JBL Speakers come with LED lighting indicators that will flash different colors, including red. So, why do they flash a red color?
JBL speakers will flash a red color if the battery is low. Some models, such as JBL GO speakers will keep flashing a red color until they are fully charged (2-3 hours). Some other models will have a steady light once the charger is plugged in.
If the indicator lights still keep blinking red even after you plugged the charger for 2+ hours, it means the battery isn’t getting charged. This could be a charger, power supply, or battery problem.
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Why are JBL Speakers Blinking Red and How To Fix It?
JBL Speakers blink red for the following reasons.
1. Low Battery
JBL Flip 4 and older speakers will have a blinking (flashing) red light if the battery is low and requires charging. JBL Flip 4 and older models have 5 LED battery indicator lights that each indicates 20% of charge. The first LED light will blink a red color once the battery is lower than 20%.
To fix this, charge your speaker for 2+ hours. To know if the JBL speaker is fully charged, check its LED lights. Each LED light that has a blue or white light indicates a 20% battery. So, if 4 LED lights are turned on, it means the battery is at 80%.
2. Bad Charger
There’s a problem with the charger or power supply if the JBL Speaker keeps blinking a red color, even after you fully charge it (for 2-3 hours).
A bad or 3rd party charger doesn’t have enough power output to charge the speaker, so the speaker doesn’t charge at all. To fix this, use an original charger or a charger that has the needed power output (usually 5V/3A).
To know if the speaker is charging, check the LED battery indicator lights. For JBL Flip and Charge speakers, the first LED light will stay steady and the other lights will start to have a blue (or white) light after 30 minutes.
For JBL Go speakers, the battery indicator will keep blinking a red light until the speaker is fully charged. Once it’s fully charged the LED light will turn off. This usually takes 1-3 hours.
3. Bad Power Supply
A power supply is an electronic device or system that converts electrical energy from a power source (e.g. wall outlet), into the appropriate form and voltage required to power electrical devices (e.g. speaker).
The JBL Speaker will have a flashing red light if the power supply is faulty or not working properly as the battery won’t get charged. Since the power supply isn’t transferring electrical energy to the speaker, the battery will blink a red color since its battery is low.
To know if the power supply is faulty, use a new (or different) charger and see if that fixes the problem. If the charger wasn’t faulty, then it means a hardware part is broken, so you must replace it.
To fix a faulty power supply, send the speaker to an authorized repair shop (if you have an active warranty) or to a local electronic shop (if you don’t have a warranty).
Note: JBL GO speakers will have a flashing red light until they are fully charged. So, if you change the charger, wait at least 2.5 hours to see if the light stops or not.
4. Faulty Battery
All JBL Speakers use lithium-ion polymer batteries. The speaker won’t charge, therefore will have a blinking red light, if the battery is old, faulty, damaged, or has completed its charging cycles.
Lithium-ion polymer batteries come with a certain number of charging cycles (300-500), and once the battery completes its charging cycles the capacity and performance will gradually decrease until the battery won’t accept charge anymore. A (1) charging cycle is completed if the battery goes from full to empty (100-0%) and is charged fully again (0-100%).
Lithium-ion batteries will also get damaged if the speaker is exposed to high temperatures, if you improperly store them, or if you physically damage them.
To fix a faulty battery, send the speaker to a local electronic shop repair or an authorized repair shop to get it replaced.
5. Factory Problem
If you charge new JBL speakers, the RED light must turn off after a few hours (or immediately, depending on the model). If you charge a new speaker for more than 2.5 hours, and the lighting indicator is still flashing red, then it’s a hardware problem.
A hardware problem can occur if you dropped the speaker or if it came defective from the factory. Since new speakers have a warranty, it’s best to contact JBL Support and ask for a repair or replacement.
Note: Before coming to the conclusion that the speaker is defective, ensure to change the charger first. Maybe the charger is defective and that’s why the speaker isn’t charging.