the battery is not getting near dead.  It can look as follows.

Picture of the status lamp glowing blue.
The status lamp glowing blue.

Or, if the speaker is OFF when charging starts, and you don’t turn it ON during charging, then once recharging finishes, this power lamp goes dark.

Picture of the JBL Clip 2 Bluetooth speaker,top back view, powered OFF, showing the dark status lamp highlighted.
JBL Clip 2 Bluetooth speaker,top back view, powered OFF, showing the dark status lamp highlighted.

If the meter light does not change to flashing white when you plug the charger into the speaker, then several things might cause this. We list these below thus.

1.The Power Outlet May Not Be ON

The Problem

The AC or car adapter for the JBL Clip 2 may not output any energy because it is not receiving any to begin with. This can occur due to a failed circuit, tripped breaker, blown fuse, faulty wiring, power failure, and similar issues.

The Fix

Check that your outlet has power by plugging in a lamp or other device.  Then, reset circuit breakers if tripped, and if the outlet has a light switch that controls it, then be certain that that switch is in the ON position.  Or, simply try a different outlet.

2. The USB Adapter is Broken or Too Small

The Problem

JBL Clip 2 charging problems often happen because the adapter is outputting SOME but not FULL amperage to fully recharge the speaker, even though its receiving power from the outlet.

Now as these adapters age, their output energy can fall off over time. So this power supply might not deliver the correct amount if it is very old.   So you may see the speaker’s battery meter start flashing white, but never never go dark, as you would normally see at the end of charging. Please note that this speaker needs half an amp at 5 volts (2.5 watts) from the adapter to fully recharge in the fastest time.  Yet charging will likely not go as fast as we hope if the charger does not deliver on these requirements.

The Fix

To solve this, replace the adapter, preferably one that has a USB-A plug and delivers the maximum 5 volts at 1 amp (5 watts). Most common USB power supplies meet these power requirements. But double check the one you plan to buy, to be sure.





3. The USB Charging Cable is Too Long, Too Thin, or is Broken

The Problem

The USB cable can limit the charging current too much, even if your power supply is working well.  This might happen with very long or thin cables.

The Fix

To resolve this, use as short a cord as workable. Or, upgrade to a thicker, higher current cable. We advise keeping cable lengths to six feet or shorter, and to select a cable that is certified to carry at least 1 amp for fastest charging.

4. The Battery in the Clip 2 No Longer Accepts a Full Charge

The Problem

As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their ability to fully charge, and the characteristics of the charge current they draw, changes as they get older.  Normally, as a battery recharges, it draws less and less amps from the charger as it fills. But in the case of cell failure, it may draw too many or too few amps, thus confusing the speaker’s charging circuits into behaving like no charging is occurring.  So the status lamp shows that charging is not happening, either by never stopping its white blinking, or never changing to white in the first place.

The Fix

To repair this, replace the battery. But understand that you likely will not easily get the old one out of the Clip 2. Indeed, changing the battery means that you must take the speaker apart, and this can be a daunting effort.

Also note that doing this likely breaks the moisture seal.  So the Clip 2 will no longer be safe to use, should you expose it to water afterwards.

Breaking this seal may alter the sound quality as well. So get someone to replace the battery who knows how to pick the right Clip 2 replacement. They should also be able to restore the seal to as it was, as they reassemble the speaker. A good battery should fit well inside the speaker and provide 3.7 volts and at least 730 mAh (2.7 watt-hours). But we suggest using only JBL certified batteries for this speaker.

5. The Speaker Might be Defective When You Experience JBL Clip 2 Charging Problems

The Problem

Even if you have the proper AC USB adapter, with a working battery in the speaker, the charge current that actually gets to the battery may be too low or too high.  This can happen when the battery management system inside the Clip 2 goes awry.  Note that these circuits read the battery status, and switch off the charging current when they deem the battery full.

But when they go on the fritz, the battery might see no juice at all though the power supply itself is working well.  Thus, the speaker never recharges.  Again, in this case, the battery gauge might continue blinking white. You may also see that the speaker doesn’t play as long on battery power before dying, if at all, until you connect the charger. Or it might not play at all, even with the charger connected.

The Fix

The best answer here, is simply to get a new JBL Clip 2.  Why?  Because the electronics in this unit are quite small.  So unless you can replace the system board(s) yourself, or know someone who will do it for you, just buy another speaker to save a bunch of mental tension.

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Other JBL Clip 2 Posts

    1. JBL Clip 2 Power Button Not Working Fix
    2. Clip 2 JBL Speaker Specs, Tech Specifications
    3. JBL Clip 2 Not Charging Problem
    4. How to Reset JBL Clip 2 Speaker
    5. Turning OFF the JBL Clip 2 BT Speaker

References for JBL Clip 2 Charging Problems

    1. JBL Clip 2 Official Product Page at JBL.com
    2. Where to Buy the JBL Clip 2

Revision History

    • 2023-02-08: First posted.