JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained

The JBL Go line of highly portable wireless speakers features several buttons on the right side, one lamp on the front grill, a set of ports on the left side. The status lamp lights in two colors and flashing patterns to show speaker pairing and battery status. In this JBL Go 2 buttons guide, we explore all buttons on the speaker.  We show where they are on the speaker, explain what each button does when pressed, and when to depress them to accomplish various tasks. We also discuss the status lamp as well as the two input ports below.  Enjoy!

JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained: Functions, Descriptions, and Where to Find Them

The Power Button

First off, in this JBL Go 2 buttons list, the Power button switches the JBL Go and Go 2 speakers ON and OFF. Note that there is a separate two-colored status lamp, on the speaker’s front grill, that shows speaker status when you turn on the speaker.  When the speaker is ON, this lamp glows or flashes, depending on speaker pairing or battery recharge state.

Bluetooth Discovery Pairing Mode Button

Then, we have the Bluetooth discovery mode button, as circled in the next picture. Note the squiggly Bluetooth logo embossed on the button.

With this wireless speaker powered on, press the Bluetooth button to place it into discovery / pairing mode. When in pairing mode, the JBL Go 2 sends out its name and other connection info over the Bluetooth airwaves. This allows  nearby Bluetooth devices to find it and then connect to it.

JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained: The Volume UP and DOWN Buttons

The JBL Go 2 has volume controls too.  What portable speaker doesn’t?  🙂  Find these near the center of the the speaker’s buttons panel.  The buttons in the shapes of the minus and plus symbols, when pressed, lower and raise the speaker volume. See the volume buttons, circled in green, in the next picture.

The Play Pause Button

The Play / Pause button is shaped like a right-pointing arrow and is the last button on the right end of the buttons panel.  See the Play / Pause button, circled in green, in the next photo.

How to Pause and Resume Playback

Press Play / Pause to pause audio play. Press again to resume audio play.  Note however, that this button has no effect when you’re playing the speaker via its AUX input port.  This button only works when the JBL Go 2 is paired via Bluetooth to your media player device.  So for AUX play, you have to pause playback strictly on the source player.

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 Go 2. As the song plays, do the following…

• 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.

JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained: The Reset Button Combination

Pressing the Bluetooth and Volume UP buttons together with the speaker turned on triggers a factory reset of the JBL Go speakers.  See our   JBL Go Hard Factory Reset Instructions for JBL Go and Go 2 Speakers   for further details on how to use this button combo.

The Speaker Status Lamp

This LED light is dark when the speaker is OFF and not charging.  When powered ON, the status lamp slowly flashes white when the speaker has not yet been paired but is not advertising itself available for pairing. It rapidly flashes white when the speaker is in Bluetooth discovery mode and advertising itself as available to make a Bluetooth connection.  The lamp glows solid white when the JBL Go is currently paired successfully with a Bluetooth source device. See this white glow in the next picture.

Next, the status lamp glows steady red when the JBL Go is charging.  With an energized power cord inserted, this lamp lights red regardless of whether the JBL Go is powered on or off.

If you power down the JBL Go during charging, then the red lamp goes off when charging finishes.  Also, the lamp blinks red when the battery is critically low in power, while the speaker is playing. 

But if it was powered up, then the status lamp returns to the state it was in prior to the start of speaker charging, either blinking or steady white glow.

JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained: JBL Go Ports Panel

The USB Power and AUX input ports hide behind a sealed, flexible door on the left side of the JBL Go speaker line, as pictured next.

You open this door carefully, prying it up with a fingernail, coin, or other such small yet rigid implement.  Avoid overly sharp prying objects, as these can damage the water seal around the door edges.

The USB Power Input Port

This is a micro USB female plug, where your AC or car charger cord connects, to recharge this speaker, as shown next.

The Auxiliary (AUX) Input Port

The JBL Go AUX input port accepts a 3.5mm jack with line or headphone level audio signals.  Then the speaker amplifies this audio to room filling sound.  See the AUX input plug, highlighted by the green arrow in the next picture.

The AUX port allows you to play non Bluetooth enabled devices (like our iPod Touch pictured below) through the Go speaker. A typical AUX connection between the speaker and an audio source device like the iPod is shown in the next picture.

Note that the JBL Go 2 has no Connect+ button.  Further, the Connect app does not recognize this speaker. So you cannot control it beyond setting the volume from any smart device.

Other Posts About the JBL Go 2

1. How to Tell if JBL Go 2 Is Charging
2. Reset Routine
3. JBL Go 2 Pairing Instructions
4. How to Pair  with Echo Speakers
5. Review of This Speaker

References for JBL Go 2 Buttons Explained

1. JBL Go 2 Official Product Page
2. Where to Buy the JBL Go 2