If you have a Bluetooth speaker that won’t charge, you can try cleaning out the charging port, using a new charging cable and charger, resetting the speaker, or testing the battery to see if it’s holding a charge.
My name is Donovan, and I am a home studio enthusiast and musician. I have lots of experience with many different types of audio and have used plenty of Bluetooth speakers in recent years. I know first-hand how to deal with charging issues.
This post will show you how to fix a Bluetooth speaker that won’t charge. I’ll walk you through several potential fixes to help you deal with this issue and point out every step. I’ll also provide some other related information to help you deal with this issue.
Let’s get to it.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- It’s always best to troubleshoot the minor potential issues with charging problems rather than take apart your speaker or battery.
- A dirty charging port or cable is one of the most common reasons for this issue, and cleaning it is the simplest solution.
- You might have a faulty charging cable or charger that needs to be replaced to charge your speaker again.
- If a Bluetooth speaker gets heavily drained, it might take a while for it to start charging, even if it’s plugged in.
- Charging issues aren’t always fixable, and you might need to replace your speaker if none of the fixes work.
How to Fix a Bluetooth Speaker That Won’t Charge
A Bluetooth speaker that won’t charge is a somewhat common problem that you’ll likely face at some point if you use this type of speaker to listen to music. Luckily, there are several potential fixes to resolve the issue.
Before diving into these fixes, it’s important to note a few things. Always start with the more minor and less complicated fixes before attempting anything drastic, like taking apart your speaker and removing the battery.
Also, it is possible that your speaker is broken and not fixable. It’s still worth going through all of the troubleshooting steps outlined below, but if none of those work, you might be forced to get a new speaker.
Fix #1 – Check Power Connection
You obviously need power to charge your Bluetooth speaker. Before assuming something is wrong with your speaker, double-check that the outlet your charger plugged into actually works.
Switch outlets and attempt to plug in your speaker for charging. If nothing works, then you can continue to troubleshoot. But if the outlet is broken, switching to another will get your speaker up and running again.
Fix #2 – Clean Charging Port and Cable
The charging port on your Bluetooth speaker can get full of dust or dirt, preventing your charging cable from making the proper contacts to charge. But you can clean this out quickly and easily to get a charge again.
A toothpick is a good tool to use to help clean out your charging port. Simply stick the toothpick in the port while scraping and rubbing it around. It should help push or loosen any build-up or gunk, and you can clean the port.
You might need to use several toothpicks if it’s really dirty. If you don’t have a toothpick, you can use any small, thin item that will fit into the port. Just be careful if it’s made of metal so you don’t scratch the contact points.
Also, be sure to clean off the contact points on your charging cable. You can use a clean tissue or rag to wipe the metal points and remove any build-up.
Fix #3 – Replace Charger and/or Charging Cable
If you have a faulty charger or charging cable, you won’t be able to charge your Bluetooth speaker. Luckily, this is another easy fix, and you just need to replace the cable or charging block to get a charge.
You can quickly test a charger or cable by plugging them into another device with the same connection port to see if it works. The cable or brick is likely broken if you don’t get a charge with a different device.
If you don’t have another device to test the cable/charger on, you might need to buy a new one and see if it works. Cables and chargers break often, and you might not see any visible signs of damage.
Fix #4 – Reset Bluetooth Speaker
Just like many other commonly used devices, a simple reset can iron out bugs or glitches. Some charging issues with Bluetooth speakers can be caused by internal electronic or connection issues and be fixed with a reset.
To reset a Bluetooth speaker, you typically just need to hold down the power or Bluetooth pairing button until the unit cycles through a reset. Attempt to charge the speaker again once it’s been reset.
Refer to your user’s manual for exact instructions on how to reset your Bluetooth speaker if it’s not as straightforward as holding down the power button. Every model can have a slightly different process for resetting.
Fix #5 – Leave Charger Plugged in for a While
If your Bluetooth speaker has a severely drained battery, it might take some time for it to become operational again once it’s plugged into a charger. This can sometimes be confused for the speaker not charging at all.
Leaving the speaker plugged into a charge for a solid amount of time will bring it back to life if this is the case. Sometimes this can take 15 to 30 minutes for the speaker to get enough of a base charge to seem operational again.
Be sure to check that the wall outlet and your charger are working before doing this step, or you’ll just be wasting time. But if you let the charger operate for a while, there’s a good chance it will start to function normally after that.
Fix #6 – How to Fix Broken Charger Port on Bluetooth Speaker
If you have a broken charger port on your Bluetooth speaker, you might be able to fix that and get it operational again. Signs of a broken charger port include a loose or visibly damaged port, and you should be able to see these signs easily.
This fix is more complicated and technical than the others, so I don’t recommend attempting it unless you have some experience with small electronic repair. You’ll need to use a soldering gun and soldering iron.
If the port gets disconnected from the battery contacts, you can solder these contact points to establish the circuit. Again, if you don’t know what any of that means, you probably shouldn’t attempt this fix.
But if you have a soldering gun, you just need to melt a drop between the contact points on the charging port. If the port is loose, you’ll likely need to make the solder where the movement is coming from.
You might need to take apart or loosen up certain elements on your speaker to make this happen. Be careful not to damage or remove anything you don’t need to.
Fix #7 – Replace the Battery
A faulty battery might also be the cause of a Bluetooth speaker not charging. It is possible to replace the battery on some Bluetooth speakers, but this is another fix that isn’t as straightforward or easy, so it’s not recommended for everyone.
Most Bluetooth speakers don’t have batteries designed to be replaced easily. That means you’ll need to take apart your speaker to access the battery and remove it. Each speaker model is also different, so there is not a universal method to mention here.
But if you have some small electronic tools, you should be able to expose the battery and figure out how to remove it. You might need to loosen up screws, scrape away some plastic, or pry the battery out.
Once it’s out, you should replace it with the same type of battery and then close everything back up how you found it.
Bluetooth Speaker Charging but Not Turning On
If your Bluetooth speaker is charging but not turning on, it likely needs to be charged for longer. This can be the case when you severely drain a speaker battery, and it might take a while for the battery to gain enough charge to work wirelessly again.
If your battery is severely drained, you’ll likely need to have it plugged into a charger for around 30 minutes before it will turn on. Just be patient, and it should work as usual again.
Bluetooth Speaker Only Works When Plugged In
If your Bluetooth speaker only works when plugged in, you likely have a bad battery. You can try to replace the battery, but it might be easier just to get a new speaker. Most Bluetooth speakers don’t have batteries that are easy to replace.
Take a look at Fix #7 in the section above for tips on replacing the battery in a Bluetooth speaker. You might need to replace the entire speaker if you can’t access the battery easily, as most of them aren’t designed to be replaced.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about fixing a Bluetooth speaker that won’t charge.
What to do if my Bluetooth speaker is not charging?
If your Bluetooth speaker is not charging, you should first check the connection at the charging port and clean it out if necessary. You also might need to get a new charger or charging cable. And sometimes Bluetooth batteries wear out and can’t be charged.
How to charge a Bluetooth speaker with a broken charger port?
It is technically possible to charge a Bluetooth speaker with a broken charger port by exposing the battery’s terminals and soldering on attachment points for a charger. This requires some skill and is not recommended for the average user.
Is a Bluetooth speaker battery replaceable?
Replacing a Bluetooth speaker batter on some models is possible, but it’s not always easy or recommended. Most Bluetooth speakers are designed with lifetime batteries that aren’t intended to be replaced by the user.
Most Bluetooth speakers don’t have a dedicated reset button, but you can typically reset it by holding down the power or pairing button until it cycles through a reset. Refer to your user’s manual for exact instructions on how to reset your Bluetooth speaker.
How many years does a Bluetooth speaker last?
A Bluetooth speaker should easily last for years, but there’s no exact timeframe for overall speaker life. Modern Bluetooth batteries are designed to work for a long time, but they will wear out just like any other type of battery after enough time.
Final Thoughts
If your Bluetooth speaker isn’t charging, go through all the possible fixes mentioned here. Be sure to start with the smaller ones before attempting anything more involved, like soldering a connection or replacing a battery.
Bluetooth speakers aren’t invincible, and sometimes they wear out. If your speaker doesn’t charge and none of these fixes work, you’ll likely need to replace it. Sometimes this happens, and there isn’t much you can do about it.
Do you have any other potential fixes for a Bluetooth speaker that won’t charge? Let me know in the comments below.
