Front view of the JBL Flip 5 speaker package box.
We demonstrate updating firmware on the JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker. This routine can take up to thirty-five minutes to finish, depending on the speed of your WiFi link. Plus, you can’t undo this once done. That is, you won’t be able to return to any earlier firmware version once you complete this speaker update. So, be sure that you truly want the update before going ahead with it.
You’ll need and internet connection, a Bluetooth enabled mobile or desktop computer device, the JBL Connect app, and the JBL Flip 5 speaker itself.
So, connect your mobile device to the internet and install the JBL Connect app if you haven’t already.
Connect your speaker to wall power, because we don’t want its battery going dead while updating. A dying battery could corrupt the speaker’s memory, and so, brick the speaker, leaving it useless and not repairable.
Thus to be safe, plug the speaker into AC power, using the included USB cable, as shown in the next picture.
Finally, connect the other end of the USB-C cord into a strong enough AC power adapter, and plug that adapter into a working AC outlet.
Then, pair your mobile device with the speaker
You are now ready to begin the firmware update process.
We found ours on the fourth home page in the Apple iPad Air, as shown next.
The app takes a few seconds to show you some pretty animations when you first start it, as shown in the next picture.
But then it finds your paired JBL Flip 5 and shows you its status screen, as pictured next.
Note the presence of the Update button near the bottom left of the speaker’s home page, as pointed at by the blue arrow. This means that a firmware update is on tap for this speaker. If no newer firmware version has yet been released, this button does not appear here.
Touching the Update button brings up an information page about the available firmware update, as shown next. It describes what’s new in the latest firmware version.
Now this screen gives details about the available firmware update. In our case here, it suggests the Flip 5 upgrade to firmware version 4.0.0.0.
If your speaker battery has enough charge, and / or you connected it to an external power source as instructed to above, then the updating firmware process starts. But if your battery is low and you’ve not yet connected your JBL Flip 5 to power, the app will ask you to do so at this time. So if you are asked, then plug in the speaker, and follow any screen prompts to begin the update.
The updating of the firmware then starts. So the Connect app displays a progress screen as shown next, to let you know how far along the process is.
Your mobile device downloads the new firmware to its memory first, as shown next.
Once the download to your mobile device finishes, the Connect app then verifies and uploads the firmware image to your speaker.
We’re several minutes into the updating at this point in the process.
Once the app copies the firmware file to the Flip 5, you get the Restarting screen, as shown next.
But note that the speaker is still in the process of installing the new firmware for several minutes after the Restarting screen appears. This screen warns us that our speaker will restart automatically, and it asks us not to unplug the speaker while it’s updating. Keep your Flip 5 close to the mobile device running the app during this time.
Watch the Power light on the Flip 5, as we see next. That lamp will soon go dark, as shown next, as pointed out by the green arrow.
The speaker may or may not turn itself back on again. Ours did come back on by itself for this update. If yours did not, then go ahead with the next step (Step 7). But if yours did come back online though, then skip Step 7 and pick up with Step 8.
Next, press the dark Power button to turn the speaker ON again. The unit should again pair with your mobile device where you’re running the JBL Connect app. The Power button glows solid blue as your speaker successfully pairs again with your tablet or phone, as shown next.
Then meanwhile, back in the Connect App, the Upgrade Successful appears when the app receives confirmation from the speaker that updating the firmware has completed without errors, as shown next.
With your 5 successfully paired to the JBL Connect app again, press the orange Let’s Party button, as pointed at by the blue arrow in the last screenshot.
The app then displays the JBL Flip 5 status screen once again. But now, notice that the Update button is gone, as we show next. So this means that the firmware update succeeded and that the 5 is now running the current firmware version.
Finally, you’ve now successfully updated the firmware to the current version in your JBL Flip 5 portable party speaker. So enjoy the more reliable music play !
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