Does your Vizio sound bar keep turning on and off by itself?
We know how frustrating that can be.
But don’t worry, that can be explained.
And even better: it can be fixed.
Read on to find out:
- Whether you need to reset your soundbar.
- Why your Vizio soundbar powers ON/OFF by itself.
- 5 ways to stop your Vizio soundbar from turning ON/OFF by itself.
- And so much more…
Why does my Vizio soundbar turn ON/OFF by itself?
Your Vizio soundbar turns ON/OFF by itself because the cable connections may not be secure. Also, there could be a problem with the remote or the device’s environmental settings. Additionally, your soundbar may need a firmware update or a reset.
Vizio soundbar turning ON/OFF by itself: 5 ways to stop it
#1: Check cable connections
So let’s get started.
The very first reason why your Vizio soundbar may be powering ON/OFF by itself…
Is that it’s not connected to the right ports on your device.
“Why is that important?”
Let’s say your soundbar is hooked up to your TV.
If your soundbar isn’t properly connected to your TV and won’t detect an audio signal…
It’ll automatically power off.
This is why you should check whether it’s connected to the correct ports.
According to Vizio, you should:
Step 1: Check if the soundbar is connected to an “Audio Out” port.
If your soundbar is connected to your TV…
It should be hooked to the port that says “Audio Out”.
Step 2: Make sure the right input is set for the soundbar.
- First, power on your TV and choose a channel.
- Verify that you can hear audio from the TV.
- Afterwards, press the “Input” button on your soundbar.
This will begin an audio input search and the lights on your soundbar will start flashing.
It’ll do this until it detects the input for the TV.
Step 3: Wait and see.
Does your soundbar seem like it’s working now?
That’s good.
If not, check whether the issue is with your TV or the device you’ve connected to your soundbar.
#2: Switch to a Vizio remote
Another reason why your soundbar keeps powering ON and OFF is your remote.
Sure, it’s okay to use a universal remote for the soundbar.
But that could sometimes cause issues.
If you don’t have a Vizio remote, you can try “teaching” your soundbar to work with your remote control.
You can do this by doing the following:
- On your remote, find Menu.
- Navigate to “Prg Remote”.
- Use the Next/Previous buttons to learn different functions.
For your soundbar to “learn”, just press “Play” on your remote.
And then press the right key that you want your soundbar to learn. For:
- Mute, press the Mute button.
- Volume+, press the Volume Up button.
- Volume-, press the Volume Down button.
While your sound bar’s learning, all the lights will flash from top to bottom.
And once it has “learned”, it’ll blink twice to signal that it’s done.
“So should my soundbar work now?”
It should.
However, if it still powers ON and OFF by itself…
You may need to get an actual Vizio remote control for your soundbar.
Watch how you can use your Vizio remote control here:
#3: Turn off Eco Mode
Still no luck even after you checked the cables and got a Vizio remote?
Your soundbar may be in Eco Mode.
Eco mode is a setting that’s a lot like the Sleep function for computers.
When it’s on, your device will go on standby after a few minutes of inactivity.
So let’s say you’re watching a show and you suddenly remember you have to cook lunch.
When you leave and the soundbar gets no active audio input…
It’ll go into Standby mode.
Doing this offers a lot of benefits:
- Conserves power and battery life.
- Extends the lifespan of your soundbar.
- Allows you to resume where you left off.
But…
When it’s on, it can cause your device to power ON/OFF by itself.
To disable Eco Mode on your Vizio soundbar:
- Go to Menu on your remote control.
- Navigate to Eco Power On/Off.
- Use the Next/Previous button to turn Eco Power off.
Read next: (13 Fixes) Vizio Soundbar No Sound
#4: Reset your soundbar
If your soundbar still won’t function properly after doing all the above-mentioned steps…
It’s time to reset your soundbar.
“Is that really necessary?”
Yes, here’s why:
Resetting your soundbar erases all previously saved settings.
And in many cases, this can be just the fix that a malfunctioning device needs.
There are 2 ways to reset your Vizio soundbar.
First: you can use your remote.
Note: This only applies to certain models of Vizio soundbars.
To check whether yours is included, check your manual.
- Get your Vizio remote control.
- Press “Setup” or “Menu”.
- Find “Reset Audio” or “Reset All”.
- Press “Reset All”.
- Wait until the lights flash 3 times.
“What happens if I do all that?”
Doing the above steps will erase:
- Audio settings.
- Bluetooth pairings.
- Soundbar settings.
This is also called a factory reset.
Meaning: you’re setting your device back to its factory configurations.
Now, if you want to just reset the audio settings…
You can press “Reset Audio” instead of “Reset All”.
Doing this can fix some issues, such as setting the wrong audio input for your soundbar.
And in doing this, you may also be able to fix your sound bar’s power issue.
The other way to reset your soundbar is to use the Bluetooth and Volume Down buttons.
- Make sure that your soundbar is powered on.
- Press and hold the “Bluetooth” and “Volume Down” buttons for at least 5 seconds.
- Wait until the LEDs flash 3 times.
- Check if your soundbar is working properly again.
“What if I don’t want to reset all the settings on my soundbar?”
You can do a soft reset.
To do this:
- Unplug all the cords that are connected to your soundbar.
- Unplug the power cord from your soundbar and from the power source.
- Wait for at least 10 seconds.
- Plug all the cords back into the soundbar.
- Plug the power cord back in, and reconnect the soundbar to the power source.
- Wait and see if the soundbar is working well again.
You may also like: Vizio Soundbar Blinking Up And Down: 7 Steps To Fix It
#5: Do a firmware update
“But it’s still not working!”
Don’t worry, you can still try a firmware update.
This helps ensure that your soundbar is running the latest version of its programming.
In other words…
It keeps your device up to date with all new functionalities so that it can work properly.
The steps for upgrading your Vizio sound bar’s firmware depends on its model.
The following steps apply to these Vizio soundbars:
Step 1: Download the latest firmware version from the manufacturer’s page on a computer.
Step 2: Transfer the downloaded file to a flash drive.
Step 3: Remove the power cord from your Vizio soundbar.
Step 4: Plug in the flash drive to the USB port of the soundbar.
Step 5: Reconnect the power cord to your soundbar.
Step 6: Wait for the LEDs to flash; this means the soundbar is updating.
“How long will it take?”
It depends. But it usually doesn’t take more than a minute.
Step 7: Remove the flash drive.
Step 8: Verify whether your soundbar is now running the latest firmware version.
To do this:
- Press and hold the 2 Volume buttons for at least 5 seconds.
- Wait for the soundbar to announce its firmware version.
For these models, the updated firmware should be 1.3.0.7.
“What if I have a Vizio SmartCast soundbar?”
This is how you update the firmware of these SmartCast soundbars:
Update Using WiFi
Step 1: Get your soundbar into Link Mode.
To do this:
- On your remote control, press Menu.
- Use the arrow keys to navigate to “Link”.
- Press the right arrow key to enter “Yes”.
- Press the Play/Pause button.
- Press the right arrow button again.
- Finally, press the Play/Pause button.
Step 2: Once your soundbar is in Link mode, open the SmartCast app on your phone or tablet.
Step 3: Tap on “Menu”, then find “Setup a New Device”.
Step 4: Follow the instructions for setting up a new device.
Step 5: Connect your soundbar to your WiFi network.
Step 6: Wait until it searches for and downloads the latest firmware version.
Update Using Flash Drive
Step 1: Check the current firmware version of your device.
- Open the SmartCast app on your phone or tablet.
- Find your soundbar model.
- Tap on the Settings/gear icon and choose “System”.
- From there, select “System Information”, and then “Soundbar Information”.
Step 2: Download the latest firmware version from the manufacturer’s page.
Step 3: Extract the .zip file from your download and transfer the files to a flash drive.
Note: Your flash drive shouldn’t have any other files on it.
According to Vizio, it’s best to use a 2GB flash drive.
Step 4: Power on your soundbar.
Step 5: Connect it to an input with no audio.
Step 6: Wait for the lights to flash to know that it’s updating.
“How do I know when it has updated?”
The lights will stop blinking.
After that’s done, check whether your soundbar is now running the updated version:
- Open the SmartCast app on your phone or mobile tablet.
- Find “System”, then tap on “System Information”.
- Select “Soundbar Information”.
Your soundbar should be running the 2.9.3.1 version.
If none of the steps mentioned in this article work, contact Vizio for support.