Bose Soundbar 900 Red Light? (Best Ways to Fix)

If your Bose Soundbar 900 red light has interrupted your audio bliss, we have the solutions!

The red light on the Bose soundbar is commonly caused by a software-related error, either with the operating system or firmware version.

Well, there are many surrounding factors involving the power supply and third-party devices, so let’s take a quick peek at what the solution includes…

To resolve the red light on your Bose soundbar begin with a power cycle, and connect the device to a tested power outlet.

If this doesn’t work, enter recovery mode, manually upgrade the firmware, and perform a factory reset.

Let’s jump straight into an in-depth guide on everything mentioned above!

How to Fix Bose Soundbar 900 Red Light? – 6 Easy Steps!

Important: Try to recall whether your soundbar started showing the red light after an update!

1. Soft Reset Bose Soundbar

So, the first and easiest step to resolve the red light on Bose soundbar 900 is to perform a soft reset, which is a completely harmless solution.

Also known as a “power cycle” this method aims to discharge the device from the residual electricity, resetting the system and solving all errors.

Here’s how to soft reset your Bose soundbar 900 in easy steps:

1. First, turn off your Bose soundbar 900.
2. Unplug the power cord for 30 seconds.
3. If you have speakers, unplug them too.
4. Finally, reconnect the soundbar back in.

It’s that easy! 

If your soundbar doesn’t show the red light now, the problem is solved.

However, if you still see the red light, you need more troubleshooting, so keep reading the instructions ahead.

2. Activate the Recovery Mode

If your Bose soundbar 900 is stuck on a red light, activating the “Recovery Mode” might be the perfect solution that will help you fix the problem.

The recovery mode on the Bose soundbar 900 is designed specifically for cases in which the device is unresponsive and faces system errors.

However, the recovery mode requires an active Wi-Fi connection, so if you’ve just factory reset the Bose soundbar, connect the device to the internet beforehand.

When you’re ready, here’s how to activate Bose soundbar 900 recovery mode:

1. Disconnect the Bose soundbar 900 from the power.
2. Wait for 30 seconds and reconnect the device.
3. When the light bar lights up, you have 10 seconds!
4. Important: Wait at least 1 second between presses!

The light bar will blink in green to indicate the Bose soundbar 900 has entered recovery mode.

Your device will now attempt to upgrade its firmware (blinking in white), which can take about 5 minutes, and if the red light appears again, then the soundbar is facing a severe software issue.

If this doesn’t fix the red light issue, continue reading…

3. Unplug All 3rd Party Devices

The red light on your Bose soundbar might be caused by a connected third-party device, so the next step is to disconnect everything.

This means disconnecting the Bose soundbar from the subwoofer, speakers, televisions, consoles, and computers.

The goal is to make sure that your Bose soundbar 900 is connected only to power, after which you must soft reset again.

• If the red light stays there, then none of your devices is the culprit.

If, however, the red light disappears, connect your external devices to the soundbar one by one, and check after which one, the red light appears.

This will reveal the culprit behind the problem. If the red light is still there, continue reading…

4. Try a Different Power Source

Another quick step before we dive into more complex solutions is to simply test plugging your Bose soundbar 900 into a different power source.

Also, we strongly recommend connecting the soundbar directly to the outlet, without third-party outlet devices such as strips, or smart plugs.

If your Bose soundbar continues to show a red light, even in a proven-to-work power outlet, then the problem is software-related. 

So, let’s learn how to fix this!

5. Manually Upgrade Software

The solid red light on Bose soundbar 900 typically indicates a software error, which is directly related to the operating system.

Hence, when outdated this light indication might appear as a result of system conflicts, thus updating the firmware is one of your most effective solutions.

There are a couple of ways to update the Bose soundbar 900, but we’re going to show you the manual way of doing so, which is guaranteed to work.

Here’s how to upgrade your Bose soundbar 900 firmware manually:

1. First, sit on a computer that is connected to the internet.
2. Go to “http://worldwide.bose.com/support/SB900FW”
3. The update file should automatically start downloading.
4. When downloaded, do not rename “product_update.zip.”
5. Now you need a USB to USB-C cable for the connection.
6. The USB-A side of the wire plugs into the PC’s USB port.
7. The USB-C end plugs into your Bose “USB-C SERVICE”.
8. Unplug the soundbar’s power cable for about 30 seconds.
9. When you plug it back, the light bar should blink in white.
10. After the soundbar loads up, the light bar should turn off.
11. Then, find the Bluetooth and Skip Back remote buttons.
12. Hold both buttons for 5 seconds to enter “Service Mode.”
13. On your PC go to “http://203.0.113.1:17008/update.html.”
14. Then, click “Choose File” and select “product_update.zip.”
15. Finally, select “UPLOAD” and wait for the firmware to install.

Important: The update link on your PC won’t work if your Bose soundbar 900 has not been restarted and is not in “Service Mode.”

6. Reset the Soundbar to Default

The red light on Bose soundbar 900 is typically caused by a software-related error, which you can easily fix by performing a factory reset.

The factory reset will ultimately unpair your Bose soundbar from all devices, voice assistants, and wireless connections, solving all system errors.

However, resetting the Bose soundbar heavily depends on whether you’ve got a voice assistant connected or not, so we’re prepared steps for all occasions.

Without Voice Assistant:

1. Open the Bose Music app on your smartphone.
2. Tap “My Account” and go to “Manage Products.”
3. Press on “Edit” and choose your Bose soundbar.
4. Tap “Delete” to remove your device from the app.
5. Find the Power and Skip Forward remove buttons.
6. Hold both buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds.
7. The light bar on your soundbar should blink twice.
8. The soundbar will reset and start blinking in amber.

Paired Alexa Assistant:

1. Open the Alexa app and go to “Devices” → “Echo & Alexa.”
2. Select your Bose soundbar 900 and press on “Deregister.”
3. Go to “Account” → “Other Programs” → “Login with Amazon.”
4. Choose “Remove” next to all instances of your Bose soundbar.
5. If you are not using Alexa after the reset, disable the Bose skill.
6. Open the Bose app, go to “Edit” and “Delete” the Bose soundbar.
7. Finally, press and hold the Power + Skip Forward remote buttons.
8. Release whenever the Bose soundbar restarts and blinks in amber.

Paired Google Assistant:

1. From the Bose Music app, go to “Settings” → “Voice Assistant.”
2. Then, choose “Google Assistant” and tap on “Remove Account.”
3. Finally, press “Remove” to confirm the Google Assistant removal.
4. Also, in the Bose Music app, go to “Edit” and “Delete” your Bose.
5. Hold the Power + Skip Forward remote buttons for 5 seconds.
6. Finally, the soundbar will reboot and you can release both buttons.

Info: The amber light means that the Bose soundbar is in “Setup Mode” ready for pairing!

Final Thoughts

So if the Bose Soundbar 900 red light is getting on your nerves, soft reset the device, switch to a different power source, and enable the recovery mode.

If this doesn’t help, updating Bose soundbar 900 manually or performing a factory reset should resolve the problem immediately.

We hope this guide was helpful, so follow us for more!