Sony XB 12 Bluetooth Speaker Pairing

An Alexa Dot 4 speaker clock alongside a Sony SRS XB12 speaker.

This post gives Sony XB 12 Bluetooth speaker pairing directions, to connect it with common BT source devices. E.g. Including the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad line of Apple phones, media players, and tablets.

Sony XB 12 Bluetooth Speaker Pairing, Step by Step

With this Bluetooth speaker powered OFF (power button is dark), run through these directions for pairing it to your source BT mobile device. We’re using an iPad Air computer for this demo.

1. Go to the Home Screen on your 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.

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 XB 12 Pairing

Our Bluetooth Settings screen displays as follows. Note that our Bluetooth is enabled here. But since our Sony XB 12 is currently shut OFF (is not in Bluetooth discovery mode), it does not show up in the Bluetooth devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never paired this speaker with our mobile device before.

5. Turn On this Sony Bluetooth Speaker

Switch on the XB 12 by rapidelypressing its Power button. See this, pointed at by the green arrow, in the next picture.

Sony XB 12 portable speaker powered OFF, showing the -Power- button.

The speaker then powers up, and its status lamp blinks blue, as seen in the next picture. This means that it’s ready to receive a Bluetooth pairing request. If it slow blinks, then it’s passively waiting for a Bluetooth request to arrive. But if it’s fast-flashing blue, then it’s broadcasting its connection info over Bluetooth so other devices can find this speaker. I.e. It is in Bluetooth pairing mode.

But since our iPad does not know about this speaker, the XB 12 will not pair with it automatically.

The speaker powered ON, showing the Status lamp lit.

6. Put this Bluetooth Speaker into Pairing Mode

Now, to see the speaker on your device, place in Bluetooth discovery / pairing mode. To do that, press the Power button, and release when the speaker beeps twice and the Status lamp begins blinking rapidly. Find the Power button as shown above, pointed at by the green arrow.

7. Find the Speaker on your Mobile Device to Continue with Sony XB 12 Pairing

See the screen shot next. We found our XB 12, as we point out with the green arrow there.

iPadOS Bluetooth page, showing the speaker discovered.

8. Pair with your Speaker

Tap the listed speaker in the discovered devices list.

Your mobile device then pairs with the XB 12.

E.g. The the mobile device’s Bluetooth Settings screen might then change to look something like the following. Note the now-connected XB 12 entry, as pointed at by the green arrows in the next screenshot.

iPadOS Bluetooth page, showing the portable speaker as connected.