Picture of the dark party lamps on the Sony SRS XB20 speaker.

Sony SRS XB20 Hard Reset Instructions

Gives Sony SRS XB20 hard reset instructions to return this portable speaker to its default settings.  Hard resetting restores the 20 to right-out-of-the-box state. Plus, it erases any earlier paired Bluetooth devices from its memory. This stops the speaker from pairing to any nearby Bluetooth devices. Further, you might hard reset the unit to get it ready for sale or re-gifting. Or hard reset just to stop it from pairing with devices of no further interest to you.

Sony SRS XB20 Hard Reset Instructions: Step by Step

1. Turn ON the Speaker

Press and release the Power-Pairing button for a half-second or so.

Picture of the Power button on the Sony SRS XB20 speaker.
The Sony SRS XB20 speaker Power button.

Then, that button lights up.

Picture of the glowing -Power- lamp.
The glowing -Power- lamp.

The speaker may make a two-tone sound, to announce that it has paired, if it does. Or it may play no sound at all if it does not.  But whether it does or not though, this hard reset routine works the same way.





2. Press and Hold the Power-Pairing and Volume DOWN Buttons Together

Find these controls as shown next.  They are both on the top button panel,.

Picture of the Volume-DOWN and Power buttons.
The -Volume DOWN- and -Power- buttons.

The XB20 then begins hard reset.

Then after several seconds, the speaker powers down, and the Power-Pairing button goes gray. Then release the pushbuttons. Note that on the SRS XB20, there is no power-OFF noise.

Picture of the buttons panel with all lights dark.
The buttons panel, all lamps dark.

3. Check that your Sony SRS XB20 Did Indeed Hard Reset

Next, power on the unit again, as detailed in step 1 above.

Note that after this hard reset, the XB20 comes up in pairing mode. The Pairing Status lamp quickly blinks white to let you know this. But the speaker should not sync with any device fresh after a hard reset.

Picture of the -Bluetooth Status- lamp glowing on the Sony SRS XB20 after hard reset.
The -Bluetooth Status- lamp glowing on the Sony SRS XB20 after hard reset.

This is a signal to look for the XB20 on a nearby device. Then pair to it if you so desire.

4. Done with the Sony SRS XB20 Hard Reset Instructions !

This operation is now over. So you may now sell or gift the speaker, or pair it again with your favorite Bluetooth devices.

Afterwards, the XB20 no longer automatically links with any device. So to restore auto joining, you manually pair it with a device first. Then whenever both the XB20 and that device are in range, pairing automatically takes place once more.

Other Posts About the Sony SRS XB20

    1. Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions
    2. Sony SRS XB20 Bluetooth Pairing Instructions
    3. Sony SRS XB20 Pairing Two Speakers
    4. Power Output Rating
    5. What to Do When the Orange Light Stays On

References for Sony SRS XB20 Hard Reset Instructions

    1. Sony SRS XB20 Official Support Page