Don’t let the compact size of JBL Flip 4 fool you. It is a fantastic speaker with an impressive set of features. It runs on a 3,000mAh battery and delivers up to 12h of playtime. It features Bluetooth 4.2, providing you with a stable and reliable wireless connection. Furthermore, it has a built-in mic that you can use to answer/make calls and talk to your voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant).
Despite its compact size and two relatively small 8W speaker drivers, JBL Flip 4 is surprisingly loud, maybe one of the loudest Bluetooth speakers of its size.
JBL Flip 4 is also IPX7 certified, which means it’s fully waterproof and can survive submersion in water (up to 1m depth) for 30 minutes. The only downside is that it doesn’t float. So, if you drop it accidentally into the pool, it will go straight to the bottom.
On top of all these fantastic features, JBL Flip 4 has user-friendly and intuitive controls. However, some people still struggle to understand what JBL Flip 4 buttons do.
In this post, I will explain the function of each JBL Flip 4 button and give you some tips on how to get the most out of your Flip 4. Furthermore, I will talk about some hidden features and functions you won’t find in your speaker’s user manual. All these features can be activated using certain button combos on your JBL Flip 4.
Key Takeaways
- JBL Flip 4 has 6 buttons – POWER, Bluetooth, VOL UP, VOL DOWN, PLAY, and CONNECT+.
- The PLAY button is a multifunction button – it is used to play/pause the audio, play the next song (press twice), answer calls, and activate your voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant). To use the PLAY button to activate voice assistant, you have to enable this feature in the JBL Portable app.
- The Connect+ button is used to connect your Flip 4 with compatible JBL speakers. Flip 4 can only be connected with other JBL Connect+ speakers (JBL Xtreme 2, JBL Charge 4, JBL Pulse 3, JBL Boombox).
- Pressing different button combos can activate some hidden features of your JBL Flip 4.
- If you want your Flip 4 to tell you the current Firmware Version, press the VOL DOWN and CONNECT+ buttons simultaneously. The only way to update your speaker, however, is through the JBL Portable app.
- To enable/disable the Low-Frequency Mode, press the Bluetooth and VOLUME DOWN buttons simultaneously.
- To enable/disable the Service Mode (lock your Flip 4), press the Connect+ and VOLUME UP buttons simultaneously. The speaker must be turned on to enable/disable the Service Mode.
- To reset your Flip 4, press the PLAY and VOLUME UP buttons until the speaker turns off.
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What Does Each Button on a JBL Flip 4 Do?
Between the POWER and JBL Connect+ buttons, there’s an LED battery indicator. Next to the JBL Connect+ button, you have a rubber flap protecting the micro USB port and a 3.5mm AUX input.
Each of the JBL Flip 4 buttons has a specific function. On top of their primary functions, they can activate some hidden features when pressed together.
POWER Button
This one is pretty obvious. The POWER button is used to turn the speaker on or off. The button is illuminated.
When you turn it on, the button will be white. When the speaker is in pairing mode, the LED around the POWER button will blink blue, and when the speaker is paired with a Bluetooth source, the LED will be solid blue.
JBL Flip 4 – POWER button
Bluetooth Button
It’s pretty obvious what this button does – it puts your JBL Flip 4 into pairing mode. When you first turn on your speaker, or when you turn it on after resetting it, the speaker will automatically go into pairing mode. In this case, you don’t have to press the Bluetooth button.
However, if your Flip 4 is already connected to some device and you want to pair it with another device, you need to press the Bluetooth button. When the LED around the POWER button starts flashing blue, your speaker is in pairing mode.
JBL Flip 4 – Bluetooth Button
Volume UP and Volume DOWN Buttons
Volume UP/DOWN buttons, when pressed alone, are only used to increase/decrease the volume level. When pressed in combination with other buttons, they can do other things as well. We will talk about this later.
You can press them shortly to increase/decrease the volume level by a notch, or you can press and hold to raise the volume all the way up (PLUS button) or mute the speaker (MINUS button).
JBL Flip 4 – Volume UP and DOWN buttons
PLAY Button
The PLAY button is actually a multifunction button. First, it’s used to play or pause the playback. When you press it twice, you will skip to the next track. However, there’s no way to play the previous track – if you press it three times quickly, it won’t play the previous track.
The PLAY button is also used to answer incoming calls.
JBL Flip 4 – PLAY Button
Finally, the PLAY button can be used to activate your voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant). For this to work, you need to activate the voice assistant on your phone. You also have to install the JBL Portable app and make some adjustments. More precisely, you need to select the PLAY/PAUSE button function in the Settings panel (within the JBL Portable app).
In order to use your Voice Assistant, you need to enable this function in the JLB Portable app.
How to Enable Siri on JBL Flip 4?
JBL Connect + Button
The Connect+ button is used to pair two or multiple JBL speakers together. Once you have JBL Flip 4 turned on and connected to your phone, you need to press the Connect+ button on it. Then, turn on the other speaker, and while the speaker is in pairing mode (not connected to any device), press the Connect+ button on that speaker.
JBL Flip 4 – Connect+ Button
The speakers will connect to each other, and the music will play in Party mode (which means both speakers will play the same audio). If you want your speakers to play in stereo mode (as left and right channels), you have to enable it through the JBL Portable app.
Note that you can’t pair just any JBL Bluetooth speaker with your JBL Flip 4. There are three groups of JBL Bluetooth speakers – those that support JBL Connect, those that support JBL Connect+, and those that support JBL PartyBoost.
Since JBL Flip 4 supports JBL Connect+, it can only be paired with other JBL Connect+ speakers. Other JBL Connect+ speakers are JBL Xtreme 2, JBL Pulse 3, JBL Charge 4, JBL Boombox.
Flip 4 supports JBL Connect+ daisy-chain technology and is not compatible with JBL Connect and JBL PartyBoost speakers. You can only pair it with other JBL Connect+ speakers.
Battery LED Indicator
Right between the POWER and CONNECT+ buttons, you have 5 LEDs representing the battery percentage. It allows you to check the remaining battery and charging progress.
The LED closest to the POWER button will blink red when the battery is critically low.
JBL Flip 4 – Battery LED
Pairing JBL Flip 4
Pairing your JBL Flip 4 with a Bluetooth source is a fairly simple and quick process.
When you turn the speaker on for the first time, it will automatically go into pairing mode. The POWER button LED will flash blue. On your phone, you need to enable Bluetooth, look for available devices, and tap on JBL Flip 4. The POWER button will stop flashing blue and should turn solid blue when the speaker is paired.
Pairing JBL Flip 4 is a simple and quick process.
When you want to pair your Flip 4 with a new device, you just have to press the Bluetooth button shortly, and the POWER button LED will start flashing blue, indicating the speaker is in pairing mode.
Pairing JBL Flip 4 – Step-by-Step Instructions
Pairing Two JBL Flip 4 Speakers Together Using Connect+
I have already explained pretty much everything about pairing JBL speakers together, so let’s keep things simple.
JBL Flip 4 is a Connect+ speaker and can only be paired with other JBL Connect+ speakers. You can connect up to 100 Connect+ speakers together, but you can’t pair them with older JBL Connect speakers or newer JBL PartyBoost speakers.
Here’s how to pair two JBL Flip 4 speakers together:
Turn on the first JBL speaker and connect it to your phone. You can even start playing some music on it.
Then, turn on the other speaker, and put it into pairing mode (press the Bluetooth button).
While the POWER button LED is flashing blue on the other speaker, press the Connect+ button on the first speaker. Then, press the same button on the other speaker.
Pairing two JBL Connect+ speakers together is done in just a few seconds.
Soon after, the speaker should start playing together. The same sound will come out of both speakers – they will be playing in Party mode. If you want one speaker to be the left channel and the other speaker to be the right channel, open the JBL Portable app, go to Settings, and select Stereo.
When two speakers are connected together via JBL Connect+, both LEDs (POWER and CONNECT+) will glow white.
Why You Can’t Pair JBL Flip 4 and JBL Flip 5 Speakers Together
Secret Button Combinations and Codes
While you can find everything about the basic functions of Flip 4 buttons in the user manual, some features of Flip 4 are hidden. You won’t find any info about them in the manual or on the JBL Flip 4 support page. All these features are activated through different button combinations.
Firmware Version
If you want your Flip 4 to tell you the current firmware version, you can press the VOL DOWN and CONNECT+ buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
Press the VOL DOWN and CONNECT+ buttons together to find out your firmware version.
You can also check your firmware version through the JBL Portable app. This app is the only way to update your Flip 4. You can’t update it using some button combo on the speaker.
Updating Flip 4 – Step-by-Step Guide
Low-Frequency Mode
There’s some controversy about this feature. Some users believe that you’re not supposed to use the speaker in this mode – they say that the Low-Frequency mode is designed for testing purposes.
Some users have commented that pressing the button combo for Low-Frequency mode will shift you between 4 different EQ presets, and only one of them is the Low-Frequency (Bass Boost) mode. I can’t say I was able to make a difference between 4 different EQ settings. However, I’ve noticed a difference after activating the so-called Low-Frequency mode.
If you want to try the Low-Frequency mode, press the Bluetooth and VOL DOWN buttons simultaneously until the LEDs (POWER and CONNECT+ LEDs) light up.
Press the Bluetooth and VOLUME DOWN buttons simultaneously to activate Frequency Mode.
You will know the Low-Frequency Mode is activated when the LEDs on your Flip 4 light up.
Service Mode
When your Flip 4 is in Service Mode, you won’t be able to turn it on by pressing the POWER button, even if the battery is fully charged. The only way to turn the speaker on when the speaker is in Service Mode is to use the USB charging cable and connect the speaker to a power source. The moment you do this, the speaker will turn on – no need to press the power button.
Even with the speaker turned on, you won’t be able to use buttons on your Flip 4 to pair it with your phone, control the playback, or turn off the speaker. The only way to turn off your Flip 4 when Service Mode is enabled is to unplug the USB cable.
So, basically, your JBL Flip 4 will be completely locked when Service Mode is enabled.
To enable or disable the Service Mode, press the CONNECT+ and VOLUME UP buttons simultaneously (while the speaker is turned on). This will not work if the speaker is turned off.
Pressing the Connect+ and VOLUME UP buttons simultaneously while the speaker is powered on will enable/disable the Service Mode.
Resetting JBL Flip 4
Whenever you experience an issue with your JBL Flip 4, whether it’s a pairing issue, connection issue, charging issue, or something else, RESET is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s a magical solution that fixes many problems.
To reset your JBL Flip 4, press the PLAY and VOLUME UP buttons together until your Flip 4 turns off. When you turn it on, the speaker should go automatically into pairing mode.
Use this button combo (PLAY and VOL UP) to reset your Flip 4.
Resetting JBL Flip 4 – Step-by-Step Instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: What are the buttons on my JBL Flip 4?
- Answer: There are 6 buttons on your JBL Flip 4 – POWER, Bluetooth, VOL UP, VOL DOWN, PLAY (which is a multifunction button), and CONNECT+.
- Question: What is the triangle button on the JBL?
- Answer: The triangle button on your JBL speaker is the PLAY/PAUSE button. Depending on the model, this button can also be used to skip to the next track, play the previous track, answer calls, or activate your voice assistant.
- Question: What does the hourglass button on JBL speakers do?
- Answer: The hourglass button is the so-called JBL Connect button. If it’s an hourglass button with a tiny plus sign in the top-right corner, then it’s the JBL Connect+ button. This button is used to connect your JBL speaker with other compatible JBL speakers.
- Question: Why is my JBL Flip 4 power button blinking blue?
- Answer: If the power button is blinking blue on your JBL Flip 4, the speaker is in pairing mode.
- Question: Can JBL Flip 4 get wet?
- Answer: JBL Flip 4 is fully waterproof (IPX7), so it can get wet, but only if the rubber flap protecting the charging port and 3.5mm AUX input is closed. Note that you shouldn’t charge your Flip 4 while it’s wet – you should leave it to dry off before charging. Finally, you should know that JBL Flip 4 doesn’t float.
- Question: What does the infinity button do on JBL Flip?
- Answer: The infinity button on newer JBL Flip speakers (Flip 5 and Flip 6) is the so-called JBL PartyBoost button. It’s used to connect your JBL Flip with up to 100 compatible speakers for louder sound.
- Question: What does JBL Party Mode do?
- Answer: JBL Party Mode is one of two modes you can choose between when connecting two compatible JBL speakers together. The other mode is Stereo. In Party Mode, both speakers will play the same audio. In Stereo Mode, one speaker will be the left channel, while the other will be the right channel.
- When connecting multiple compatible JBL speakers together, the only mode available is the Party Mode. When multiple JBL speakers are connected together, you can’t make them play in stereo.
- Question: How do I lock my JBL Flip 4?
- Answer: To lock your Flip 4, press the Connect+ and VOLUME UP buttons simultaneously, while the speaker is powered on. This will activate the so-called Service Mode. In Service Mode, you can’t turn on the speaker if you don’t plug in the USB cable, and the only way to turn it off is to unplug the cable. Also, you can’t use any other button on your speaker when the Service Mode is enabled. To disable this mode, connect a USB cable to the speaker (connect it to the power source), and press the same button combo.
- Question: How do I know when my JBL Flip 4 is fully charged?
- Answer: There are 5 battery LED indicators on your Flip 4, between the POWER and CONNECT+ buttons. When all 5 LEDs are solid white, the speaker is fully charged.
- Question: Does JBL flip turn off automatically?
- Answer: Yes, JBL Flip 4 will turn off automatically if there’s no incoming Bluetooth audio signal for 10min.
- Question: How do I turn off the bass on my JBL Flip 4?
- Answer: You can either use a button combo to disable the Low-Frequency Mode (press Bluetooth and VOLUME DOWN buttons) or reset your Flip 4 (press PLAY and VOL UP).
- Question: Can JBL Flip 4 and 5 connect?
- Answer: No, they cannot. JBL Flip 4 features JBL’s Connect+ daisy-chain technology, while JBL Flip 5 features JBL’s PartyBoost daisy-chain technology. These two technologies are not compatible.
Conclusion
JBL Flip 4 is one of the best compact speakers I’ve had. I like everything about it – its sound output, battery life, waterproofness, and its ease of use.
I hope this guide helped you understand what each of the buttons on your JBL Flip 4 does and discover some hidden features you can activate through different button combinations. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below.
