The front top view of the Sony SRS XB23 speaker.

Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset Instructions

Here we give our Sony SRS XB23 hard reset instructions, to return this Extra Bass cylinder speaker to its default settings.  Hard resetting restores the XB23 to default state. Plus, it erases any earlier paired Bluetooth devices from the speaker’s memory. Clearing memory like this stops this speaker from pairing to any nearby Bluetooth devices afterwards, until you enter new connections manually. Moreover, you might hard reset to get the unit ready for sale or re-gifting, or to stop the XB23 from pairing wirelessly with devices you no longer want it to sync with.

Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset, Step by Step Instructions

1. Turn the Speaker ON

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

The -Power- button on the Sony SRS XB23 speaker.
Sony SRS XB23 speaker -Power- button.

Find the Power button, as shown in the last picture above.

Then, the status lamp lights up, as we see next.

The -Power- light glowing green on the speaker. Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset.
The -Power- lamp glowing green on the speaker.

The speaker may make a ding-dong tone sound during boot-up to announce that it has paired, should it connect to a nearby device. Or it may keep totally quiet if it does not connect.  But whether the XB23 pairs or not though, this hard reset routine works the same way, as follows.





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

Find these buttons as shown next.  They are both on the top button panel, as we point out in the next picture.

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

The XB23 then enters hard reset mode.

Then after a several-seconds pause, the speaker powers OFF, and the Power lamp goes dark, as shown next. Note that on the SRS XB23, there is no power-down sound.

The dark -Power- light.
The -Power- lamp is now dark.

3. Check that your Sony SRS XB23 Speaker Did Indeed Hard Reset

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

Note that after hard reset, the XB23 comes up in Bluetooth discovery mode. The Pairing Mode lamp double flashes blue to let you know this.

Picture of the -Bluetooth Status- light blinking blue.
The -Bluetooth Status- lamp flashing blue.

This pairing light signal tells you that you may then look for this speaker on a nearby BT device, and pair to it if you so desire.

4. Done with Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset !

The hard reset is now over. So you may now sell or gift this cylindrical speaker, or pair it again with your favorite BT streaming devices.

After a hard reset, the XB23 no longer automatically connects with any BT source device. Therefore, if you’re keeping the speaker for yourself, and wish to get back the auto pairing you had before, then you must manually link the speaker with a device. Then after that, any time that both XB23 and that device have Bluetooth turned on, and they’re near to each other, pairing between them would automatically take place once more.

Related Posts to Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset

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Other Posts About the Sony SRS XB23 

    1. How to Turn Off Sony SRS XB23 Bluetooth Speaker
    2. Telling if This Bluetooth Speaker is Charging
    3. How to Connect Sony SRS XB23 to iPhone
    4. Sony SRS XB23 Buttons Explained
    5. Putting the XB23 Speaker into Pairing Mode

References for Sony SRS XB23 Hard Reset

    1. Sony SRS XB23 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker Product Page at Sony.com

Revision History

    • 2021-10-05: First published.