Front view of the JBL Flip 5 speaker package box.
Most JBL Bluetooth speakers, including the Flip 5, offer off-grid sound via an internal battery. And when that portable power runs out, you can recharge it via an AC or car adapter. To facilitate recharging this speaker, you can use a USB-C charger with the speaker, that delivers 5 volts at 3 amps. Sometimes though, you may experience charging problems on the JBL Flip 5, where it does not charge fully, or at all, even with a properly connected adapter.
Among the ways you can know that the Flip 5 has charging problems, is by reading the battery meter on the speaker’s button panel. Now that gauge changes from white to pulsing red 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 meter should change at this point though, to blinking white, when you apply charger power. When the gauge stops flashing red, this means that the speaker is getting some power from the adapter. But if the red 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. The speaker itself indeed heats up a little during correct recharging also. But if you detect no warmth, then again, you likely have one or more charging problems here.
Moreover, the battery gauge normally shows battery recharging status. I.e. As long as charging continues, one of the progress lights in the meter flashes white. And, as mentioned, the gauge fully darkens when charging is done. But if the meter still blinks after several hours on the charge, then chances are, recharging is not working correctly.
Thus when you notice that the speaker is not recharging, even though it should be, you’ll want to check out why, and figure out how to fix this problem. So in this piece, we offer reasons why the JBL Flip 5 may not charge when you connect it to power. Then we give possible fixes for this seen-often difficulty.
As we stated above, it’s normal that the battery status gauge pulses red when the battery inside is almost dead. But again, the light should switch to a blinking white when you connect the speaker to a working charger, and the charger to a power outlet, and battery recharging begins.
Normally though, this gauge stays dark except for just after you press any button on the speaker and the speaker is ON. In that case, the gauge lights white when the battery is not getting near dead. It can look as follows.
Or, if the speaker is OFF when charging starts, and you don’t turn it ON during charging, then once recharging finishes, the battery level meter goes dark. See this in the next picture.
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.
The AC or car adapter for the JBL Flip 5 may not output any energy because it is not receiving any to begin with. This can happen due to a defective circuit, tripped breaker, blown fuse, faulty wiring, power failure, and similar issues.
Check that your outlet has power by plugging in a test light 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.
JBL Flip 5 charging problems can also happen because the adapter is outputting SOME but not FULL amperage to completely 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 status gauge start flashing white, but never never go dark, as you would normally see when correct charging finishes.
The solution is to replace the adapter, preferably one that has a USB-C plug and delivers at least 5 volts at 3 amps). Most common USB-C power supplies meet these power requirements. But check and be certain that the one you plan to buy does.
The USB-C 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.
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 3 amps for fastest charging.
The Problem
As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their ability to fully charge, and the characteristics of the charge current they pull, 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 acting like no charging is occurring. So the battery meter shows that charging is not happening, either by never stopping its red blinking, or never changing to white when you connect the charger.
To repair this, replace the battery. But understand that you likely will not easily get the old one out of the Flip 5. 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 Flip 5 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 Flip 5 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 3.6 volts at 4.8 amp hours, or 17.28 watt-hours. But we suggest using only JBL certified batteries for this speaker.
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 Flip 5 goes amiss. Note that these circuits read the battery status, and switch off the charging current when they deem the battery full.
But when they go off askew, the battery might see no power at all though the power supply itself is working as designed. Thus, the speaker never recharges. Again, in this case, the battery gauge might continue blinking white and never stop. You may also see that the speaker doesn’t play as long before running dead, if at all, until you connect the charger. Or it might not play at all, even with the charger connected.
The best answer here, is simply to get a new JBL Flip 5. Why? Because the electronics in this Bluetooth speaker 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 unit to save a bunch of mental tension.
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