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The Speaker Will Not Charge/Power On
The speaker will not respond or show any sign of powering up.
Faulty Charging Cable
If your micro USB cable shows any kind of wear, try using another micro USB cable that works. Some of the internal wires may have frayed.
Damaged Charging Port
If the micro USB charging port is deformed or loose, it may not be able to connect with the charging cable well enough to charge effectively. Please refer to our USB Port Replacement Guide to find out how to replace a damaged charging port.
Faulty Battery
If the speaker works when it is plugged in, but does not work when it is not plugged in, the speaker may have a faulty battery. To replace the battery, please refer to the Battery Replacement Guide.
Faulty Circuit Board
This is a hard issue to diagnose. If previous solutions did not work, the issue may be a faulty circuit board. Accessing the main circuit board, however, requires destruction of parts of the speaker.
Buttons are Unresponsive
The buttons on the speaker either do not light up or are unresponsive.
Incorrect mode enabled
The speaker may be in a different (programming?) mode entered by mistake. Even power cycling the speaker by removing the battery doesn’t exit this mode.
Symptoms:
- It will only turn on by attaching power, and it immediately turns off when removing power, making the power on and off sounds
- None of the buttons do anything if not showing the current power level
- Charging works
- Audio via jack port works, when powered
How to fix it:
- Attach power and disconnect immediately: the speaker should stay on
- Press “JBL connect” and “Volume Up” together for ~5 seconds
The speaker should reset and then work normally.
Faulty Circuit Board Under Power Button
Because the JBL Flip 4 is sealed very well, it is unlikely any debris would be blocking the buttons. The main cause for unresponsive buttons would be a faulty control board. To access the control board under the buttons, please refer to the Controls Board Replacement Guide. Unlatch the wire that is connected to the circuit board, and then plug it back. If the lights on the board do not flash, replace the circuit board. If the lights on the board flash, the speaker should be working again.
Speaker has Lost Significant Battery Life
Your speaker does not hold a charge or turns off immediately after unplugging it.
Faulty Battery
If the battery does charge but loses the charge very quickly, this may be because the usable capacity of any battery decreases as the number of its discharge/charge cycles increases. Thus, new batteries hold much more power than older ones. You can find instructions to replace the battery by referring to the Battery Replacement Guide.
The Speaker Won’t Connect Through Bluetooth
Your speaker will not connect to a device using bluetooth while powered on.
Connected to Another Device
If another phone, TV, or computer that has connected to your speaker in the past is within bluetooth range, it may have already connected to your speaker, thus not letting your preferred device to connect. The JBL Flip 4 can only connect to one device at a time. To fix this, try to find this intercepting device and disconnect the speaker from that device.
If you cannot find the intercepting device, try to isolate the speaker and your preferred device. For example, you can try going in a closed room far away, to physically disconnect the speaker from the intercepting device. Turn off the speaker and turn it back on and allow your preferred device to be the first device the speaker finds to connect with.
Interference from Nearby Devices
There is a chance that a device near your speaker is sending signals with the same frequency that your speaker uses to connect via bluetooth. These devices usually include wifi routers, baby monitors, or another wireless speaker. To fix this problem, move any barriers around the speaker that could be interfering, or restart a device that could be causing the interference.
No Bluetooth Audio Driver
Sometimes bluetooth devices have trouble connecting to computers because the computer does not have the software required to use bluetooth. Most computers should have the standard bluetooth audio driver that the JBL Flip 4 uses, but if your computer seems like it does not, you may need to refer to your computer’s manufacturer to download the audio drivers required.
The Speaker Makes Crackling Noise
While playing audio through the speaker, your speaker starts making unusual crackling or static noises.
Device Not in Range
The connected device could be too far away from your speaker. The effective bluetooth range is around 30 feet. Any walls or similar obstacles may reduce this range. To fix this, place the connected device closer to the speaker.
Damaged Driver (Speaker)
If the abnormal sounds do not sound electronic or if they happen at certain audio pitches and/or volumes, the speaker’s driver themselves could be damaged. To replace the individual speakers, you can refer to the Front Active Speaker Replacement Guide.
Inconsistent Electrical Connections
If the previous solution did not work, poor electrical connections inside the speaker may be causing the issue. Unfortunately, these poor electrical connections, ranging from failing solder joints to loose plugs, can be incredibly hard to find. Additionally, accessing the main circuit board requires the destruction of parts of the speaker which will significantly decrease or impair the performance of the device.
Team
Cal Poly, Team S4-G3, White Fall 2018 Member of Cal Poly, Team S4-G3, White Fall 2018
CPSU-WHITE-F18S4G3
4 Members
36 Guides authored
103 Comments
My jbl flip 4 is not taking up charge it only works while plugged in. What can I do to fix this problem
Tito - Reply
Mine did the same thing, you need a new battery, go to amazon, it’s about $17, very easy fix.
Dan M -
it keeps cutting off after about an hour. i’ve reset it several times, but it continues to do the same thing. any suggestions?
Lyn Steyne - Reply
My jbl flip4 ‘s sound is crackling while playing and then will shutdown… BatteryBattery life has become short…
But it plays normally while charging
Please help!
Jayakrishnan - Reply
I have the exact same problem as Jayakrishnan
Please help!
Daniel -
I have same issue
furrdonker -
I have the exact same thing, I'm going to email JBL as this shouldn't be an issue with normal
Fishman 02 -
same problem. is there a way to do some kind of reset on it?
split917 -
Same issue here, has anyone managed to possibly pinpoint the issue, anyone tried a new battery to see if it would work?
Warren Scantlebury -
Mine is doing the same, trying to find why ….only used indoors and on normal volume. Its little over one year old
Johnny Appenzeller -
i have the SAME problem i thought i was all alone in this.. anyone try any troubleshooting that fixrd this problem? before i start doing tons of stuff that i may not need to be doing.
heathernicole562 -
Me too. I have two Flip4s and the older one is the one that plays fine for an hour or so… maybe less, then crackles a bit and shuts down. The newer one works just fine.
_eric -
For those still or now suffering from this issue I've replaced my battery and the speaker works great now
Warren Scantlebury -
My son's Flip 4 keeps turning on, making some 2001 Space Odyssey noises and some drum sounds, then off, then repeat. It is now wrapped in a towel and in the garage. Any thoughts? (Yes, it was in a pool and I can't guarantee it wasn't <30 mins or <1metre.
Gail - Reply
Mine powers on and charges just fine, but all the buttons on the side (play/pause, volume up, volume down, and bluetooth) do not work, therefore I cannot factory reset the speaker or make new connections, but can still pair to remembered devices. I’ve already tried plugging back in the cable from the inside and it did not help. Anyone know how to fix this?
pls no - Reply
If I pause music for a while and then return to it again after a duration of say, maybe 2 minutes (although it’s random), My JBL Flip4 will be crackly and stutter the sound until I reset the bluetooth connection. I only have this problem with my computer, my phone is fine. Also sometimes it just randomly turns itself off and I’ve read if the sound frequency is too quiet it will do that? Please let me know if there’s a way to fix these issues besides playing it loudly, on my phone or not pausing music.
Hanabi - Reply
My flip 4 bluetooth is not staying connected no longer than 2-4 minutes and NO OTHER BLUETOOTH DEVICES are PRESENT for INTERRUPTING CONNECTIONS
Chikiz Marie - Reply
Mine will say its connected (no other devices interfering) and make the powering up noise but not the connecting guitar sting sound to be actually connected. On my laptop it says its “ready to go” But it’s not.
John Girardot - Reply
my speaker will not cut on. my husband tried to reset it the other night and held down the wrong button and it has not cut on since. please help!! i love this speaker!!
Melissa Meeks - Reply
I just bought a charge 4 to use with my iPhone 8s plus. On Bluetooth it was working fine. Now it won’t sync with phonecalls but it will sound text alerts. It syncs with apps like YouTube just fine. I downloaded the update.
Lina Monroy - Reply
Flip 4 powers on for a few seconds then shuts off. Please help!
jakophathcock - Reply
The sound with aux port using a cable goes mute in quiet parts of symphonies or other music fix it
nicolas.guzman.padilla - Reply
My JBL Flip 4 keeps turning on and off by itself and will not respond to power button. It connects and everything but keeps doing stuff by itself. What could it be? HELP PLEASE!!!
Alejandro Barahona - Reply
my jbl 4 is not responding and not charging…
Please help
Bafana Nkosi - Reply
My JBL 4 is connected and charged, buttons work, but no music. I’ve reset him a couple of times, with no results. Can’t find the answer to this problem. Help is greatly appreciated!
purr2me - Reply
this sounds like my problem! It Bluetooths to my computer, the sound from my computer stops on connection, but fails to start coming out of the speaker - just silence… did you solve your problem? Can you help me?
Helen Sheridan -
No problem! I just took removed it from my laptop via settings and repaired it again, and its working fine! What a relief! Hope you got yours sorted.
Helen Sheridan -
My JBL flip 4 is turning on but it exactly goes on the Bluetooth searching device and it won’t connect to my phone and what cause that is that i press on the play button and the volume up button and now I can’t pair to my speaker please help me I don’t know what to do ?
Raphael - Reply
try a hard reset. instructions below.
aashat -
My unit keeps shutting down after about 30-60 minutes. It is fully charged and simply requires to be turned back on, connected by Bluetooth and then works fine…..for 30-60 minutes and shuts down again. Sometimes it shuts down after shorted periods of time. Very annoying…..is there something that can be done about this?
Lachlan Payne - Reply
My Up and Down volume buttons wont work and when i press up it wont even do anything
Katlynn Grande - Reply
Volume down button not working = = . And ghosting Spam pressing volume down button. Any fix for this ?
Choy Yew - Reply
(+) Volume up function not working. When i pressed volume up button for high volume, it works same as play/pause button instead of volume up. Please suggest what to do??
ANKIT KAMBOJ - Reply
My jbl flip 4 will not power on at all.
Michelle Trice - Reply
I held down the ( + button and bluetooth button together for 30 sec to reset it ) it turned off and wont come back on
samhurst256 - Reply
Mine not staying on with battery. But if I press and hold the power button its working. And if I release the power botton it died again.
Working as normal powered by usb cable
Rob Pampanga - Reply
My flip 4 passive radiators make cracking sounds even at low volumes. Is there any fix? Where can I find replacement parts online?
mikablc - Reply
Hello My flip 4 works fine but don't charge i try diferents Chargers and USB cables and won't charge any ideas???
cs_lagos - Reply
I have found that I have to use the cables that were supplied with my Flip4s. Perhaps the wiring is configured differently than standard cables? Mine are bright orange cables.
_eric -
I fixed the bad BT connection issue (crackle in one speaker) for connected pair of Flip4’s on a Macbook Pro 2018 (working 95% of the time). Seems there is a setting that you can’t change without some effort. JBL won‘t tell you this b/c its an “apple issue”. Keep in mind that there is no app for non-mobile devices at this point. So, only Party (mono) is possible.
Procedure:
1. go to apple site: www.develop.apple.com/download/more
2. search additional tools
3. download latest additional tools for Xcode
4. install
5. Open the containing folder, open hardware, open BT Explorer
6. in BT Explorer go to Tools/Audio options, check the box: Force use of AtpX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkBwuXwh...
aashat - Reply
Hard reset for Flip4 is: Turn on device, press and hold “+”volume and “Play” button for 10 sec (on the side of the speaker.) Turn off. Turn on again. It will erase all previous BT connections, so you will need to re-pair with your device.
aashat - Reply
Bluetooth won’t start…no sound for Bluetooth is on.. I try factory reset but can’t even be resetet..Solutions ???
igor markoski - Reply
My job flip4 does not charge. Red blinking light when connected but does not charge at all or starts when connected. Any suggestions?
Adriana Valencia - Reply
My JBL FLIP 4 doesn’t power up. Is there a sight to order new circuit and control boards?
Travis Williams - Reply
My jbl flip 4 keeps on turning off
anyone got something to help pls
BARUACH LEFKO - Reply
It seems that we all are having the same problems, but with no resolution, bottom line it’s a piece of crap product with a high price point, I won’t be buying another JBL product!!
Dan M - Reply
My flip 4 doesn’t charge as well. One red blinking light… I’m think I’m turning into one… :-)
Todd McNeil - Reply
Button is unresponsive what to do..?
Plz help
Rajashree ganesh - Reply
What Lyn said.
oversight - Reply
Yo my jbl flip4 maybe battery dead after try it in pool because i trust it waterproof after using it for 1years+. When charge it will power on for 7sec then shut down/power off .battery indicator only blinking red so what is the problem btw? Battery or damage ic unit .when not charge it icannot power on, but plug in charger it will on by its self for 7sec then off by it self repeated as long i didnt remove charge
Helpmejbl - Reply
I have 2 flip 4’s. Having trouble keeping both connected to iPad.
Linda Miller Andries - Reply
Mine crackles & pops, then shuts down, with more than 1/2 than battery charge left. When I start up again, it plays fine for a while, then dies same thing. This has worked fine for lore than 2 years, now does this all of a sudden.
Steph H - Reply
Hi my JBL flip 4 works good but for 2mins only and then some crackling noise comes and it gets turned off…I have tried to open the panel and checked the motherboard and found that there is red led which flash when the crackling noise comes and it gets turned off…. Kindly suggest how to fix the problem
love_ahuja - Reply
Mine did the same thing, you need a new battery, go to amazon, it’s about $17, very easy fix., YouTube has videos to how to change the battery, don’t buy the tools with battery.
Dan M -
My jbl 4 would not charge it keeps showing one charge light and can never get to full. I turn it on and it’s just turns itself off
Grace - Reply
Mine did the same thing, you need a new battery, go to amazon, it’s about $17, very easy fix., don’t buy the tools with battery, they are cheap, You Tube has. Ideas to show how to change the battery, very easy
Dan M -
I bought this flip 4 and received it today.
It's not getting paired to any of the device. Kindly help
nishugupta944 - Reply
my JBL FLip 4 will only turn on when plugged in. Once plugged in, none of the buttons work and once I unplug it, the device turns off. Please help.
Matt Zafran - Reply
My JBL flip 4 stopped working. I bought a new cord and charging port and still nothing. The light just blinks red like it's charging but never does. I replaced the battery but it still just blinks red and now also is emitting a high pitch whine while plugged in. Any suggestions appreciated
Felicia Larson - Reply
My JBL flip 4 speaker fell down from a high platform and now it won’t open. The buttons don’t light up or make a sound like they used to. It was charged and even when I plugged it in the charges still it’s unresponsive. What should I do. Please tell me I can fix it, I just got it. I don’t believe there’s a JBL store in my country, as I bought mine online. Please tell me what I can do…I can’t afford a new one :(
Thank you
Yasminee Weshahy - Reply
Hi my JBL flip 4 charges and make the noise when connected. But it won't turn on. When I unplug it it looks like dead. And it is charged. It looks like it has an issue in the power button. How can I resolve that? I opened it but still not working!
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Emilia Otheguy - Reply
If any body have problem like button working and sound not coming from any device.Unpair it from your mobile.and computer and then press ‘play putton and volume up button‘for 10 second .Then press start button for 3 second then connect it .This will help you to get the sound back. If not work try again and again because my problem solved like this.
cocvaibhave - Reply
My JBL flip 4 speaker suddenly stopped working it won’t light up when charging or even turn on.
Lyssa K - Reply
My JBL flip 4 wont turn on, however when I plug it in it shows that it is charging and is full. I can’t turn it on even when plugged in. Reset won’t work as it needs to be turned on to do so.
Josh Irvine - Reply
Replaced charging cord on JBL Flip 4 and all I get is a flashing red light for a few seconds then it goes out. Cannot charge. Please advise on other ways I can troubleshoot.
JP 8/10/2020
Jane Pridgen - Reply
Will not charge, but blue tooth light in, power button not coming on.
Laura Danner - Reply
Mine will neither charge nor power on. This was a highly recommended product and while not spendy/-if it HAD worked as advertised/- exceedingly disappointing product. Furthermore, it was touted as having dynamic volume capacity and it sounded little more complex than my girst first transistor radio was in 1973. Junk junk and more junk/- weary of the spate of crap product coming from china and its clinet states these past 3-4 years. Have a900$ junk Lenovo ThinkPad, as well. China and batteries = piffle
Mary Lea McTurnan - Reply
Power button not responding
Linda - Reply
My JBL flip 4 is charged but power button won’t turn it on. Any suggestions please.
Linda - Reply
2 months old, my 4 stopped paring with ANY device. Won’t reset either. Had nice sound for 6 weeks. Now it’s worthless.
Paul Kramer - Reply
the control board replacement guide advice is unsound. unlatching the cable is very difficult and needs to be done with extreme caution - the head of my cable disconnected from the cable during this step, and my speaker is gone. please revise and give this step the right attention!
Roey Yohai - Reply
I lost my speaker about 10 hours ago, is there anyway I can find it ?
Josieayers - Reply
hey, my jbl flip 4 has all audio etc working but the second it goes above half volume, all of the sound goes. even the jbl connect, power, and max volume sounds. i’m unsure why this is happening, seeing as it works perfect below half volume. please help, thanks.
Tolan Clark - Reply
My flip 4 won’t take a charge but the lights are blinking
Brent&Carrie Parr - Reply
My jbl will not stay on, even when plugged in.
Patti Hamilton Smith - Reply
Hey so my JBL FLIP 4 just keeps automatically turning the sound up even tho i am not toughing the button, it always happens. Any recommendations?
Adam - Reply
Buenas, a mi jbl lo enchufo y carga solo ub punto y se queda tildado ahí, no carga mas y queda la luz prendida….que puede ser?
Lucas Luca - Reply
What is the white wire that is connected to the speaker
Edgar Montes - Reply
My jbl flip 4, all others button unresponsive EXCEPT ON/OFF button. Battery level lighting indicator also not working. However speaker works as usual. But due to unresponsive button not able to connect to new devices / phones. What should i do?
Remy Martin - Reply
My flip 4 dies while plugged in to charge. Any thoughts on the issue? The battery life is nonexistent.
Donna - Reply
The bluetooth range has suddenly decreased exponentially. It used to connect perfectly fine from up to 20+ feet away. Walking around my apartment with the sound being perfect. Now if my phone is 5 or more ft away it starts to break up or not play at all until my phone gets closer again. Haven’t gotten a new phone, its Iphone X and I have a Flip 4
Edward DeMartino - Reply
My jbl flip 4 stops when I press + or - to change the volume. The light is still on, but there is no sound anymore.
Brigitte Esselaar - Reply
My jbl flip fell from a big hight. Now it’s only responding while charging and even then it doesn’t play any music. Everything else works even connecting it via Bluetooth but it remains silent. Also the rubber part on one side is torn. Do you think that might be a problem or is the rubber only important for the whole thing to be water proof?
Thank you a lot in advance :)
meretpw - Reply
I found some of the cables are worn out and cut. Should I return them
Foued Gharbi - Reply
I silmantaniously pressed the volume down and the pause key of my flip 4 and now it won't turn on by default, unless I connect my charger before it'll turn on and when it does too the keys won't work. It'll just be charging. Guys I need your help. Any bofy with an idea how I can fix this problem
Festus Gregory - Reply
Hello,
asking for help. My flip connects no problem but if its farther than 7inches it won’t work. I have already reset and have done the update on the app. Still nothing. Even with other different devices I have the same problem. Please help me.
Gabriela Venegas - Reply
My jbl flip 5 won’t on at all please help
ADEKUNBI TOLUWALOPE - Reply
Hola mi JBL flip 4 se apaga y se prende sola todo el tiempo asta que se acabe la batería no se qué hacer porque nose cuál es el problema ayúdenme xfavor
Rony Roy Soncco Mamani - Reply
My speaker goes on and works for a few seconds then shuts down. I’ve tried resetting with no results.
Tim DeMars - Reply
I accidentally ruptured the ribbon cable.
I was trying to take out the old battery. It was bloated and stuck so I took it out by pushing it from the other side. In doing so the ribbon cable was broken. Is there a way to change it or is it too hard? I don't even know where or what to buy.
It was really hard taking the battery out to begin with :(
Carlo Ferrari - Reply
mi JBL 4 conecta ( se ve en el PC), los controles funcionan (puedo dar Play o Stop desde el JBL) pero el sonido solo se oye en el PC… me pueden ayudar????
rmoreinis - Reply
my friends JBL is turning on automatically when plugged in to charge and immediately turns off when i disconnect it again, i am unable to connect to it and none of the buttons work... does anyone have any suggestions on what i could do to fix it?
Lee-Lee nugget - Reply
My jbl flip 4 the battery level lights remain on even when I turn it off. I already did factory reset, any suggestions please?
Harpreet Choan - Reply
My jbl flip 4 used to connect with my iphone8, but now I have iphone13, iphone13 can’t find my jbl flip 4. Please help.
Aurelio Silvestre - Reply
My JBL Flip 4 connects to my laptop at variable levels, sometimes showing "Connected voice, music" but still not playing any sound, including the test tones from settings. Other times it works fine, and I thought it was just something about making sure Bluetooth on my phone was turned off before turning on Bluetooth with my laptop, but that's still not working. No driver updates appear to be available. Any ideas?
love2research - Reply
my j l speaker won’t charge or turn on and i’ve tried different cables what do i do
summer - Reply
You need to replace the battery, you can buy them on Amazon. It’s easy to do, google how to change the battery, several YouTube videos
Dan M -
Cuando conecto el equipo a la corriente me funciona pero al subir el volumen me suena defectuoso , al cambiar el sonido a un solo canal si se escucha perfecto , que pudiera ser , es un JBL Flit 4?
jorge emilio milanes - Reply
JBL filp3, Power on time only white light glow,,,
No power on sound,,,no power blue light glow
Harishkumar Meena - Reply
I have a jbl flip 4
When I connect the charger, the first led on the front starts to blink white and stays that way for 7 hours.
Is this normal or should the other leds light up? What happens when the battery is charged?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Best Regards.
Marcelo Fabian Gómez - Reply
Las luces led quedan encendidas aún estando apagado
Carol Sagastume - Reply
The speaker does not change the sound settings after I have set a new sound. How to fix?
Ellen - Reply
Meine Flip 4 funktioniert einwandfrei und wenn ich auf den connect+ knopf drücke geht sie aus
Zoran - Reply