Screenshot of the iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing the Sony SRS XB21 speaker as Connected.

Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing Instructions

This post gives Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth pairing directions, to link it with common portable devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad line of Apple phones, media players, and tablets. A similar procedure connects this speaker with Android devices also.

Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing, Step by Step

With your SRS XB21 powered OFF (all lamps dark), run through this routine to pair it to your source device. We use an iPad Air tablet for this demo.

1. Go to the Home Screen on your Source Device

Firstly, press the Home button to reveal the smart device’s Home screen.

2. Find the Settings App

We found ours on the second page of the Home screen, as shown next.

Picture of an iPad Home screen, with the Settings app highlighted by an arrow. Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing.
iOS Home Screen with Settings App Highlighted

3. Bring up the Settings App

Thirdly, touch the Settings app icon.

The smart device then shows the first page of its settings, as shown in the next step.





4. Go to the Bluetooth Settings  Page to Continue with Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing

Our Bluetooth Settings screen displays as follows. Note that Bluetooth is ON here. But since our Sony SRS XB21 is currently shut OFF (thus it is not in discovery mode), it does not show up in the devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never paired this speaker with our mobile device before.

Screenshot of the iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page showing nothing discovered
iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page showing nothing discovered

5. Turn On your XB21 

Turn on the speaker by quickly pressing its  Power-Pairing  button. See this, pointed at by the cyan arrow, in the next picture.

Picture of the -Power- button on the speaker.
The -Power- button.

The unit then powers up, and its status lamp glows white, as seen in the next picture.

The glowing -Power- light on the Sony SRS XB21.
Sony SRS XB21 -Power- lamp glowing.

But since our tablet does not know about this speaker, the SRS XB21 will not pair with it automatically.

6. Put the XB21 in Discovery Mode

Now, to see this speaker on your device, place it into Bluetooth pairing mode. To do that, press and hold the Power-Pairing button, and release when you hear the rising pitch beep sequence and the speaker announces, “Bluetooth pairing,” in a lady’s voice. Find the Power-Pairing button as pictured above.





In addition to the audible announcement,  the Bluetooth Status lamp begins blinking in rapid pulses.

The flashing -Bluetooth Status- light.
The blinking -Bluetooth Status- lamp.

7. Find the Speaker on your Mobile Device to Continue with Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing

See the screen shot next. We found our XB21, as pointed at by the yellow arrow.

Screenshot of the The iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing SRS XB21 as Discovered but not Connected.
The iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing the SRS XB21 as Discovered but not Connected.

8. Now Pair with the XB21

Tap the listed speaker in the discovered devices list.

Your mobile device then pairs with the speaker.

The the mobile device’s Bluetooth Settings screen might then change to look something like the following.  Note the now-connected SRS XB21 entry, as pointed at by the green arrows in the next screenshot.

Screenshot of the iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page, showing the Sony SRS XB21 as Connected.
iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- screen, showing the Sony SRS XB21 as Connected.

9. Done with Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing !

Finally, we have now successfully paired the XB21 speaker with with a common mobile tablet device.

Related Posts to Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing

    1. Sony SRS XB20 Bluetooth Pairing Instructions
    2. Bluetooth Pairing Help for the Sony SRS XB13 Speaker
    3. Sony SRS XB12 Bluetooth Pairing Directions
    4. Bluetooth Pairing Help for the Sony SRS XB10 BT Speaker
    5. Sony SRS XB01 Bluetooth Pairing Instructions

Other Posts About the Sony SRS XB21

    1. Sony SRS XB21 Charger Type and Replacement
    2. Sony SRS XB21 Not Charging, How to Fix
    3. Sony SRS XB21 Speaker Charging Instructions
    4. How to Reset Sony Speaker SRS-XB21
    5. How to Turn Off Sony SRS XB21 Wireless Speaker

References for Sony SRS XB21 Bluetooth Pairing

    1. Sony SRS XB21 Speaker Product Page at Sony.com

Revision History

    • 2022-08-10: First published.