“I’m trying to pair my JBL speakers to create a larger audio system. But only one speaker works whenever I try to play music.”
If that’s the case, then you might have missed one crucial step in the process.
Or your JBL speakers aren’t compatible for pairing at all.
So, if you want to know how to correctly connect multiple JBL speakers together…
Continue reading to learn:
- 7 easy steps to connect JBL speakers together.
- Which JBL speaker models are compatible for pairing.
- How to connect a JBL speaker to a source via Bluetooth.
- How many JBL speakers can you connect to one source.
- And a lot more…
How to connect/pair JBL speakers together?
To connect or pair JBL speakers together, turn ON and connect all the speakers to the same source via Bluetooth. Then, play any music from the source. Next, press the “Connect” button on the playing speaker. And finally, press the “Connect” button on the other speakers to pair them all together.
Which JBL speakers can I connect?
There are several JBL speaker models on the market. But not all of them can connect with each other.
Why?
Because these models have different technologies and systems. Which restricts some of their functionality and ability to integrate with non-similar models.
That being said…
Before trying to pair JBL speakers together, ensure that they’re compatible for pairing.
To help you out, here’s a guideline on which JBL speaker models you can connect together:
JBL speakers with “JBL Connect” function:
JBL speakers with “JBL Connect+” function:
JBL speakers with “PartyBoost” function:
“What happens if I connect JBL speakers with different technologies?”
Nothing. Because you won’t be able to connect them in the first place.
If you want to connect JBL speakers together, make sure that the speakers are of a similar model. Or at least they’re of the same type.
7 steps to connect JBL speakers together
#1: Check whether the speakers are compatible
No matter how many times you redo the pairing process…
Your JBL speakers won’t connect if they’re incompatible with each other.
So, before you pair them, check whether your speakers are of the same type. You can refer to the guideline above. Or see the “connect” button of your speakers.
Note: The connect button is the one that looks like an hourglass icon.
Here’s how you can differentiate one from another:
- Hourglass icon with round edges: PlayBoost.
- Hourglass icon with straight edges: JBL connect.
- Hourglass icon with straight edges and a plus (+) sign: JBL connect plus.
Do your JBL speakers have similar connect button icons? If yes…
Then, they’re of the same type. And that means you can pair them together to play music.
If this is your case, proceed to step #2.
But if not, make sure to get compatible JBL speakers before continuing.
#2: Turn ON all the speakers
Next, make sure that your speakers are turned ON.
To do that, press and hold the power button on the speaker.
Since your JBL speakers are treated as individual devices, you have to turn ON the speakers one by one.
“How would I know if the speaker is already ON?”
It’s already powered ON if the LED backlight of the power button turns blue. Or white, in some models.
Also, you should hear a short tune after turning it ON. That indicates that the speaker is ready for use.
#3: Enable Bluetooth on your mobile device
For the 3rd step, enable Bluetooth on your mobile device.
You can either use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop as your source. Or even your PC, as long as it has a Bluetooth function.
Here’s how to enable Bluetooth on most devices:
- Open your device.
- Go to settings.
- Tap “Bluetooth.”
- Then, toggle ON the Bluetooth switch.
Is it your first time pairing your device to your JBL speakers? Then, tick the box next to “Make my device discoverable” or similar.
That way, your JBL speakers can easily detect and connect with your device.
Or if your mobile device is supported by a voice assistant like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri…
You can also enable Bluetooth via voice command.
Just say, for example, “Hey Google! Open Bluetooth.”
After saying it, you should hear your voice assistant confirm the action. And you should see the Bluetooth icon on your device’s notification banner.
#4: Connect all the speakers via Bluetooth
Here’s where the connecting process officially begins.
After enabling Bluetooth of your device, pair your JBL speakers with it one by one.
Here’s how to do it:
- Locate the Bluetooth icon on the speaker.
- Press and hold it for about 3 seconds. Or until you hear a tune.
- Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings.
- Search for your JBL speaker on the “Available Devices” list.
- Tap it once to pair.
- Repeat steps #1 to #5 to all your other speakers.
Note: Your JBL speaker is in Bluetooth pairing mode if its Bluetooth button is blinking.
“I can’t connect some of my JBL speakers to my phone.”
If that’s the case, then either your:
- Speaker is connected to another device.
- Phone has reached its maximum Bluetooth connection limit.
Usually, Android and iOS phones can support up to 7 Bluetooth connections at a time.
If you want to connect more than 7 JBL speakers to your device, use an app like AmpMe. This app can help connect your JBL speakers to your phone without issues.
#5: Play any music on the mobile device
Once all your JBL speakers are connected to your device, try to play any music.
Open any music service app such as Spotify or Apple Music on your mobile device, and play any song you like.
Upon playing a song, you should hear audio coming from one of the connected speakers.
If not, try to increase the volume level of your mobile device and JBL speakers.
Still doesn’t work?
Then, disconnect and reconnect your speakers to your device. Doing this helps resolve any potential connectivity errors.
#6: Press the “Connect” button on the playing speaker
Next, grab the JBL speaker that’s playing audio.
Then, press the “connect” button on it. Look for an hourglass-like icon and press it once.
Doing this turns your primary speaker into pairing mode with other JBL speakers.
After pressing it, you should hear a quick tune.
#7: Press the “Connect” button on the other speakers
And now to pair your JBL speakers together…
Press the connect button on all of the speakers one by one.
To avoid connectivity problems, make sure to finish the pairing of one speaker first. Before connecting the remaining ones.
“How would I know if my speaker is already connected?”
It’s successfully connected to the primary speaker once it starts playing audio.
Note: It can take up to 30 seconds before a speaker can start playing audio.
Take note that your speakers’ audio should sync. Otherwise, you’ll have to redo the connecting process.
Pro tip: Download the JBL Portable app for Android or iOS to monitor your speakers’ connection.
Here, you can also adjust your speaker’s settings. And choose between “Party” or “Stereo” mode as your speakers’ audio functions.
Need visual instruction on how to connect your multiple JBL speakers together? Then, watch this video:
You might also like: How to connect Bluetooth speakers to Roku TV?
People also ask:
Why won’t my JBL speakers connect/pair to each other?
Your JBL speakers won’t connect/pair to each other because they’re incompatible for pairing. They won’t also connect if you don’t press their “connect” buttons. Or if one of the speakers is already connected to a different device.
Before connecting your JBL speakers together, ensure that they’re of the same type.
And you can do that by checking their connect buttons. If they have similar ones, then they’re compatible.
Note: The connect button has an hourglass-like icon on it.
Also, you must press the connect button on your JBL speaker to activate it for pairing mode.
Because if not, other speakers won’t be able to detect it.
If you’ve previously connected one of your JBL speakers to another device, disconnect it from it.
Can you connect all JBL speakers together?
You can’t connect all JBL speakers together because not all JBL speaker models have similar technologies and systems. JBL speakers have three types: JBL Connect, JBL Connect+, and PartyBoost. And you can only connect ones that are of the same type.
Here are 3 things that you should take note of when pairing JBL speakers together:
- JBL speaker pairing limit.
- JBL speakers’ compatibility.
- Source’s Bluetooth connection limit.
While connecting multiple JBL speakers is possible, there’s a limit on how many you can connect.
For JBL Connect, you can pair up to 2 speakers together.
And for JBL Connect+, you can pair up to 100 speakers together. As long as your device can support that many connections.
Read next: WiFi vs Bluetooth Speakers: 3 Sound Quality Comparisons