JBL TWS headphones: one earphone does not work, does not connect via Bluetooth, does not charge

This article will be entirely devoted to solving various problems with JBL wireless TWS headphones. As a rule, in the case of separate headphones (aka TWS), the problem is the same - when only one earphone is connected to a phone, computer, or other device. Accordingly, only one earbud works, right or left. And the second earphone doesn't work. This also happens with JBL headphones. Solutions, depending on the headphone model, may be different. There are also other problems with Bluetooth connectivity. For example, when the same phone or another device does not see the JBL headphones, or they do not connect (an error during the connection process).

The solutions that we will consider below are suitable for all JBL TWS headphones. These are the models where two Bluetooth headphones are separated. JBL has a lot of them: Tune 215TWS, Tune 225TWS, Tune 110, Tune 120, Tune 125, Tune 220, JBL C100, Live 300TWS, Live Free NC+, Free II, Live Pro+, UA True Wireless Streak, Reflect Flow, Free X , Club Pro+. Overall, these are fairly high-quality and reliable headphones. The fact that sometimes one earphone stops playing is most likely a problem with the TWS format and improper operation. It happens that the headphones simply become out of sync with each other, after which only one ear works, and the other does not connect.

If you don't know how to connect your headphones to your phone, see these instructions.

Why one of the JBL headphones may not work

Most often, when it comes to JBL devices, we mean wireless ones, the connection of which occurs via Bluetooth. There are not many reasons why one of the headphones does not work.

Without going into details, there are three main ones.

Causes:	Explanation:
Incorrect setting.	It may also be caused by a pairing error.
JBL headphones malfunction.	At different levels - from mechanical failure to manufacturing defects.
There are problems with the device to which we connect the headphones.	In this case, you will need to diagnose your smartphone or tablet.

Failure of JBL headphones
The most difficult case for users is the physical breakdown of a JBL headset. Not everyone has the appropriate tools and knowledge to fix them. Therefore, you have to take them to a service center for repair.

How to fix a wire

To repair a headphone cable, you first need to determine the location of the wire break in the cable . To do this, carefully put on the headphones and, while listening to music, try bending the cable at different angles along its entire length. As soon as the sound in the earphone appears again, fix the section of the cable with your fingers - this is the place where the wire breaks inside the cable.

How to fix a wire

General repair scheme if the wire is broken:

Cut the cable where the wire breaks.
Put on the heat shrink tubing (if you have one, if not, skip this step).
Carefully remove the braid from the cable with a knife. Do not damage the wires!
Clean off the varnish (using a knife or lighter) and tin the wires using a soldering iron (if you will be soldering wires).
Solder the broken wires (or use the solderless method from this article). Just don’t confuse which wire should be soldered to which!
Check the headphones for functionality.
Drag the heat shrink tube to the soldering area, heat it with a hairdryer or lighter until it shrinks to the shape of the wire. If you don't have heat shrink tubing, carefully insulate the wire with several layers of electrical tape.

What to do if your new JBL headset fails

Users often encounter problems with JBL headphones immediately after purchasing them. When you connect a headset to your phone, you may hear sound in one earphone, but not in the other. Most likely the issue is due to incorrect settings or connecting them to a mobile phone or laptop. We must reset the settings in the wireless device and also remove the connection in the phone or laptop. And reconnect them.

For this:

On the headphones, you need to press the power button (if they are turned off) to turn them on; Press the power button on the JBL headphones
Then press the power button on the JBL again and hold it for 8 seconds (or longer);
If the headphones are equipped with a light indicator, it should respond to your actions, for example, flash blue, white, yellow; Indicator light on the JBL headphone body
Turn on Bluetooth on your phone. The icon can be found on the screen by swiping the curtain from top to bottom; Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone
When detected, the model name will be displayed in the list of devices, select it. Click on the model name of your wireless headphones

After these steps, your JBL headphones should start working correctly. In some cases, the first connections may have errors. Try reconnecting them again. Borrow a Bluetooth mobile device from friends or family to try connecting wireless headphones to it.

How to connect only 1 earphone

Users ask how to connect only the left or right earbud so as not to insert both while listening. Here's the algorithm:

Turn on Bluetooth.
Take one “ear” out of the case.
Make sure your phone/laptop recognizes it.
Turn on the power if necessary. Sometimes music starts playing automatically.
To use the second device, remove it from the box and place it in the appropriate ear.

Now you know why one earbud does not work in JBL, what difficulties there are, and how to solve them. In the comments, share what solution helped you and what other rescue methods you can use.

Solving the problem if one JBL earphone stops working

If your JBL headphones were working, but after a while the sound stopped coming from one of them, try using the instructions above. Reconnect them and check. If the problem cannot be corrected, check the wire for continuity. Perhaps it was broken in one place. Typically, such problems appear after the headphones have been dropped or hit. Most likely, wires or contacts were broken inside the housing of one of the devices. It is possible that the battery of the wireless headphones has failed.

Broken wire in JBL headphones

If you have already had experience repairing other electronic devices, you can try to repair your JBL headphones yourself. Since their body is equipped mainly with wires. The regulator or battery housing is glued together. Therefore, to open them, you need to pry off the two plastic parts with a knife or narrow metal object. Then carefully separate them from each other. Inside one of the headphones we need to find singed wires or oxidized parts. Once you find them, try to remove carbon deposits and oxide.

Remove carbon deposits from the headphone wire

If the wire is damaged, it must be replaced. Find another one with the same cross-section and build it up with soldering. If you connect headphones to a laptop or computer, then there may be problems with the driver.

How to fix a wire

General repair scheme if the wire is broken:

Cut the cable where the wire breaks.
Put on the heat shrink tubing (if you have one, if not, skip this step).
Carefully remove the braid from the cable with a knife. Do not damage the wires!
Clean off the varnish (using a knife or lighter) and tin the wires using a soldering iron (if you will be soldering wires).
Solder the broken wires (or use the solderless method from this article). Just don’t confuse which wire should be soldered to which!
Check the headphones for functionality.
Drag the heat shrink tube to the soldering area, heat it with a hairdryer or lighter until it shrinks to the shape of the wire. If you don't have heat shrink tubing, carefully insulate the wire with several layers of electrical tape.

What to do if JBLs do not turn on on a laptop

On a PC, a common cause of errors in the operation of a Bluetooth headset or wired headphones is the lack of a driver. Or his work is wrong. Therefore, one or both JBL devices simply do not turn on.

You need to open the device manager and check the corresponding software:

Press WIN+PAUSE together and select the item on the left in the “Device Manager” menu; Press WIN+PAUSE keys together
Find JBL headphones in the list of devices connected to your computer; List of computer devices
Select it with RMB and click “Update Driver”; Click on "Update Drivers"
If the device is not in the list, try opening the “Network adapters” section (if these are JBL Bluetooth headphones) or “Sound devices” (if the headphones are wired) and find it here. Or click the button at the top of the “Update Configuration” panel. "Update configuration" button

If the headset appears in the list of devices after pressing the button, right-click on the model name and select “Update...”. Try reconnecting your headphones to your computer or laptop. Your device may be refusing to work with different devices. This means that a breakdown may affect important parts, such as the battery. Or the speaker itself has failed.

This is often confirmed by the fact that sound comes out of the left or right ear, but it is much quieter. In this case, one of your JBL headphones is broken and therefore does not work. Contact the service to try to fix it. Or return to the store where you purchased the device. You have the option to return it if the warranty period has not yet expired.

Causes

There are several basic reasons why one JVL wireless earphone does not work:

One earphone is disconnected. This option is relevant for models in which on/off buttons are provided on each element.
Synchronization failure. The problem is considered to be the most common and the root cause is improper connection to the phone/tablet or using only one earbud. If this is causing your JBL wireless headphones to not pair with one earbud to your phone, you may need to reset and sync again. We will dwell on this issue below.
Difficulty charging. It is possible that one of the devices is discharged.
Physical damage. A common reason why the left/right JBL wireless earphone does not work is a simple mechanical failure due to a fall, defect or other problems. In this case, assistance from a service center may be required.
Finding one of the devices outside the Bluetooth coverage area. It is advisable that the device be no more than 10 meters away. If you have moved further away, do not be surprised that one “ear” does not work.

These are the main reasons why one ear of a JBL earphone does not work and it is not possible to restore normal operation.

Now let's figure out what to do in different cases - in case of complete loss of performance, lack of connection or deterioration in sound quality.

Doesn't connect

The most common situation is when the left JBL earphone does not connect to the right one. In this case, take the following steps:

Try assigning the main earphone. To do this, remove both devices from the case, make two clicks on the right device or two touches on the touch key, and then wait for synchronization.
Check that Bluetooth is turned on. Make sure your phone/tablet's Bluetooth is active and working. If one earphone in your JBL wireless headphones suddenly stops working, the cause may be a “blue tooth” falling off. Try turning it off and turning it on again.
Make sure that the connected device is located less than 10 meters away. Also note that the presence of walls reduces this distance.
Charge your device to 100%, because after purchase or a certain period of use it may be discharged.
Turn on your device. Make sure the JBLs are turned on, active and ready to connect via Bluetooth.

Before connecting, be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions. It describes in detail how to connect a device via Bluetooth, and what to do if 1 earphone in JBL wireless headphones does not work. We will dwell on the last question in more detail below.

Does not work

Now let's deal with a more complex situation when the device does not function at all. In this case, the recommendations below may help.

Reset and resync

A common explanation for why one earbud does not work in JBL wireless headphones is a synchronization failure. This is explained by the fact that the second device connects to the main one, and the latter connects to a smartphone, laptop, PC or other device. If the devices cannot connect to each other, the right JBL earphone does not work for wireless devices.

To resolve the issue, do the following:

Go to “Settings” and the Bluetooth section.
Remove the connected device.
Make sure your device is charged. If not, put the earbuds in the box for at least 5-10 minutes.

Press the buttons at the same time and hold them for 40-50 seconds until the settings are reset.
Lower the keys and return the devices to the case.
Wait about 10 seconds for synchronization to take place.
Go to Bluetooth settings and connect from scratch.

If one side of the JBL wireless headphones still does not work, you need to look for another reason. But, as a rule, such steps allow you to cope with the issue. Additionally, consider a number of points:

sometimes you may need to press the button on the case for 25-30 seconds to reset;
if there are no keys on each device, just disconnect and connect the devices again;
make several attempts if the first one is unsuccessful for some reason.

Check charging

If the left JBL earbud does not work, it may simply be dead. To resolve the issue, insert the device back into the case, and connect the latter to the USB connector. Make sure the charge indicator lights up. If it doesn't light up, the problem may be with the power supply or the charger itself.

During operation, the following charging difficulties are possible:

Damage to contacts on the case/insert. Pay attention to the presence of a foreign object, for example, film or dirt.
Malfunction of the indicator indicating the start of charging.
Battery damage. If the power supply does not work, it can be replaced (not in all models) or the device can be changed immediately. The problem is typical for Chinese counterfeits with low quality components.

Try enabling

Often in JBL wireless headphones the left/right earbud does not work due to disconnection. If there is a button (touch/mechanical), use it. Press the key and hold for three to five seconds. As a rule, an indicator indicates that the work is being done correctly. If the second earbud of your JBL Wireless Headphones still does not work after pressing the button, try these steps a few more times.

If all else fails

If there are no results from the solutions discussed above, we can conclude that the device is broken. This happens not only with budget, but also with expensive JBL models. To resolve the problem, take the following steps:

Come to the store where you bought the product with a receipt and guarantee.
Contact a service center for diagnosis and repair.
Read the instructions again. Perhaps some steps were taken incorrectly.

In a situation where one earphone in wired JBLs does not work, the cause may be simple damage to the wire. If it is visually visible, try to repair the gap yourself, but it is better to contact a specialist.

Works, but poorly

A common situation is when JBL works, but the sound quality is poor. To resolve the issue, try the following:

Get closer to the source of the music. Perhaps the song interruptions are due to Bluetooth interruptions.
Remember, perhaps the device crashed recently, after which the sound began to disappear or became quieter. In such circumstances, repairs may be required.
Inspect the product for contamination and clean it.

Try changing the music settings on the source device. The balance setting or other parameters may have changed.

All ways to solve the problem

First of all, make sure both ears are charged. It happens that one of the ears is simply discharged - leave it in the case for at least 15 minutes. In more rare cases, it happens when one of the plugs simply does not reach the contacts of the charging unit - make sure that you are charging it correctly. You can try cleaning the earphone contact with an eraser - this should remove the oxidation of the contact and the device will charge again.

Next, try synchronizing them again and reconnecting. To synchronize, you usually need to simultaneously hold down two buttons on both headphones. A more serious problem occurs when two ears appear separately in the Bluetooth section. You may see either two headphones with the same name, or with the letters L and R.

You can try resetting the TWS headset to its factory configuration - this should help. First of all, remove the pairing from both ears in the “Bluetooth” section in the “Settings” of the phone.

Next we do the following:

Press the button or sensor on the headphones for 5 seconds until they both turn off.
We press the same buttons for about 12-15 seconds - at this moment they should turn on, but you do not need to remove your finger. You will hear two beeps. The lights may also start to flash.
The ears will turn off. You can release your finger.
Place the headset back into the case.

Next, take out the headphones and turn them on at the same time. Synchronization should happen immediately. In some models, you need to similarly press the function keys for a few seconds. After that we connect them via bluetooth.

NOTE! You may encounter a problem when, after the reset, you again see two out of sync ears when connecting in the phone settings. If this happens, try resetting them to factory settings again and try connecting again. On some models I had to do this 3 times before I managed to connect them again.

For synchronization, you can also read more detailed instructions from your headset - everyone’s model is different, so it’s better to look in the manual. You can also try restarting the smartphone itself. Try connecting the ears to another phone, if the problem disappears, you can try resetting your smartphone to factory settings.