To pair a phone, tablet, computer or TV with the Smart Soundbar 600 over Bluetooth, press and hold the Bluetooth button on the soundbar's remote until the light bar blinks blue, then pick the soundbar in the device's Bluetooth list. Bose says a tone plays and the light bar glows white once the connection is made. Two cautions from Bose matter most: some TVs can only receive Bluetooth audio and cannot send TV sound to a speaker, and Windows lists the soundbar twice, where you must choose the entry with the speaker icon and not the one beginning LE-.
Differential
Likely causes of “Bose Smart Soundbar 600 will not pair or connect”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The soundbar is not in discoverable mode
What separates it The light bar is not blinking blue when you search from the device
How to confirm Hold the Bluetooth button on the remote until the bar blinks blue, then refresh the device's list
- 2
Windows picked the LE listing
What separates it The soundbar shows up twice in Windows and pairing finishes with no sound
How to confirm Remove both entries and pair again using the one with the speaker or headphones icon, never the LE- one
- 3
The TV cannot send audio over Bluetooth
What separates it The TV pairs but sound keeps coming from the TV speakers
How to confirm Look in the TV's Audio or Bluetooth menu for an output option; if none exists, use HDMI ARC or the optical cable
- 4
A stale paired-device memory
What separates it The soundbar reconnects to the wrong device or the new one never appears
How to confirm Hold the Bluetooth button 10 seconds until the bar blinks blue twice, then pair from scratch
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which device you are pairing (phone, Windows PC, Mac, Chromebook or TV)
- The light bar color while you hold the Bluetooth button
- Whether the soundbar appears once or twice in the device's Bluetooth list
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedPrepare the device
ReversibleTurn Bluetooth on and open the Bluetooth device list on the phone or computer. On a TV, open the Audio or Bluetooth settings instead, because a few models only accept Bluetooth audio and cannot send it.
Make the soundbar discoverable
ReversiblePower the soundbar on with the remote, then press and hold the Bluetooth button on the remote until the light bar blinks blue. That blinking blue is what Bose describes as discoverable mode.
Choose the right entry
ReversibleSelect the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 in the list. On Windows 10 or 11, if it appears twice, pick the one with the speaker or headphones icon; on a Mac, click Pair beside it; on a Chromebook, choose it from the Bluetooth list in the clock menu.
Confirm the connection
ReversibleYou should hear a tone and see the light bar glow white. Play something and adjust the volume on the remote to make sure sound really comes from the soundbar and not the TV.
Clear memory if it still fails
ReversibleHold the Bluetooth button on the remote for 10 seconds until the light bar blinks blue twice, remove the soundbar from the device's saved Bluetooth list, then repeat the pairing from the first step.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Bluetooth radio
- Bluetooth 4.2 with A2DP, AVRCP and BLE profiles, about 30 feet (9 meters) of range, and a paired-device memory Bose says you can clear from the remote.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If no device ever sees the soundbar after a 30-second power reset, the radio may need service, so start a repair through Bose Support
- !If the bar stays amber after pairing attempts, it is in setup mode rather than Bluetooth mode and needs the Bose app
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
HDMI ARC or optical, Bose app setup, amber light bar, Alexa step.
Discoverable mode, blue light bar, white on connect, TV and Windows cautions.
The 10-second Bluetooth button hold.
Default, Off and Options 2 to 7.
Disable CEC on the TV, try another CEC option, reset the TV.
20-foot range, IR emitters in the corners, alkaline batteries.
Firmware 11.0.40, 10.0.30 and earlier release notes, app OS requirements.
Firmware, account membership, reset and reinstall steps.
Wi-Fi strength readout, bands, extenders, WMM.
Setup, the two Alexa entries, unsupported Alexa features.
Microphone-off button, one Amazon account per Bose account.
30-second power reset and the factory reset on the remote.
Audio delay, TV settings, extender caution.
The 0 to 200 slider under Sync and Delay.
Router and network checks.
Inputs, Bluetooth 4.2, five speakers, Atmos formats.
Exact questions
Common questions
How far can the device be?+
About 30 feet or 9 meters, less through walls.
Which Bluetooth version does it use?+
Bluetooth 4.2, with A2DP for audio, AVRCP for remote control and BLE.
Do I need the Bose app to pair Bluetooth?+
No, the remote's Bluetooth button is enough for a basic pairing.
Why does it pick the wrong phone?+
It remembers several devices and tries the most recent first, so clear the memory.
What does SimpleSync do?+
It groups the soundbar with one Bluetooth device using the remote's Bluetooth button, added in firmware 3.0.17.
What does a white light bar mean?+
White after pairing means the Bluetooth device is connected.
Which Chromebook menu lists it?+
Open the clock in the lower right, choose Bluetooth and select the soundbar.
Will clearing memory erase settings?+
It only clears paired Bluetooth devices, not the soundbar's Wi-Fi or app settings.