TCL Soundbar Not Working [Causes & Fixes]

Since my brother is using a TCL soundbar for his gaming, he was happy at the time of purchase. However, his happiness lasted only two years when his TCL soundbar was not working and showed various issues while using it. By being a big brother, I took this into my own hands and went on analyzing it.

After doing various cycle tests, I finally figured out and fixed his TCL soundbar, which is malfunctioning at times. Are you a user who is struggling with the same issue as my brother? Here are some troubleshooting techniques that you can follow to fix it.

General Causes for TCL Soundbar Not Working

When I went to testing, I found a few factors that were causing the TCL soundbar not to work properly. Some of the reasons for the TCL Soundbar Not Working are as follows.

• Damaged Audio cables
• Bugs in the soundbar system
• Improper audio settings
• Power supply issues
• Input problems

How to Fix the TCL Soundbar Not Working Issue

Take a look at the following measures to fix the not working and other issues you face on your TCL soundbar.

TCL Soundbar Not Turning On

If you have connected your TCL soundbar to your TV and are experiencing a not working issue all of a sudden, then here is the solution for your issue.

Check the Power Supply

When you have connected the TCL soundbar perfectly, and you still find the soundbar not lighting up, then there is a problem with your power supply. So try powering on your soundbar from a different power socket. After doing this, check whether the TCL soundbar is turning on or not.

Check your Soundbar Remote

If the soundbar is fine, but you can’t access or turn on your TCL soundbar using the remote control, then the problem is with your remote control. This type of situation occurs if your soundbar remote control battery dies out. So try replacing the battery and try again to turn on your TCL soundbar.

TCL Soundbar Not Connecting to the TV

If you keep on trying and yet you can’t connect your TCL Soundbar to your smart TV, then here are some workarounds you can try to fix this.

Check Wireless Signals

The first is to check whether the Wireless signals are working properly. So, to make sure the wireless method works effectively, keep your soundbar and your TV in the best proximity. Next, restart both the TV and soundbar devices. Now, try connecting your TCL soundbar to your TV and check whether the fix is working or not.

Try Connecting via Wired

If the wireless methods fail you, then go with a wired method to connect your TCL soundbar to your TV. Make sure the wirings are made firm to connect your TCL soundbar to the TV successfully. You can connect your TCL Soundbar using audio cables, including HDMI, Optical, Aux, and RCA cables.

TCL Soundbar No Sound

When the pairing is successful, but you can’t listen to any audio on the Soundbar, then there is a technical glitch on your soundbar. However, you can fix this issue by following the steps below.

Try Increasing the Volume

As a beginner’s mistake, try turning up the volume on your soundbar and TV. In rare cases, you might have turned down or muted the volume. So, as a first step, try turning up the soundbar volume using the physical button or via the remote control.

Check for HDMI Input

If you have paired your soundbar to your TV using an Aux, HDMI, Optical cable, or other wired devices, you need to configure the audio settings on your TV. Only a few high-end TVs can automatically switch their audio inputs.

So, if you hear no sound on the TCL Soundbar, then change the audio input on your TV and fix this issue.

Reconnect your Soundbar

If the audio inputs are done, and you still have a problem, then there might be minor connectivity issues. To solve this, unpair and pair the soundbar to your smart TV. After doing this, check whether the audio is playing on your TCL Soundbar or not.

Reset TCL Soundbar

When no troubleshooting saves you, then simply reset your TCL Soundbar to fix this issue. To reset your TCL Soundbar,

1. Turn on your TCL soundbar first and check whether the LED light is blinking.

2. Now, press and hold the Play/Pause/OK button on the soundbar remote control for five seconds.

3. The Factory Reset option will display on the soundbar.

4. Now, press the OK/Play/Pause button to reset your TCL Soundbar.

5. After the resetting and restarting are finished, connect your soundbar to the TV and check whether the fix is working or not.

Note: You can also use the built-in Reset button on the TCL soundbar to do this.

TCL Soundbar HDMI ARC Not Working

If you are a user who can’t connect the TCL soundbar to your TV via the HDMI ARC, then follow the upcoming guidelines to fix this.

Check For Physical Damage

When your HDMI ARC is not working on your TCL soundbar, first check whether the problem is with your cable. If your HDMI ARC cable is filled with debris, or the HDMI port of your soundbar is bent or damaged, then you may find this is not working. So, sort out this physical issue and connect your TCL soundbar to the TV.

Change HDMI Input

After trying the above steps, check whether the audio input on your soundbar or TV is in the respective inputs. If the input is changed, you might not hear any audio. So switch to the right input and fix the HDMI ARC not working issue easily.

TCL Soundbar Turning Off Itself

If your TCL soundbar is idle for 15 minutes or more, then it will automatically turn off due to the standby mode. So once your soundbar is connected, just press the power or any buttons on the soundbar or on its remote control to prevent this.

How to Fix TCL Subwoofer Not Working

Basically, the TCL subwoofer will be automatically connected to the soundbar. However, the pairing might be compromised if there are any bugs or technical glitches on your soundbar. So, to fix this, pair the subwoofer to your soundbar again. To do this,

1. Power on your TCL soundbar and subwoofer.

2. Now, press the Bluetooth button on the soundbar twice.

3. By doing this, your subwoofer will get connected to the soundbar automatically.

Note: The steps to connecting the subwoofer to your TCL soundbar might vary from the above-mentioned process.

Contact Tech Support

When all the fine-tuning steps failed you, then I’m sorry to say that you need to seek out the tech support of TCL. Reach out to the TCL customer support team to get your soundbar checked A to Z in order to fix your not working and other software issues easily.

Replace or Buy a New TCL Soundbar

If you think that your TCL soundbar is not worth fixing, then make an ideal decision of replacing it or buying a new one. If your soundbar is under warranty, then you can replace the faulty soundbar with a new one. Meanwhile, if you plan on buying a new soundbar, give the TCL Alto 9+ soundbar a try for its immense Dolby and clear audio.

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