You’re not alone on this one…
That flashing sound bar lights that you’re seeing?
Well, many Vizio users report it, too.
And like them, you might also want to know,
“Why is my soundbar acting up?
And what can I do to fix this problem?”
Continue reading to find out:
- 5 reasons why your Vizio soundbar is blinking up and down.
- 7 easy-to-follow steps to fix this blinking lights problem on your soundbar.
- When you should factory reset your Vizio sound bar (in just3 simple steps).
- 3 signs that your soundbar is in Demo Mode and 4 different ways to disable it.
- And so much more…
Why is my Vizio soundbar blinking up and down?
Your Vizio soundbar is blinking up and down because of a wrong setting, loose connection, or system error. It could also be that your device is in “Demo Mode.” And this is more likely if only the volume buttons are working on your soundbar. But sometimes, your device might only be in pairing mode.
The latter means that your sound bar’s Bluetooth is on. So it’s searching for visible devices around the area.
If this is the cause of the blinking, it’ll stop after 15 seconds.
But if not, then you have a different problem.
Vizio soundbar blinking up and down: 7 steps to fix it
#1: Check your soundbar connections
In this situation, here’s the first thing that you should do:
It’s to inspect the cables plugged into your device.
Why?
In some cases, Vizio sound bar’s LEDs blink due to a loose connection.
Most people often overlook this reason. And it’s one of the easiest ones to fix.
So before anything else, make sure that all cables are in the right ports.
Then also check if they’re inserted tightly.
Note: Doing this first will save you a lot of time if this is the reason for your problem.
You might also want to check out: 11 Quick Fixes: Vizio Sound Bar HDMI Arc Not Working
#2: Inspect your sound bar’s power supply
If there are no problems with your device’s physical connections…
Check its power source next.
Why?
An issue with the power supply may cause your audio device to act weird.
And it’s also one of the main reasons why a Vizio soundbar has no sound.
So to make sure that all is well, do the following:
- Look for any blown fuse.
- Inspect its circuit breaker.
- See if its cord is plugged properly into the wall outlet.
Now, if the LEDs are still blinking after checking the connections…
#3: Power cycle your soundbar
“What do you mean by power cycle?”
It’s only another term for a restart or soft reset.
So what you’re going to do here is simply turn off your Vizio soundbar.
Then, power it on again after 10 seconds.
“How does this help?”
Over time, our devices tend to accumulate ‘bugs’ or errors in their system.
These will cause them not to function well. And one thing that could help clear those glitches is a simple restart.
Note: I should also remind you that this tip might not work for everyone. But it’ll only take you a few seconds to do this, so it’s still worth a shot.
#4: Manually restore your sound bar’s previous settings
Have you recently made any changes to your device?
If so, then this might be the reason why your soundbar is flashing up and down.
“What do you mean?”
Sometimes, a faulty setting can also trigger this blinking lights issue.
It could be that the preferences you chose aren’t working out properly.
Or…
The new setting itself prompted your Vizio soundbar to blink.
I can’t say the exact thing that may have caused your problem.
So I want you to recall any recent changes you made to your soundbar.
If you can remember them, that’s good.
Try returning them back to their original settings.
Restart your Vizio soundbar afterwards. Then, see if the problem is still there or not.
But if you can’t recall the previous settings…
#5: Factory reset your soundbar
If the cause of your problem is a faulty setting and you can’t remember the changes you made…
Then, this is the only way to fix it.
A factory reset will restore your device back to its original settings.
This means that all custom preferences you saved will be gone. So after this, you need to set up your Vizio soundbar all over again.
How do I factory reset a Vizio soundbar?
- Press its “Bluetooth” and “Volume Down” buttons at the same time.
- Hold it for around 5 seconds.
- Release when the light on your soundbar stops blinking.
After this, all 12 LEDs will blink 3 times. And this means that the factory reset was successful.
Note: Other Vizio models may also have a different button combination. Say, “Source” + “Volume Up.” So if the steps above didn’t work, try this instead.
And when in doubt, you can always refer to your soundbar manual.
So, did the factory reset work?
If not, try doing a hard reset instead.
“How is it different from ‘soft reset’ and ‘factory reset’?”
Like soft reset, this will also reboot your system by taking its power out.
But, a hard reset does a bit more on your device.
It won’t erase all saved settings like what a factory reset does.
However, it can bring some of its hardware back to its previous settings.
How to hard reset a Vizio soundbar
- Turn your soundbar off.
- Remove all of its connections and cords.
- Leave it for around 10 seconds.
- Plug all the cables back into your soundbar.
This should also help clear any bugs in its system. So check if the lights are still blinking or not after doing this.
When should you factory reset your soundbar?
Aside from the light issues, performing a reset can also help when:
- Your soundbar isn’t turning on or off.
- Your soundbar isn’t working properly.
- There’s no sound coming from your device.
#6: Keep other devices away from your soundbar
Does the problem still persist even after the factory reset?
If so, look at your sound bar’s surroundings.
Are there other devices close to it?
Say, walkie-talkie or baby monitor?
If you see any, move it away from your soundbar right away.
Turn your device off and on to power cycle it. Then, check if it’s working properly again.
“What may have caused this?”
It could be that your soundbar is acting weird due to signal interference.
“What’s that?”
The signals emitted by your speaker and remote are interrupted by other devices.
So if you’re trying to send a command through it, your soundbar can’t read it. And this could result in an error.
Hence, the blinking of the lights.
Now, if none of the tips above solved your problem, try this last fix.
#7: Get your soundbar out of “Demo Mode”
“What is Demo Mode?”
Most electronic devices have this feature.
It allows them to show their important functions while they’re still on display.
Like flashing their lights or letting out a sound to attract buyers.
However, in this mode, other features or buttons will not work. And this might be the reason why your soundbar is acting up.
How can you tell if your soundbar is in Demo Mode?
Besides the LEDs scrolling up and down, you’ll know if your soundbar is in Demo Mode if:
- It won’t reset.
- It’s not turning off.
- Only the volume buttons are working.
How do I get my Vizio Sound Bar off Demo Mode?
According to Vizio Support, there are 4 different ways to get it out of Demo Mode.
Option #1: Use the SmartCast mobile app
This method only works for Vizio SmartCast soundbars. So if yours isn’t one, skip to the next option.
- Launch the SmartCast app on your mobile phone.
Note: If you don’t have this yet, install it. (Click here for links – Android and iOS.) Then connect your soundbar to your phone via Bluetooth.
- Navigate to “System Menu.”
- Turn off “Demo Mode.”
Option #2: Press “Input” + “Bluetooth”
- Press and hold the “Input” and “Bluetooth” buttons of your soundbar.
- Do this for about 10 seconds.
- Wait until all of its LEDs blink 4 times.
“Help! The LEDs on my soundbar only flashed once.”
This means that your device is still in Demo Mode.
In this case, you need to repeat the 3 steps again until it’s successful.
But what if the LEDs didn’t blink at all?
If this happened, then your soundbar might have another type of Demo Mode enabled.
For this, try the other tips below.
Option #3: Press “Input” + “Volume Up”
Before doing this, try plugging a USB flash drive into your soundbar first.
Then press each of these buttons:
- Start.
- Volume Up.
- Fast forward.
- Volume Down.
Did all of the buttons work?
And does your soundbar only play contents from a flash drive?
If so, try a different button combination from Option #2.
- Press the “Input” and “Volume Up” buttons.
- Hold them for 10 seconds.
- Release when all of its LEDs flash 4 times.
Note: Same with the previous method, if the lights only blinked once, do all the steps again. And if they didn’t flash, try this last option.
Option #4: Press “Input” + “Volume Down”
Lastly, can audio from an RCA cable be played on your soundbar?
If this is the only thing that works on your device and only the volume buttons are functioning…
Then try another button combination. Instead of “Volume Up,” press “Volume Down” instead.
- Click and hold the “Input” and “Volume Down” buttons on your soundbar.
- Do this for 10 seconds.
- Wait and release when all of the LEDs blink 4 times.
You can repeat the steps all over again if the lights only flashed once.
But if none of the 4 options worked, contact Vizio Customer Support.