The JBL Flip 3 waterproof speaker features several buttons and lamps across its top. The power button lights up in different colors to show Bluetooth speaker status. Here, we explore the JBL Flip 3 buttons, show you where they are on the speaker, what each button does, and when to press them to access the various capabilities of this popular Bluetooth speaker.
JBL Flip 3 Buttons Functions, Descriptions, and Locations
Bluetooth Discovery Mode / Pairing Button
There are two rows of buttons on the JBL Flip 3, and in the first row of four buttons, each one has a specific shape to denote its function.
First, we have the Bluetooth discovery mode button, near the left side of the speaker, as pointed at by the green arrow in the next picture. Note its squiggly Bluetooth logo shape.
With the JBL Flip 3 powered on, press this button to place this Bluetooth speaker into discovery mode. When in discovery mode (a.k.a. Bluetooth pairing mode), the speaker transmits its name and other connection information over the Bluetooth airwaves. This allows other nearby Bluetooth devices to discover it and connect to it.
Volume Down and Up Buttons on the JBL Flip 3
The JBL Flip 3 also features volume controls. Near the center of the speaker and in the same row as the Bluetooth pairing button, the buttons in the shapes of the minus and plus symbols, when pressed, lower and raise the output volume of the speaker. They do this by reducing or increasing the volume setting on the paired source Bluetooth device. See the volume buttons, circled in green in the next picture.
With the JBL Flip 3 paired and playing, press the minus shaped button to decrease audio output level from the speaker. Press the plus shaped button to increase audio output.
Note that the volume controls have no effect when the speaker is not paired. Also, the volume setting may change from paired device to paired device. That is, each paired device remembers its own volume setting. So you might need to readjust the sound output when you unpair the speaker from one Bluetooth device and pair it to another.
Play Pause Phone Button
The Play / Pause button is shaped like an old fashioned telephone receiver, and is found near the right side of the JBL Flip 3 speaker, as pointed at by the green arrow we drew in, in the next picture.
How to Stop and Restart Music Playback
Press this to pause audio play. Press again to resume playback.
Note that this is not a mute button. That is, pausing playback in this way suspends sound playback on the source Bluetooth device to which this speaker is currently paired. So, you won’t miss any content when you pause the speaker, as the source device (your phone, tablet, or computer) remembers where the content was paused. So it resumes playback at that spot when you press the play pause button again.
How to Raise a Voice Assistant
When paired with an Apple device, press and hold the Play / Pause / Phone button to get Siri’s attention. Note. You must enable Siri on the source device (phone, tablet) for this feature to work. Also, you must set the button to activate voice assistant functions, instead of doing playing and pausing, in the JBL Connect Plus app when paired with this speaker.
How to Handle an Incoming Call
When paired with a cell phone and a call comes in, press and release this button to answer it.
Then to end the call, press and release this button to hang up.
Move Ahead to the Next Song in a Playlist
Finally, you can skip forward to the next song in a playlist with the Play-Pause button on the Flip 3. As the song plays, do the following…
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- To advance to the next song, quickly press and release the Play-Pause button twice. Upon doing that, your source device advances to the next song in the current playlist.
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The Power Button
The Power button not only switches the JBL Flip 3 on and off, but also contains a multi-colored light to show speaker status when turned on. This lamp is totally OFF when the speaker is powered down, as shown next.
But when you turn the speaker on but have not yet paired it with any devices since the last time you reset it, the power button flashes blue. When the speaker has no connection information in memory, it automatically goes into Bluetooth discovery mode at power up. In this case, the power lamp flashes blue.
However, once the speaker pairs to a nearby device, the power button glows solid blue. See this blue glow in the next picture.
The Power button glows solid white when the speaker is not currently paired and awaiting a pairing request from a source Bluetooth device. Solid white indicates speaker standby mode. See this button glowing white in the next picture.
Note that standby mode is not the same as Bluetooth discovery mode. In standby mode, the speaker awaits a connection request from a Bluetooth source device, but does not broadcast its name and connection information for other devices to see. In Bluetooth pairing mode on the other hand, the speaker does indeed transmit its connection data periodically. As a result, the speaker uses more battery power when in discovery mode than it does when standing by or when paired.
The JBL Connect+ Button
The Connect Plus button is used to connect two or more JBL Connect+ compatible speakers together, in “party mode”, such that they all play the same audio content at the same time. Similar to speakers participating in Amazon’s multi room music groups, all speakers involved in Connect+ are synched.
Pair the first speaker in your group to your source device. Then, you press this button on each other Bluetooth speaker you wish to add to the Connect+ group. Each speaker you add should start playing the first speaker’s content within several seconds after pressing this button on it.
Note that all speakers in the Connect+ group should be in Bluetooth range of each other. You’ll likely experience dropping out and static sounds on those that are too far away from others in the group.
The picture above shows the JBL Flip 3 not participating in Connect+, because the Connect+ button is dark. However, the Connect+ button lights up white when the speaker is connected to a Connect+ group.
JBL Flip 3 Button Combinations, Codes
All Lights On Test Mode
Entering the All Lights ON mode briefly lights all lamps on the speaker’s control panel, and then powers down the unit after two seconds. Note though that here, the speaker makes no falling guitar sound when it shuts off. Also during this test, all the lights on the panel light up as shown next, including the battery gauge, as well as the Bluetooth and Power buttons.
To enter this mode, press and hold the Bluetooth and Volume UP buttons that are highlighted in the next picture, for around ten seconds, until you see the lights all come on, as shown in the previous picture.
Once you enter All Lights ON, the lights remain lit for a short period before they all turn off. Then, the speaker returns to normal working condition once the lights go out. I.e.When you next power it up, it behaves and works as expected.
Doing this is one way to forcibly shut down the speaker should pressing the Power button fail to power it OFF.
Low Frequency Mode Button Combination
Many JBL speakers, including the Flip 3, come with low frequency mode, which by default, is turned ON. This adds a bit more treble and much extra bass to the audio output, like switching on the Loudness control on older home hi-fi systems.
You can turn this extreme bass mode off by pressing and holding in the Volume Down (-) and Bluetooth buttons for about ten seconds, until the Power and Bluetooth buttons light up white, as shown in the next picture. Find these buttons near the top of the speaker, as pointed out in the picture above.
To turn low frequency mode back on, then again, press and hold the Volume Down and Bluetooth buttons in until both the Power and Connect buttons light up again. Release the buttons when you see that. Then, after a short pause, when the buttons return to their prior states, low frequency mode is ON once more.
Reset Button Combination
You can reset the JBL Flip 3 to factory default settings and state by pressing the Volume UP and Play / Pause buttons at the same time and holding them in until the hard reset occurs. See these buttons circled in green in the next picture.
You may wish to reset the speaker to correct any erratic or strange behaviors you see from it such as failing to pair, sound distortion, failure to power off when you press the power button, 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 on each device, and re pair the speaker after a reset in order to play your audio content through it once again from that device.
Service Mode Button Combination
When in this (often called ‘weird’) mode, the JBL Flip 3 does not power ON unless you connect the external USB power source. And then, it powers up without you pressing the Power button. I.e. It comes on as soon as you apply external power. Further, you cannot turn it off in this mode unless you disconnect the external power source. And then, it powers off without pressing the Power button.
Also, none of the buttons seem to work in this mode. E.g. The speaker won’t pair with any devices or other speakers when you press the Pairing button, and as mentioned, the Power button does not switch it off either.
To turn on this Service mode on the JBL Flip 3, power up the speaker, and then press the Connect and Volume UP buttons at the same time, until the speaker powers OFF, which usually takes ten seconds or so. Find these buttons pointed out in the next picture. Note that you can enter this mode as long as the speaker is ON, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s connected to external power or not.
But once you activate this Service mode, then to turn off this mode, you must connect USB power. Why? Because the speaker won’t come on without external power, and you can’t change modes without the unit being powered UP.
So, with the speaker Power button glowing, you press and hold the Connect and Volume UP button combination for ten seconds or so, until the unit powers off. Then, normal speaker operation returns.
JBL Flip 3 Connection Ports
The Flip 3 also has a compartment with a sealing door, located on the top button panel. Herein, are two ports; the AUX In and USB Power In ports.
Well, that wraps up this summary of all the buttons on the JBL Flip 3 portable Bluetooth speaker. With these, you can access all of the speaker’s functions as well as read all speaker statuses. Enjoy!
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References
Revision History
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- 2022-10-13: Updated the tags list.
- 2020-09-21: Added Service mode explanation.
- 2020-04-08: Added tags.
- 2019-04-13: Tweaked post targeting and shortened URL.
- 2018-08-20: First published.