JBL earbuds are reliable and well-made and work for a long time if you use them with care. However, they do run into problems at times.
One common problem is the JBL earbuds not charging in the case. This usually occurs when your earbuds have aged a lot or you haven’t used them for a few months.
I once struggled with my JBL Tune 230NC not charging and did some research to find out the possible causes.
I fixed my problem but came across many troubleshooting methods to solve similar issues with other JBL earbud models.
In this detailed troubleshooting guide, we will discuss the reasons for this malfunction and how you can fix it on your own at home.
JBL Earbuds won’t charge – Reasons
There are quite a few reasons for your JBL earbuds to stop charging. This includes software glitches, bad cables or power bricks, and dirty earbud charging pins.
But below are the top 3 reasons most JBL earbuds won’t charge.
- Charging pins are dirty from wax & dirt accumulation.
- Charging cable or power brick is bad.
- Your battery is critically drained from long time no charge storage.
There are a few other reasons, but they are not very common.
How to fix JBL Earbuds not charging
Now, let’s discuss how to troubleshoot JBL earbuds that won’t charge and fix the issue without going to a repair shop or customer support.
Charge overnight
One of the main reasons for your JBL earbuds not charging is that you left them without charging for a long time on the shelf and depleted the lithium-ion battery to critical levels.
This is the first fix I tried with my own JBL earbuds, and it worked magically.
Lithium-ion batteries are prone to low-charge storage; if you leave them for a long time, they will degrade (sometimes permanently).
If your JBL earbuds have been on your shelf or drawer for a long time without charge, chances are that the battery is depleted, and you cannot get it charging again.
To fix this, we have a trick that works most of the time. Leave your JBL earbuds on charge for at least 12 hours, even if you don’t see them charging.
This trick has worked on my old JBL headphones that won’t charge and even on my DJI Mavic Air 2 drone.
Clean the charging pins
Like all true wireless earbuds, your JBL earbuds will have two charging pins on each bud.
When you put them inside the case, these pins make contact with the charging pins in the case.
However, these charging pins sometimes get dirty with wax, oil, and dust particles.
When that happens, your earbuds won’t make good electrical contact with the case and won’t charge.
If only the left or right JBL earbud stops charging, that is usually a sign of bad or dirty charging pins.
To fix this, thoroughly clean your charging pins with a clean, soft cloth.
If needed, you can slightly dampen the cloth with isopropyl alcohol to clean the oil and wax out.
Every once in a while, clean your earbuds and the charging case with a soft cloth damped with isopropyl alcohol to get the wax out and keep the case and buds clean.
Clean the charging port
Similar to the charging pins on your earbuds, your charging case might also accumulate dust and dirt particles inside the USB charging port.
Most newer earbuds come with a USB-C charging port, which by design is quite accommodating to dust and debris accumulation.
Especially if you work outside or in a dusty environment, you will likely get debris inside the port at some point.
This dust and debris block the charging cable from making a sufficient electrical connection, and hence charging is hindered.
To clean your charging port, you will have to use a sharp and thin tool that can go inside the tiny charging port, a clean but thin cloth, and a can of WD40 contact cleaner spray.
- Take your earbuds out and set them aside.
- Now, go to an open area and hold your charging case at arm’s length with the charging port facing outwards.
- Generously spray the WD40 solution inside the port using the narrow nozzle extension that comes with the spray can.
- Wrap the clean cloth around the sharp tool and carefully clean the inside of the charging port. Make sure to clean the contacts properly without damaging them.
- Now spray another round of WD40 inside the port to get all the dirt out.
- Let the charging case dry out in an open space, and your charging port should be clean as new.
WD40 is a non-conducting spray that is totally safe for electrical components.
Check the Power Source
Sometimes, it’s not the earbuds or the charging case that is the problem but the source of the power that is malfunctioning.
If you are trying to charge your JBL earbuds through a power brick or a computer USB port, it is possible that the charging case is not receiving enough power to charge the earbuds.
Since JBL earbuds don’t come with their own power brick, you have to use a third-party power brick, mostly the one you are using to charge your phone.
So it’s a good idea to change the power source and see if the earbuds are charging now.
If you check the technical specifications of the charging case, you will notice that it needs a 5V 1.0A power supply. This is the power rating of the USB ports on any computer.
You can plug your charging cable into any 5V power port to charge the earbuds. The most convenient one is your laptop’s USB port.
Check the USB Cable
Similarly, a bad USB charging cable can also cause your earbuds to not charge.
The charging cable that comes with your JBL earbud is of sufficiently good quality but can go bad after prolonged use.
Inspect the cable that you are using to charge your case and check for any visible signs of wear and tear.
The cable tends to rapture near the Type C connector, so check that area carefully.
Any USB type C cable can charge the JBL earbuds case, so if you have one lying around, you can use it to check if the original cable has gone bad.
As a general rule of thumb, make sure that you always use a good quality cable and power brick, as substandard accessories can cause damage to your earbuds and headphones.
Place the Earbuds correctly
Sometimes, your JBL earbuds won’t sit properly inside the case, and that will cause them to not charge.
Almost all JBL earbud models come with magnetic seating. The earbuds will snap in place when inserted into the case.
However, the seating tolerances inside the case are really tight, and if you get a small dirt or debris particle inside, that will prevent adequate seating, and the pins won’t make contact for charging.
To make sure any dust or debris isn’t blocking your buds, thoroughly clean the inside of your charging case with a wet cloth.
Reset the Earbuds
Sometimes, this malfunction occurs due to a temporary cache glitch or firmware malfunction.
A simple reset will eliminate any software bug, and they will start charging again.
If your JBL earbuds have some charge left, you can connect them to your phone and perform a factory reset easily. To factory reset, follow the below process.
- Turn off your JBL earbuds. To do this, locate the power button on the right ear cup and press it. You will hear a sound indicating that your earbuds have been turned off.
- Locate the volume up and volume down buttons on the right ear cup.
- Press and hold the VOLUME UP and VOLUME DOWN buttons simultaneously for 20 seconds.
- After 20 seconds, release the buttons.
- Your JBL earbuds will now enter the factory reset mode, and the reset process will begin automatically.
Note: The exact process for resetting JBL earbuds may vary depending on the model, so if the above method doesn’t work for your model, you can go to this JBL website page and get reset instructions for your specific model.
Check the charging case temperature
Lithium-ion batteries are prone to charging at extreme temperatures.
There are built-in mechanisms inside modern battery management systems (BMS) to prevent charging when temperatures are too high or too low.
If your JBL earbuds are too hot from extensive use or too cold in the winter, the built-in safety system might not allow them to pick up charge.
This is to prevent any permanent damage to the battery.
If your case or earbud temperature isn’t normal, wait for some time and try to bring the temperature to normal room temperature (25 degrees Celsius), and then try charging.
Check for physical damage
The last thing you should check is if the case or your earbuds are physically damaged.
Have you recently dropped your earbuds or the charging case? Have you spilled water (or coffee in my case) on them? If yes, then that might be the reason.
The delicate circuitry inside the charging case and the earbuds are prone to physical shock or water damage.
A bad battery due to physical shock or long use can also be the reason for JBL earbuds not charging in case.
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for this as this isn’t something you can DIY repair at home.
You will have to get some professional help, and that brings us to our final tip.
Contact JBL Support
If you have tried all the troubleshooting methods and your JBL earbuds are still not charging, it may be time to reach out to JBL support for help.
JBL provides a dedicated support team trained to help you resolve any issues you may have with your earbuds.
Whether you need help with a technical issue or have a general question about any product, JBL’s support team will help you out.
You can reach JBL support through their website, phone, or email. You can find the contact details below:
Call JBL:
- Talk to a product expert at (800) 336-4525
- Available hours: Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm (EST) and Sat – Sun: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (EST)
Chat With JBL:
- Chat with the JBL support team on this link
- Available hours: Mon – Fri – 9:00 a.m 11:00 p.m (E.T) and Sat-Sun – 9:00 a.m 5:00 p.m (E.T)
Text JBL:
- Chat with a support agent via SMS at 628-333-7807
- Available hours: Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm (EST)
Conclusion – JBL Headphones Not Charging
In this article, we discussed common reasons and solutions for JBL earbuds not charging.
The main reasons are dirty charging pins, a bad charging cable or power brick, and a depleted battery from not charging for a long time.
To fix your JBL wireless earbuds not charging issue, I would suggest leaving the earbuds on charge overnight, cleaning the charging pins and the charging port, checking the power source and USB cable, and resetting the earbuds.
If these troubleshooting methods do not fix the issue, you can contact JBL customer support for expert opinion and help.
FAQs
Who owns JBL?
JBL is owned by HARMAN International, which is a US subsidiary of Samsung. So, JBL is a sub-brand of Samsung.
JBL Tune 120 TWS case not charging. What to do?
The JBL Tune 120 TWS case usually stops charging due to a dirty charging port or malfunctioning USB cable. Clean the port and change the cable.
How do I know my JBL earbuds are charging?
When you place your JBL earbuds inside the case, you will see the LED indicator on each earbud turn on. Different models have different color LEDs, but they indicate the same thing, i-e earbuds are charging.
