The JBL Flip 4 waterproof speaker has several buttons and lamps across its top, in two rows. The power button lights up in different colors to show Bluetooth speaker status. The Connect button also flashes and lights when linking multiple Connect Plus JBL speakers together for party music over a larger area. Here, we cover JBL Flip 4 buttons meaning, describe where they are on the speaker, what each button does, and when and how to press them.
JBL Flip 4 Buttons Explained
We find two rows of buttons on the JBL Flip 4, and in the first row of four buttons, each one has a unique shape.
Bluetooth Discovery Mode Button
First, we have the Bluetooth discovery mode button first, near the left side of the speaker, as pointed at by the green arrow in the next picture. Note its squiggly shape.
With this wireless speaker powered on, press this button to place this Bluetooth speaker into discovery mode. When in discovery 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.
JBL Flip 4 Buttons: The Volume Down and Up Buttons
The JBL Flip 4 also features volume controls. Find these near the center of the speaker and in the same row as the Bluetooth discovery mode button. The buttons shaped as minus and plus symbols adjust speaker volume. When pressed, they lower and raise the sound level. Generally, they change the volume setting on the paired source Bluetooth device. See the volume buttons, circled in yellow in the next picture.
With the JBL Flip 4 paired and playing, press the minus button to decrease audio output level. Likewise, 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 may have to readjust the sound output when you unpair the speaker from one Bluetooth device and pair it to another.
Play Pause Button
Find the Play / Pause button, shaped like a right-pointing arrow, near the right side of the Flip 4. The green arrow we drew in points at it, in the next picture.
How to Stop and Restart Music Playback
Press this to pause audio play. Press again to resume audio play. Note that this button does not mute the Flip 4. Instead, pausing playback by pressing and releasing this button actually suspends playback on the source Bluetooth device. So, you won’t miss any content when you pause the speaker, as the source device (your phone, tablet, or computer) remembers the paused position. So it resumes playback at that spot when you press the play pause button again.
When paired with an Apple device, press and hold the Play / Pause button to raise Siri. Note that you must enable Siri the source device (phone, tablet) for this feature to work.
Move Ahead in a Playlist with the Play / Pause Button
Finally, you can skip forward to the next song in a playlist with the Play-Pause button on the Flip 4. 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 4 on and off, but also contains a multi-colored light to indicate speaker status when it is turned on.
The power button flashes blue when the speaker has not yet been paired, and is in Bluetooth discovery mode. It glows solid blue when the JBL Flip 4 is currently paired successfully with a Bluetooth source device. 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. See this button glowing white in the next picture.
JBL Flip 4 Buttons: 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. Similar to speakers participating in Amazon’s multi room music groups, all speakers participating in Connect+ are synched. That is, all of them play the same audio at the same time.
You press this button on each Bluetooth speaker you wish to add to the Connect+ group.
The picture above shows the JBL Flip 4 not participating in Connect+, because the Connect+ button is dark. However, the Connect+ button lights up when the speaker is connected to the Connect+ group.
Button Combinations
Speak Firmware Version Button Combo
You can get the speaker to speak the version number of the firmware currently installed by pressing the Volume DOWN and Connect buttons at the same time. Hold them in until you hear the three digit firmware version spoken in a female voice. See these buttons circled in green in the next picture.
JBL Flip 4 Buttons: The Reset Button Combo
You can reset the JBL Flip 4 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 yellow 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 and re pair the speaker after a reset in order to play your audio content through it once again.
Low Frequency Mode Button Combo
Press the Bluetooth and Volume DOWN buttons shown in the next picture, for ten seconds. This toggles extra bass on and off. This low frequency mode is ON by default.
JBL Flip 4 Service Mode Button Combination
When in this (often called ‘weird’ or ‘secret’) mode, the JBL Flip 4 does not power ON unless you connect its external power source. Thus, it will not run on the internal battery while in Service mode. And then, it powers up without you pressing the Power button. I.e. It comes on as soon as you apply outside power.
Further, you cannot turn it off in Service mode unless you disconnect the external power source. And then, it powers off without pressing the Power button. So when this service mode is active, the Power button does not work.
Indeed, none of the buttons seem to work in Service mode, except for the ones needed to exit service 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.
How to Turn On Service Mode
To turn on this Service mode on the JBL Flip 4, power up the speaker first, 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.
How to Turn Off Service Mode
But once you activate this Service mode, then to turn it back off , you must connect external power again. Why? Because the speaker won’t come on without outside power, and you can’t change modes without the unit being powered UP.
So, connect your speaker to AC power and turn on the speaker. Then, with the speaker Power button glowing, you press and hold the Connect+ and Volume UP button combo for ten seconds or so, until the unit powers off. Then, normal speaker operation returns.
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References for JBL Flip 4 Buttons
Revision History
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- 2023-01-25: Added Service Mode button combination description.
- 2022-10-13: Updated the tags list.
- 2019-04-26: Added firmware version and low frequency mode button combo descriptions.
- 2019-04-19: Added tags.
- 2018-12-18: First published.