Bluetooth Speakers

Sony XB23 Software Update Instructions

Here, we describe the software update procedure for the Sony XB23. The routine can take around ten minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection, source device used to update the speaker, distance between speaker and that device, Etc. Plus, you cannot roll back the update once installed. That is, you’ll be unable to return to the prior firmware version after you finish this upgrade. So, be certain that you indeed want the update, and have thought through all ramifications before proceeding.

Sony XB23 Software Update: Preparing for It

You’ll need the following items:

    • High speed internet connection,
    • Bluetooth enabled mobile device,
    • The Sony Music Center app that runs on said mobile device,
    • the Sony XB23 BT speaker you’re updating.
    • Compatible USB power adapters and charge cables for your speaker and mobile device.

Sony XB23 Software Update: Summary

Next, do the following to update the speaker. In short…

    1. Connect your mobile device to the internet.  We suggest using WiFi for this work, and not your cellular connection.
    2. Install the Sony Music Center app if you haven’t already.
    3. Then, plug your XB23 and your mobile device to AC power. Why? Because we don’t want either of their batteries going dead while updating the firmware. In fact, a low battery could leave a corrupted version of the firmware in the speaker’s memory. This could, and probably would in all likelihood, brick the speaker. This would then likely render the unit useless and non repairable.
    4. Disconnect any other Bluetooth speakers and devices from your mobile device for this process.
    5. Then, power up your speaker and mobile device, if not already running.
    6. Next, sync your mobile device with the XB23.
    7. Run the Sony Music Center app. The app should then find your speaker and display the home screen for the XB23, showing that a firmware update is available.
    8. Follow the on-screen instructions for firmware updating.

Sony XB23 Software Update: Step by Step Procedure

1. Connect the XB23 and your Mobile Device to AC Power

We connected ours to an AC outlet using a common USB power supply, as well as a common micro USB to USB-A cable. E.g. See this in the next picture.

The Sony XB23 charging.

You’ll know that the speaker is receiving external power if you see the charging light glowing orange.

2. Pair this Bluetooth Speaker with your Source Device

Connect the speaker to your phone / tablet where you will run the update. Here’s an example screenshot of the XB23 connected to an iPhone.

The iPhone Bluetooth Settings screen, showing a Sony XB23 as Connected.

Now keep both the speaker and your mobile device powered up and close to each other throughout the update, lest the update fail and result in a malfunctioning speaker.

3. Find the Sony Music Center App on your Mobile Device

We made a folder for all of Bluetooth speaker apps and put the Sony Music Center app in there on our test iPad, as you see in the next picture.

An iPadOS device, showing the Sony Music Center app in a folder called Bluetooth Speakers.

4. Run the Sony Music Center App to Continue with  the Sony XB23 Software Update

As the app runs, it scans the host device running it for compatible Sony speakers.  Moreover, the app needs a brief period to find the XB23. But eventually, it does so, and displays its status screen, as we see next.

If the speaker does not appear in the app after thirty seconds or so, move it closer to your mobile device. Next, close the Music Center app, and then run it again.

Note the tan bar on the XB23’s home screen.  This appears only when a software update is available for this speaker.

Sony Music Center app, displaying the SRS XB23 Home page with a speaker update available, showing the More Info button.

Note that if there are no software updates pending for the XB23, then you will see no brown bar. This situation we show in the next picture.

The XB23 Home page, showing no software update pending.

5. Tap the More Info Button Inside the Brown Update Bar

Tapping the More Info button may bring up the following screen if you haven’t followed the above directions, and did not plug both your speaker and smart device into external power.

The app, displaying the Insufficient Battery Power message.

In fact, we suggest that you fully charge both speaker and the smart device before proceeding with this update.  Doing so protects your XB23 from a corrupt software installation in the event of a longer power outage, where the batteries could go dead before the update finishes.  Also, as a further precaution, once you fully recharge both devices, please leave both of them connected to external power until the update finishes.

Once speaker and smart device are charged, tap the OK button on the Insufficient Battery Power screen. That should then reveal the following page.

The Software Version 3700 Information page and OK button.

Or, if you quit the app, go ahead and restart it and repeat the above steps.  This time, you should not get the Insufficient Battery Power page. But instead, you will see the Software Information page that we see in the last picture.

6. The Sony XB23 Software Update Process Begins

The updating then starts, as we show in the following screenshots. The Music Center app first downloads the new software package as we see in the next picture.

The app downloading the new software, and at 0 percent done.

6a. The Update Continues, at Twenty-Five Percent Complete

Now as shown in these screenshots, the Sony Music Center app displays a  progress line, that gradually gets more brown as the software updating proceeds.

The app transferring software, at 25 percent done.

6b. The Software Update Now at Fifty Percent Complete

Once the app downloads the package, it unpacks and transfers it to the XB23 as the next picture shows.

Now we’re probably about two minutes into the update. Indeed this process takes a relatively short time as compared to some of the other speaker models we’ve tested.

The app transferring software, at 50 percent done.

6c. Now at Seventy-Five Percent Complete

The app transferring the software, and at 75 percent done.

6d. Now at Ninety-Nine Percent Done

The next screen shows that the software transfer and update to the speaker have almost finished (99 percent done). E.g. The progress bar is practically all brown now.

The app transferring the software to the speaker, and at 99 percent done.

7. Wait for the Speaker to Shut OFF After the Update

Once the app copies the update files to the speaker, you get the Software Update Has Started screen, as shown next. This is when the XB23 installs the software into its primary memory.

Further, this screen warns that our speaker will shut down once the updating finishes.

The Software Update Started page, and OK button.

8. Press the OK Button Once the Speaker Powers OFF

After the speaker shuts down, and you press the onscreen OK button, you get the following page, showing the speaker in the listing of devices that the app knows about.  But it’s grayed and unavailable for tapping, as we see next.

The Sony Music Center app speaker list, showing the XB23 grayed out.

9. Turn the Speaker Back ON

Press the Power button on the back of the unit, just above the  Pairing  button, to turn this Bluetooth speaker on again, as pictured next.

Sony XB23 -Power- button.

The XB23 should again pair with your mobile device where you’re running the Sony Music Center app. The Power lamp turns solid green, and the Pairing lamp also glows steadily white once the speaker has again linked to your mobile device.

Now after the XB23 reconnects to your smart device, the Sony Music Center app discovers that your speaker has come back online, and thus, displays an update-complete message, as follows.

The Software Update Complete message along with an OK button.

10. Press the OK Button Back in the Sony Music Center App

With your speaker successfully paired to the app again, press the  OK button, as shown in the last screenshot.

The app then displays the Sony XB23 home screen once again. But this time, note that there’s no longer the brown bar, as shown next. This means that the updating of the software worked, and that the speaker is now running the latest version.

The Sony Music Center app, showing the SRS XB23 speaker Home page.

11. Done with Sony XB23 Software Update !

You’re now finished updating the software to the current version in your Sony XB23. Enjoy the new features.

Related Posts to Sony XB23 Software Update

    1. JBL Flip 5 Software Update Instructions
    2. Sony SRS XE200 Software Update Instructions
    3. Sony XB33 Software Update Instructions

Other Sony XB23 Posts

    1. How to Pair Sony XB23 to iPhone
    2. Sony XB23 Specifications
    3. How to Bass Boost Sony XB23
    4. How to Pair Sony XB23
    5. Sony XB23 Power Button Not Working

References

    1. Official Sony XB23 Support Page
    2. Where to Buy the Sony XB23

Revision History

    • 2023-03-20: First published.
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