Like any other headphones in the market, Bose headphones seldom develop issues here and there. At times, the headphones do not turn ON no matter how well you press the power button.
This issue can be quite frustrating, and sometimes you’d want to trash your headphones. Well, you should not — if you don’t notice any visible signs of hardware damage.
In this blog post, we will highlight the causes of “Bose headphones not turning On” and DIY fixes that can help.
Bose Headphones Not Turning On: 6 Common Causes
Your Bose headphones are not turning ON due to one or more of the following:
1. Battery Issues
While it may seem apparent, you should double-check the battery status of your headphones. This is because the lithium-ion batteries in your headphones are prone to over-discharge if you don’t use them for a prolonged period of time.
Again, the batteries may have gone into protection mode due to a very low charge. You only need to charge them RIGHT to solve this. But, in extreme cases, you may have to replace the batteries.
2. Faulty Power Button
If the power button is broken, your Bose headphones will not turn on. You can diagnose this by feeling the buttons. If they get pressed too easily or feel loose or stuck, then the issue may be with the button not being in contact with the chip.
If you are not comfortable dismantling your headphones, you should take your Bose headphones to a nearby service technician.
3. Technical Bugs
If the headphone software has gotten corrupted by a bug or glitch, it may begin to malfunction. Fortunately, it is very easy to reset them. The reset will help you always restore your headphones to factory settings while clearing bugs.
4. Internal Fault
If your JBL headphones are not turning on, there might be a hardware fault somewhere. As regards turning on, issues with the power-management chip or components can cause it to fail.
Also, water might have gotten inside the headphones. If you notice an unusual odor of burning plastic, metal, or other materials coming from within your headphones’ ports. In this case, your JBL headphones need a replacement.
5. Batteries need Replacement
The lithium-ion batteries in your Bose headphones won’t power on/charge if they’ve exceeded their charging cycles. The charging cycle is counted based on the number of times your headphones are made to charge from 0% to 100%.
Unfortunately, the maximum for Li-ion batteries is usually 300-500. Also, the batteries may also get damaged on exposure to extreme temperatures.
Bose Headphones Not Turning On: Fixes
Here are some DIY fixes that can help out:
1. Charge for some Minutes
Charging for a while will help your Bose headphones exit what is called “battery protection mode” which happens when the batteries are very low. You might not hear a voice prompt announcing the battery level.
Also, in case they do not indicate charging immediately, the batteries might be dead. You should leave them plugged, and wait till the battery is full (usually takes about two and half hours) before unplugging.
2. Replace USB cables
Since battery issues are most often the issue, replacing your USB cables with a fast-charging one can help. You should also try plugging the headphones directly into the wall outlet, not to a laptop port. Most laptop USB ports only provide about 0.5 amps which can cause it to charge slowly or not at all.
3. Troubleshoot the Power Button
If the power button feels loose, try wiggling it around, pressing it down at angles, and see if that powers the headphones on. If not, double-press the power button multiple times. Now, if any of these doesn’t work, move to the next line of action.
4. Leave Headphone to Rest
After you’ve charged your headphones and you are sure it now has enough charge on it, you should leave them to rest for a few minutes to cool down and stabilize its battery before booting them.
5. Reset your Headphone
This simple reset will not only help you return your headphones to its default, it will help reboot it. Follow these highlighted steps to do that.
- Unplug your headphones from the USB before doing this (don’t charge it)
- Press down the Power/Bluetooth button for 10-20 seconds
- Connect/charge it on a wall outlet while still pressing the power button.
- The status light on your headphone should blink twice.
- Wait for 2 seconds, release the power button
- Allow your headphones to restart.
Note: You can reset your Bose headphones again if it still doesn’t turn on.
6. Replace the Batteries
If you’ve tested and confirmed that the Bose batteries are dead, proceed to replace them in a local repair shop. You should only do it yourself if you have some technical knowledge.
Wrap-up
By following the DIY fixes outlined in this blog post, your Bose headphones should be up and running again. If not, the issue is most likely caused by faulty internal hardware. In this case, you can take it to a nearby hardware shop or contact Bose’s customer care to trade it in for a newer one.
