JBL Connect Plus app on iOS, showing the JBL Xtreme Bluetooth speaker Home screen.
Here, we demo how updating firmware on JBL Xtreme speaker works for this awesome sounding wireless speaker. This updating might take up to a half hour, depending on the speed of your internet. Plus, you cannot reverse it without a lot of effort. That is, you won’t be able to downgrade once you upgrade. So, know for sure that you really wish the update.
We were unable to update our JBL Xtreme firmware when we received this speaker at the time of this writing. Why? Because the firmware there was already at the current version. So, we borrowed some pictures below from the firmware updates we did on our JBL Charge 3 speaker. We used pictures of the Xtreme speaker where we could however. The firmware updating processes are alike for both speakers. Finally, if we see an actual firmware update notification, we’ll update these photos to show the update on that speaker.
You must have the following.
So, log your mobile device onto the internet. Then install the Connect app.
Connect your Xtreme to AC power. Why? Because we don’t want its battery going dead while updating. This could result in corrupt software in the speaker’s memory, and thus, break it forever.
Then, pair your phone or tablet with the speaker.
You are now ready to begin the firmware updating process.
We found ours on the fourth home page in our iPad Air.
The app displays some animations when you first start it. But then it finds your paired JBL Xtreme speaker and shows you its status screen, as shown next.
Note the bang point inside the orange circle in the top right corner of the speaker’s picture. This shows that there are important messages about this speaker for you to act upon.
Note that if there are no current messages for this speaker. Thus there would be no explanation point. Also note that the last picture applies to the Charge 3. But this is nonetheless similar to what you’d see with the JBL Xtreme speaker.
Tapping the Important Messages (!) circle brings up the first IMPORTANT NOTICE screen about the available firmware upgrade, as shown next.
This screen gives details about the available firmware update. It says that we get Connect+ functionality. This means that we’ll be able to join our speaker to a group of up to a hundred speakers. Then, they will all play the same content. You would do this when you want to fill a large area with music for dancing.
This page warns us that we cannot undo the speaker firmware updating. It says that once done, this update is permanent. It also says that afterwards, the speaker will no longer connect with other speakers running older firmware. You will also lose connectivity with older speakers. These include the JBL Flip 3, JBL Pulse 2, JBL Xtreme, JBL Boost, and Cinema 5B450.
Another left flick brings up the JBL Xtreme updating firmware confirmation prompt screen.
This prompt again warns us that we won’t be able to fall back to the old firmware version. It then asks us to decide whether to install the new firmware or cancel. But we’re going ahead.
Touching the INSTALL button brings up the Upgrade Speaker screen.
This page tells us to connect the speaker to AC power if we’ve not done so already.
Next, go back to the JBL Connect+ app running on your mobile device, and tap the OK button. See this button in the last screenshot picture above.
The firmware updating on the JBL Xtreme then starts. It begins by downloading the software update file from the internet. This file moves through your mobile device, to the speaker via the Bluetooth connection.
Copying the file from the internet to the speaker is the slowest part of the firmware updating process. But the JBL Connect app displays a progress pie-chart. This fills in with more orange as the firmware file transfer proceeds.
This was probably around fourteen minutes into the firmware updating at this point in the process.
The next screenshot shows the upgrade file transfer at 65.7 percent complete.
Then the next screen shows that the firmware file transfer is complete (100 percent). So the pie chart is fully orange now.
Once the app copies the upgrade file to the Xtreme speaker, you get the Upgrade Successful screen.
But the speaker is still updating for nearly a minute after you first see this screen. Thus, the app warns that our speaker will restart by itself after it installs the new firmware. So it asks not to unplug the speaker during this time.
Watch the power light on the speaker.
Eventually the lamp goes dark.
The Xtreme may or may not turn itself back on again after the updating. Ours did not though. So if, like ours, yours did not come back up, then go ahead with the next step (Step 10). But if yours did come back online though, then skip Step 10 and pick up with Step 11.
Press the dark Power button to turn the speaker on again. It should again pair with your mobile device where you’re running the JBL Connect Plus app. The Power button turns solid blue with your speaker has successfully paired again with your tablet or phone.
With your speaker successfully pairing to the JBL Connect app again, press the green Done button in the app.
The app then shows the JBL Xtreme speaker status screen again. But this time, we no longer see the orange circled bang point (!), as shown next. This means that updating the firmware worked, and thus, the speaker is now running the current firmware version.
You have now updated the firmware to the current version in your JBL Xtreme Bluetooth speaker. Enjoy all the new features.
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