My Toniebox Won’t Turn On? (Here’s The Easy Fix!)

my toniebox won't turn on

If you’re one of the many asking why my Toniebox won’t turn on, we know the answer!

The Toniebox uses a simple digital music box mechanism that combines entertainment and audio like no other toy.

The sudden startup failure can be a result of charging faults, base station issues, or internal battery problems.

These tend to be the most effective solutions for the Toniebox’s fault:

  • Verify the Toniebox is “woken up” through both methods.
  • Ensure the Toniebox is charged to the maximum battery.
  • Perform a power cycle on the Toniebox’s charging base.
  • Troubleshoot the power supply of the charging base unit.
  • Perform a factory reset on the Toniebox to fix the system.

Discover the details for each of the solutions by proceeding further into the guide!

How to Fix When My Toniebox Won’t Turn On in Simple Steps?

Note: Have you checked if the Toniebox responds to charging or any inputs?

1. Wake Up the Toniebox Unit

wake up the toniebox unit

Well, to turn on a Toniebox, you can either press one of the ears on the top surface or simply connect the device to the charging station.

If the Toniebox is charged and detects the input, it should “wake up” automatically and start narrating bedtime stories to your child.

So, let’s review both methods for waking up the Toniebox!

1.1 How to Wake Up Toniebox with the Ears Buttons?

As established, the Toniebox is designed to wake up after every input or external influence from the user.

So, pinching either of the ears on the top of the Toniebox will reboot the unit and cause the LED to illuminate as an indication.

1.2 How to Wake Up Toniebox with the Base Station?

If pressing one of the ears does not do anything, there’s a possibility that the Toniebox’s battery has depleted.

If so, position the Toniebox on the charging surface of the base station and check if there will be an audio announcement or illumination of the LED.

2. Refill the Toniebox’s Battery Power

refill the toniebox’s battery power

The next step is to connect the Toniebox to the charging base and not take it off until it reaches maximum battery capacity. 

  • By default, the Toniebox is designed to turn off by itself after idle for more than 10 minutes.

So, you must interact with the music box for short periods to prevent it from turning off automatically. 

According to the manual, it takes anywhere between 3 and 4 hours for a Toniebox to charge from 0% up to 100% battery capacity, so be patient.

You can test the Toniebox after at least 1 hour has elapsed, by pressing either of the ear buttons while the music box is still connected.

How to Tell if Toniebox is Receiving Power?

If the LED is off, it will be difficult to tell whether the Toniebox is charging or not.

So, the unit is designed to produce an audio prompt right after being connected to a charger and the LED on the front panel should also illuminate.

Tip: Unplug and plug the charging station to listen to the tone!

3. Power Cycle Toniebox Base Station

power cycle toniebox base station

The next practical solution is to perform a power cycle on the Toniebox’s base station, in case of a power supply fault or power insufficiency.

The base station may often develop issues as a result of temporal fluctuations with the power cord and equipment.

Here’s how to perform a power cycle on the Toniebox in easy steps:

  1. Remove the Toniebox from the base station’s charging surface.
  2. Disconnect the Toniebox’s power supply cable from the outlet.
  3. Wait for 30 seconds and place the Toniebox back on the base.
  4. Reconnect the power cord and check if the box’s LED flashes.

Important: Remove Third-Party Power Equipment!

remove third-party power equipment

The Toniebox base station needs to have a direct connection to the outlet to avoid unnecessary complications with the power supply.

The Toniebox will power off and refuse to charge if there’s a fault anywhere along the way of the power supply.

Potentially problematic devices include power strips, power dividers, power cord extenders, or surge protectors, connecting the Toniebox through. 

Note: If the LED of the Toniebox illuminates or there’s a sound indication, it means that the device has started charging successfully!

4. Reset the Toniebox to Default

A system refresh or rather a factory reset is an optimal solution for any issues with the Toniebox.

For this purpose, the unit must be turned upside down, since this works as a form of a system bypass that allows the Toniebox to be reset.

Warning: All of the Toniebox’s settings and downloaded Tonies will be permanently deleted!

reset the toniebox to default

Here’s how to system reset a Toniebox in easy steps:

  1. Connect the Toniebox with the base station and lift it upwards.
  2. While connected, turn the Toniebox with the ears facing down.
  3. Press and hold both ear buttons for an average of 10 seconds.
  4. Release after the LED illuminates, or you hear the audio output.

Note: The ear buttons must be pinched firmly otherwise the Toniebox will not detect the press and initiate the restoration procedure.

5. Check the Base’s Power Supply

If you’re still wondering how to turn Toniebox on, and why it’s not powering on, you must ensure that the base station delivers a sufficient power supply.

There are a couple of things that may go wrong with the electrical supply of the Toniebox charger and prevent the device from turning on. 

check the base’s power supply

Try the following to troubleshoot the Toniebox’s power supply:

  • Secure your Toniebox’s charging adapter on both connectors.
  • Connect the Toniebox to an alternative electrical outlet to test.
  • Check if there is visual damage to the charging station’s cord.

Important: Additionally, double-check the base station’s surface, as there shouldn’t be any dust or debris preventing clear contact with the Toniebox’s charging pins.

6. Reconnect the Toniebox’s Battery

If nothing works and your Toniebox is not turning on, the community has found a workaround to power on the device without the charger.

This method works like a “jumpstart” and resolves any problems related to powering on the Toniebox.

reconnect the toniebox’s battery

If you don’t know how to turn on Toniebox without charger, you must disassemble the Toniebox and disconnect the battery temporarily.

Taking the Toniebox apart is relatively easy to do and requires little to no technical experience or knowledge.

Note: Well, disassembling the Toniebox will void the product’s active warranty!

Here’s how to reconnect the battery pack of the Toniebox unit:

  1. First, place the Toniebox on a flat surface to begin the process.
  2. Turn the Toniebox counterclockwise while applying pressure.
  3. A clicking sound will indicate when the latches are released.
  4. Gently pull off the bottom plate and remove the Phillips screw.
  5. Next, lift the inner part of the Toniebox to expose the battery unit.
  6. Disconnect the battery’s connector from the box’s motherboard.
  7. Wait for 20–30 seconds and reconnect the battery’s power supply.

Tip: Consider replacing the Lithium-ion 3.6V/2000mAh battery if the Toniebox won’t turn on!