Besides many advantages, the only thing that I am not satisfied with with Bose Soundbars is that it doesn’t have a built-in Power button. However, you can turn it on only with its remote control. In case its remote breaks or malfunctions, there is no way that you can turn your Bose Soundbar On. But there are a few workarounds that you can control and turn on your Bose Soundbar even without a remote. Some of these workarounds include using remote apps, universal remotes, or via the CEC feature.
If not all, there’s an assurance that at least any one of the above methods will work for the model of your Bose Soundbar. Therefore, go through this article and get to know how to turn on your Bose Soundbar, including Bose Solo 5, Soundbar 900, 500, 700, 300, and others without a remote.
Turn On the Bose Soundbar Without a Remote Using Auto Wake
Auto Wake, as the name implies, will turn on your Bose Soundbar automatically without any need to turn it on separately with its remote. This feature will be useful when you cannot use or have lost your Bose Soundbar Remote. To enable this feature, proceed with the following;
1. Install the Bose Music app on your smartphone from the respective app stores.
2. After this, power on your soundbar and connect it to a WIFI network.
Tip! Your Soundbar will connect automatically to a WIFI network if it has its credentials saved before.
3. Now, connect your Smartphone to the same WIFI network as your Soundbar.
4. Launch the Bose Music app and sign in to your Bose account. Then, follow the on-screen prompts and set up your account.
5. Then, go to Setup New Product and click on Speakers & Soundbars. Now, your app will look for devices connected to the same WIFI network.
6. Choose your Bose Soundbar from the list and click on the Add option provided below. Enter your WIFI credentials again to pair both devices.
7. Now, connect the Bose Soundbar to your TV via an HDMI Cable. You should insert those into the HDMI ARC or eARC port of your TV.
8. Afterwards, on the Bose Music app, click on the Settings icon provided at the top-right.
9. Scroll and click on Optical Auto-Wake. Toggle it on in the following step.
10. After this, whenever you play any audio on your TV, your Bose Soundbar will automatically turn on and start playing the audio. Your Soundbar will turn off automatically if the TV remains idle for some time.
Tip! You can also use the Bose Music app to connect the Bose Soundbar to your phone wirelessly.
Turn On the Bose Soundbar Using a Smartphone
This method involves installing the ControlSpace Remote Custom app on your Smartphone and using its remote feature to turn on your Bose Soundbar. Remember that this method only works if your Smartphone has the IR Blaster feature and your Bose Soundbar is updated to its latest firmware.
1. First, install the ControlSpace Remote Custom app on your iPhone or Android Smartphone.
2. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to set up the app.
3. After this, power on your Bose Soundbar.
4. Now, go to the main screen of your ControlSpace Remote Custom app; look for the Power On/Off option to turn on your Bose Soundbar.
5. After turning it on, you can also control its Volume, Tone Control, Source, System EQ, and Trivia Controls.
Turn On the Bose Soundbar Using a Universal Remote
Universal Remote can be a perfect replacement for your original Bose Soundbar remote. Universal remote has all the features of your original remote, and you can use it to turn your soundbar on/off, as well as perform other similar functions. You can pair a universal remote to your Bise Soundbar in two ways, and both of them are explained below.
Pair Universal Remote via the Bose Music App
1. First, install the Bose Music app on your smartphone and pair it with your Soundbar.
2. Turn on the power supply to your Bose Soundbar.
3. After this, launch the Bose Music app and go to your soundbar Settings.
4. Click on Advanced under the Universal Remote section.
5. Tap on Pair New Remote, and the app will look for available universal remotes. At this point, remove and reinsert the batteries of your universal remote and place it closer to your smartphone.
6. Now, the app will detect the remote. Click Done to complete the pairing process.
7. Once paired, you can use the universal remote to turn on your Bose Soundbar.
Pair the Universal Remote Directly
If you are unable to pair your remote via the Bose Music app, then try the steps provided below. This method only works if your universal remote has a set of preinstalled remote codes compatible with your Bose Soundbar.
1. Press the Source button on your Remote, and your Universal Remote starts blinking, indicating that it is in pairing mode.
Note: Depending upon the model of your remote, the name of the ‘Source‘ button varies.
2. Now, press the Power button on your Universal Remote. Your Soundbar will turn on/off if it is compatible. Otherwise, press the Power button again until your soundbar turns off/on.
3. Once your Soundbar starts accepting commands from your remote, press the Source button on your universal remote. Now, your Soundbar will be paired with the remote.
4. After this, you can start controlling your Bose Soundbar using the universal remote itself.
Turn On the Bose Soundbar Without a Remote by Power Sync
Power Sync feature automatically turns on your Bose Soundbar when the TV connected to it is turned on. You can enable this feature via the Bose Music app installed on your Smartphone. Before getting into the process, ensure your Bose Soundbar is paired with the Bose Music app on your smartphone. After this,
1. Launch the Bose Music app on your smartphone.
2. Select your soundbar and go to its Settings.
3. Navigate to the Power Sync option provided under the Power section and select it.
4. Now, toggle it on.
5. In the following step, choose the device that you want to sync your soundbar with. If you want to pair it with a TV, choose Sync with TV.
6. After this, turn on the power supply to your Soundbar and your TV.
7. Turn on your TV using its Remote. Now, your Bose Soundbar will also turn on.
Note: With this feature, you can only turn your Soundbar on/off and won’t be able to control its other features.
Turn On the Bose Soundbar Without a Remote via HDMI CEC
In addition to turning on your soundbar, the HDMI CEC feature allows you to control your soundbar’s Volume, Bass, etc. However, this feature is limited only to a few models. With this feature, you can turn on your Bose Soundbar with your TV remote itself. The procedure to do this method is given below.
Tip! HDMI CEC comes in a different name for each device; hence, look at your TV’s user manual to get a clear idea.
1. Connect your Soundbar to your Smart TV via a HDMI cable. The HDMI cable should be inserted into the HDMI eARC port of your TV.
2. Now, go to your TV Settings. Depending upon the TV model, navigate to the HDMI CEC (ARC) option or its equivalent and enable it.
3. After this, go to the Bose Music app and click on Settings.
4. In that, choose Speaker Settings; select your soundbar and click on Advanced Setup.
5. Then, click on HDMI CEC and select Default On.
Note: For Bose Soundbar 400 and 500, go to Settings, click on Advanced CEC, and turn it On.
6. After this, you can use your TV remote to turn on your Bose Soundbar. Apart from turning on your soundbar, you can control its volume, bass, etc.
In this way, you can turn on the Bose Soundbar without a remote via the HDMI CEC feature.
Purchase Bose Replacement Remote
If you don’t like it or if you are not comfortable with any of the above workarounds, then you can buy a Bose replacement remote. You can buy a replacement remote from several sources, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Bose’s official website. Before buying a remote, keep in mind the exact model of your Bose Soundbar.
If you are unable to use any of the above methods, then try doing a factory reset of your Bose Soundbar, or else contact Bose Customer Support through their website and get the required solutions.
FAQ
Yes. If you are unable to connect your Bose Soundbar to a WIFI, connect the Ethernet cable coming from the Router to it. After this, connect the Bose Music app to the same WIFI router and pair both devices.
