Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

This post demos pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home Original, Mini, Max smart speakers. Since this pairing happens between the Flip 2 and the Google speakers directly, you need not enable Bluetooth on in the mobile device you’re using to set up this pairing.

Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home 

With your JBL Flip 2 powered off (power button is dark), run through this routine to pair it to your Google Home Mini, Original, or Max. We’re using an iPad Air tablet to create this pairing. In this demo, we’re pairing with a Google Home Mini. But the routine is similar for the other Google smart speaker products.

Now, to the routine.

1. Find the Google Home App on your Mobile Device

We found the Home app on our iOS iPad Air as shown in the next screenshot. In our case, this app is on the third home screen page. It’s pointed at by the purple arrow.

Picture of the Google Home App entry, as shown on the iOS home screen.
Google Home App entry, as shown on the iOS home screen.

2. Run the Google Home App

The app displays its Home screen as shown in the next screenshot.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, displaying its home screen, with the hamburger menu control highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, displaying its home screen, with the hamburger menu control highlighted.

3. Tap the Hamburger Control

Find the hamburger item in the top left corner of the screen. This is pointed at by the purple arrow in the last screenshot.

This brings up the Google Home app’s main menu, as shown in the next screenshot.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, displaying its hamburger menu, with the Devices Item highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS in 2017, displaying its hamburger menu, with the Devices Item highlighted.

4. Tap the Devices Option on the Main Menu to Continue with Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

The Devices option is pointed at by the purple arrow in the last screenshot.





This brings up the Devices screen, as shown in the next screenshot. From here, choose which smart speaker device you wish to pair with your JBL Flip 2 Bluetooth speaker. We had to scroll down a bit on this screen to find our Google Home Mini, named Office Speaker.

Picture of the Google Home Mini Speaker, as displayed in the Google Home App, showing in the Devices list, with its Device Menu location highlighted.
Google Home Mini Speaker, as displayed in the Google Home App, showing in the Devices list, with its Device Menu location highlighted.

5. Tap the Hamburger Control on the Google Home Speaker you Wish to Pair to your JBL Flip 2

Find the hamburger control near the top right corner of each speaker card, as shown in the last screenshot.

This brings up the selected device’s control menu, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, with a Google Home Mini device control menu displaying, with the Settings Item in that menu highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, with a Google Home Mini device control menu displaying, with the Settings Item in that menu highlighted.

6. Tap the Settings Menu Item

The Settings menu item is circled in purple in the last picture.

Tapping Settings takes you to the device-specific settings screen for the speaker you chose, as shown next.

Screenshot of the Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Device Settings- screen, top of that page.
Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Device Settings- screen, top of that page.

7. Scroll Down to the Device Settings Section to Continue with Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

Scroll down the Device Settings screen, until you see the Default Speaker item. We’ve pointed at this with a blue arrow in the next picture.

Screenshot of the Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Device Settings- screen, with the -Default Speaker- item highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Device Settings- screen, with the -Default Speaker- item highlighted.

8. Tap the Default Speaker Item

This brings up the Choose a Default Speaker for Music and Audio screen, as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Choose Default Speaker- screen, with the -Pair Bluetooth Speaker- item highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Choose Default Speaker- screen, with the -Pair Bluetooth Speaker- item highlighted.

At this point, you’re ready to start a Bluetooth scan by your Google Home speaker. You’ve selected the Home speaker to pair with in step 5 above. So, that Google speaker will be the one that scans for Bluetooth devices like the JBL Flip 2.





But don’t press the Pair Bluetooth Speaker item button in the last screenshot just yet. We must first power up your JBL Flip 2 speaker and put it into pairing discovery mode.

9. Turn On your JBL Flip 2 Bluetooth Speaker

Put down your mobile device for a bit, and turn on the JBL Flip 2 by quickly pressing its Power button. See this button pointed at by the blue arrow in the next picture.

Picture of the JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, powered OFF, showing its -Power- button highlighted.
JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, powered OFF, showing its -Power- button highlighted.

The speaker then powers up.

But since our Google Home Mini does not know about this speaker, the Flip 2 will not pair with it right away. Thus, the light that comes on in the power switch denotes this not-paired state by glowing solid white, as shown next.

Picture of the JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing its control button side. The speaker is powered On but not paired. The Bluetooth button is dark.
JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing its control button side. The speaker is powered On but not paired. The Bluetooth button is dark.

10. Put your JBL Bluetooth Speaker into Discovery Mode to Continue with Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

Now, to allow the Google Home speaker to find your JBL Flip 2, place the Flip 2 into Bluetooth discovery mode. To do that, press and release the Bluetooth button, as shown in the next picture, pointed at by the green arrow.

Picture of the JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the -Bluetooth Discovery Mode- button highlighted.
JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the -Bluetooth Discovery Mode- button highlighted.

When you press the Bluetooth Discovery Mode button, the Flip 2 makes a repeating single tone sound several times. Also, the Bluetooth button changes from starts flashing white. See this next.

Picture of the JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the control buttons side. Speaker is powered on and paired.
JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the control buttons side. Speaker is powered on and paired.

11. Go Back to your Mobile Device

The screen with the blue Pair Bluetooth Speaker option should still be showing, as in the next screenshot.

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Choose Default Speaker- screen, with the -Pair Bluetooth Speaker- item highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Choose Default Speaker- screen, with the -Pair Bluetooth Speaker- item highlighted.

12. Tap the Pair Bluetooth Speaker Item

This starts your Google Home speaker scanning for any nearby Bluetooth devices that are themselves in Bluetooth discovery mode. Your Flip 2 is now in Bluetooth discovery mode. So your Google Home should find it.





The next screenshot shows the Bluetooth scanning in progress.

 

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, while scanning for Bluetooth devices.
Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, while scanning for Bluetooth devices.

After a short pause, your Google Home should find the JBL Flip 2, and list it as shown next.

In our demo, the Google Home Mini speaker found our JBL Flip 2, named JBL Flip 2.

13. Tap your JBL Flip 2 on the Discovered Bluetooth Devices List to Pair It to Continue with Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

See the screenshot above. If Google Home found more than one device, you’ll have to tap the one you want.

 

Picture of the Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 speaker discovered but not yet paired.
Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 speaker discovered but not yet paired.

A blue check mark then appears beside the device you chose.

Screenshot of the Google Home app on iOS, displaying its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 speaker discovered and checked.
Google Home app on iOS, displaying its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 speaker discovered and checked.

14. Tap the Done Item

Tapping Done causes our Google Home speaker to pair with the Flip 2.

The Google Home app then took us back to its Choose a Default Speaker for Music and Video screen, as shown next.

Screenshot of the Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Choose a Default Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 Bluetooth speaker checked and highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS, showing its -Choose a Default Speaker- screen, with the JBL Flip 2 Bluetooth speaker checked and highlighted.

At that time,, the JBL Flip 2 makes the Speaker Paired sound (the three ascending beep tones). Note the blue check mark to the left of the new default speaker in the last screenshot.

The JBL Flip 2 speaker is now paired with your Google Home smart speaker. It’s Bluetooth button glows solid white. This means that successful pairing has started, as shown next.

Picture of the JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the control buttons side. Speaker is powered on and paired.
JBL Flip 2 wireless speaker, showing the control buttons side. Speaker is powered on and paired.

15. Done with Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home !

We can now ask Google Home to play music on our Google Home Mini, and those tunes will play on this awesome sounding JBL Flip 2.

Note though, that only the media you request actually plays through your wireless speaker. The Google Assistant voice sounds however, still come from the Google Home speaker, even when paired. Also, be sure to speak directly to your Google Home speaker, and not to the Bluetooth speaker, when making voice requests.  Though some Bluetooth speakers have a microphone and reroute audio input to that mic when paired with a smart speaker, this rerouting does not occur with this JBL Flip 2 / Google Home combination.

Other Posts About the JBL Flip 2 Speaker

    1. JBL Flip 2 Battery Life, How Long the Battery Should Last
    2. How to Charge JBL Flip 2 Portable Bluetooth Speakers
    3. JBL Flip 2 Review and Features of this Bluetooth Speaker
    4. How to Tell if JBL Flip 2 is Charging
    5. JBL Flip 2 Reset Button Location, Where to Find It

Related Posts to Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

    1. Pairing UE Wonderboom with Google Home, How To
    2. How to Pair JBL Flip 2 Bluetooth Speaker with iOS Devices, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
    3. Charging JBL Flip 2 Portable Bluetooth Speakers
    4. How to Pair Google Home with Bluetooth Speaker, Connect to Bluetooth
    5. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Pairing Instructions

References for Pairing JBL Flip 2 with Google Home

    1. Google Home can now Pair with Bluetooth Speakers, from Androidpolice.com
    2. Connect Google Home Mini to Bluetooth Speaker? on Google Forums

Revision History

    • 2021-08-23: Revised the internal links and tags lists.
    • 2020-04-07: Added more tags.
    • 2019-04-20: Added tags, removed ad code, and beefed up the targeting.
    • 2018-06-29: First published.