JBL makes some of the best Bluetooth wireless speakers on the market today – cool, fun and super-tough, and with powerful and amazingly musical sound. One of the coolest things about JBL speakers is their ability to easily connect with each other, so that multiple speakers will play the same music
But if you’ve never done this before you might need a little help figuring out exactly how to pair JBL speakers together.
If so, this guide to connecting JBL speakers together is for you, with very clear and simple step-by-step instructions that will make the process so easy and let you get back to the music as quickly as possible.
Please note that I’m going to give some explanatory and background information first, but if you want to skip all of that and get right to the instructions on linking JBL speakers, just click HERE.
What are PartyBoost, Connect Plus and Connect?
There are three different systems JBL uses to connect speakers together – PartyBoost, Connect Plus and Connect – but don’t worry, this doesn’t make things any more difficult or confusing, since they all work the same way.
PartyBoost – this is the newest multiple-speaker connection system from JBL, and only works with their newest models (see chart below). It is a bit better than old systems, in that it has longer wireless range – the speakers can be up to 60 feet away from each other (!) – but setup is identical to older methods.
Connect Plus – this is the second-generation connection system from JBL, which is very similar to the PartyBoost – you can connect up to 100 (again, !) speakers together, just like with PartyBoost, but they can’t be more than 30 feet away from each other.
- BTW – if you have 100 JBL speakers, and they will be anywhere close to 60 feet away from each other, please invite me to your next party!
Connect – poor old first-generation Connect can only link two JBL speakers together, but also with a maximum 30 foot range – still, pretty cool!
What Speakers are Compatible with PartyBoost, Connect Plus and Connect?
This information may or may not be important to you, since it can determine how far apart the speakers can be and – especially in the case of first-gen Connect – also determine the maximum number of speakers you can successfully link.
Please note that JBL linking is not backwards-compatible – in other words, PartyBoost speakers will not link with any Connect+ or Connect speakers.
This means that if you are buying JBL speakers for the first time, it is a smart idea to get only the newest generation PartyBoost-enabled speakers, so you not only have the longest range but also no compatibility issues – not to mention the latest and greatest JBL speakers!
So here are the speakers compatible with each JBL linking system, by Model Name:
PartyBoost:
Connect Plus:
- JBL Boombox
- JBL Charge 4
- JBL Flip 4
- JBL Pulse 3
- JBL Xtreme 2
Connect:
- JBL Charge 3 or older
- JBL Flip 3 or older
- JBL Pulse 2 or older
- JBL Xtreme (1st gen)
Some of the smallest and, oddly, some of the biggest JBL speakers do not have the ability to link together wirelessly, so if your speaker isn’t on this list you probably can’t do it – sorry…
How To Connect JBL Speakers Together
I do try to keep things simple, but if the above lists and explanations did seem a bit complex and head-spinny don’t worry – this next bit on how to pair JBL speakers is as simple as simple can be!
These steps apply to any and all JBL speakers with wireless linking – that is, Connect, Connect + and PartyBoost. They are all done the exact same way.
- Power one of your JBL speakers on, and make sure it is linked via Bluetooth to the device playing music.
- If you don’t know how to pair your JBL Bluetooth speaker, see the NEXT SECTION.
- Play music from that source
- Power on the speaker or speakers you want to connect
- FInd and press the connection button –
- Within 30 seconds, those additional speakers should be playing the same music as the first speaker
To disconnect a PartyBoost, Connect + or Connect link, simply hit that same connection button and the link will be severed.
See? Told you it was simple!
And finally, if you don’t know…
How To Pair JBL Bluetooth Speakers to Your PC or Phone
JBL speakers use Bluetooth to connect to the device from which you are playing music, and the connection must be done manually the first time. After that, the speakers and your PC or phone (or whatever device) should pair automatically when they’re powered on and in range of each other.
But if you’ve never done that initial Bluetooth pairing, here are simple instructions for the four most popular platforms:
How To Connect JBL Bluetooth Speakers to Android Phones
- Open “Settings”
- Select “Connected Devices”or “Device Connectivity”
- Select “Bluetooth”
- Enable Bluetooth
- Find and Select your JBL speaker
How To Connect JBL Bluetooth Speakers to Apple iPhones
- Open “Settings”
- Go to “Bluetooth”
- Enable Bluetooth
- Find and Select your JBL speaker from “other devices”
How To Connect JBL Bluetooth Speakers to Windows PCs
- Open “Settings”
- Select “Devices”
- Enable Bluetooth
- Click on “Add Bluetooth or other device”
- Click on “Bluetooth”
- Find and Select your JBL speaker
How To Connect JBL Bluetooth Speakers to Apple Macintosh PCs
- Open “System Preferences”
- Go to “Bluetooth”
- Find and Select your JBL speaker
- Click “Connect” and, if asked, “Accept”