Picture of a Google Home Mini smart speaker alongside a JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker.

Pairing JBL Flip 3 to Google Home

This post demonstrates pairing JBL Flip 3 to Google Home original Mini Max speakers.  Since this pairing happens between the Flip 3 and the Google speakers directly, you need not turn Bluetooth on in the mobile device you’re using to establish this connection.

Pairing JBL Flip 3 to Google Home Original Mini Max Speakers

With your JBL Flip 3 powered off (power button is dark), run through this routine to pair it to your Google Home Mini, Original, or Max smart speaker. 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 mentioned above.

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 in 2017, 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 3 to 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 3 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 3

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 in 2018, showing its -Device Settings- screen, top of that page.
Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Device Settings- screen, top of that page.

7. Scroll Down to the Device Settings Section

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 in 2018, showing its -Device Settings- screen, with the -Default Speaker- iten highlighted.
Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Device Settings- screen, with the -Default Speaker- iten highlighted.

8. Tap the Default Speaker Item to Continue with Paring JBL Flip 3 to Google Home

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 3.

But don’t press the Pair Bluetooth Speaker item button in the last screenshot just yet. We must first power up your JBL Flip 3 speaker and put it into pairing discovery mode.





9. Turn On your JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speaker

Put down your mobile device for a bit, and turn on the JBL Flip 3 by quickly pressing its Power button. See this circled in green, in the next picture.

Picture of the JBL Flip 3 splashproof Bluetooth speaker, top view, showing power button highlighted. Speaker is OFF.
JBL Flip 3 splashproof Bluetooth speaker, top view, showing power button highlighted. Speaker is OFF.

The speaker then powers up.

But since our Google Home Mini does not know about this speaker, the Flip 3 will not pair with it right away. Thus, the light that comes on in the power switch denotes this not-paired state by glowing white, as shown next.

Note that your Flip 3 may be flashing blue if you’ve never paired it with a device since the last factory reset. In that case, skip the next step (Step 10) and pick up with Step 11.

Picture of the JBL Flip 3 portable Bluetooth speaker, top view, power button glowing white, highlighted. Speaker powered ON.
JBL Flip 3 portable Bluetooth speaker, top view, power button glowing white, highlighted. Speaker powered ON.

10. Put your JBL Bluetooth Speaker into Discovery Mode

Now, to allow the Google Home speaker to find your JBL Flip 3, place the Flip 3 into Bluetooth discovery mode. To do that, press and release the Bluetooth button, as shown in the next picture.

Picture of the JBL Flip 3 wireless speaker. Showing its Bluetooth pairing button highlighted.
JBL Flip 3 wireless speaker. Showing its Bluetooth pairing button highlighted.

When you press the Bluetooth Discovery Mode button, the Flip 3 makes a repeating single pluck guitar note sound several times. Also, the power button changes from a solid white glow to flashing blue. See this next.

Picture of the JBL Flip 3 battery powered Bluetooth speaker, showing its power button glowing blue.
JBL Flip 3 battery powered Bluetooth speaker, showing its power button glowing blue.

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 to Continue with Pairing JBL Flip 3 to Google Home

This starts your Google Home speaker scanning for any nearby Bluetooth devices that are themselves in Bluetooth discovery mode. Your Flip 3 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 in 2018, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, while scanning for Bluetooth devices.
Google Home app on iOS in 2018, showing its -Pair Your Bluetooth Speaker- screen, while scanning for Bluetooth devices.

After a short pause, your Google Home should find the JBL Flip 3, and list it as shown next.

Picture of the Google Home App on iOS. Showing a JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker discovered, with the Done link highlighted.
Google Home App on iOS. Showing a JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker discovered, with the Done link highlighted.

In our demo, the Google Home Mini speaker found our JBL Flip 3, named Tom’s Flip 3.

See the screenshot above. If Google Home found more than one device, you’ll have to tap the one you want. A blue check mark then appears beside the device you chose.

Now our scan found the JBL Flip 3, named Tom’s Flip 3. Just one device. So ours was selected by default.





13. Tap the Done Item

Tapping Done causes our Google Home speaker then paired with the Flip 3 (“Tom’s Flip 3” in this demo).

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

Picture of the Google Home App on iOS. Displaying its -Choose a Default Speaker- screen, showing a JBL Flip 3 speaker chosen and highlighted.
Google Home App on iOS. Displaying its -Choose a Default Speaker- screen, showing a JBL Flip 3 speaker chosen and highlighted.

At that time, the JBL Flip 3 makes the Speaker Paired sound (the three ascending guitar notes). Note the blue check mark to the left of the new default speaker in the last screenshot.

The JBL Flip 3 speaker is now paired with your Google Home. It’s power button glows solid blue. This means that successful pairing is under way, as shown next.

Picture of the JBL Flip 3 battery powered Bluetooth speaker, showing its power button glowing blue, indicating that this speaker is paired. Pairing JBL Flip 3 to Google Home Original Mini Max speakers.
JBL Flip 3 battery powered Bluetooth speaker, showing its power button glowing blue, indicating that this speaker is paired.

14. Done with Pairing JBL Flip 3 with Google Home !

We can now ask Google Home to play music on our Office Speaker Google Home Mini, and those tunes will play on this small but bassy JBL Flip 3.

Note though, that only the media you request actually plays through your Bluetooth speaker. The Google Assistant however, still speaks from the Google Home smart speaker. Also, be sure to speak directly to your Google Home, and not to the JBL Flip 3, when making voice requests.

Enjoy!

Other Posts About the JBL Flip 3

    1. How to Adjust Volume on JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speaker
    2. JBL Flip 3 Charging Indicator Shows How Full Battery Is
    3. How to Charge JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speaker
    4. Pairing JBL Flip 3 with Victor Reader Trek
    5. How to Tell if JBL Flip 3 is Charging

Related Posts to Pairing JBL Flip 3 with Google Home

    1. Pairing JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speaker with iPhone iPad iPod iOS Devices
    2. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Pairing Instructions
    3. Pairing JBL Flip 3 Splashproof Speaker with Victor Reader Trek, How To Pair Bluetooth Speaker
    4. Pairing JBL Charge 3 with Google Home Smart Speakers, Original, Mini, and Max, How To Instructions
    5. JBL Flip 4 Alexa Pairing Bluetooth Speaker Instructions

References for Pairing JBL Flip 3 with Google Home

    1. Google Home Smart Speakers at the Google Store
    2. JBL Flip 3 Splashproof Wireless Speaker at JBL.com

Revision History

    • 2020-04-21: Added tags.
    • 2018-08-28: First published.