iHome iBT230 Troubleshooting

You have trouble powering on your device, or it is not responding.

Make sure that all of the connections are correctly and properly plugged in. Also make sure the power is ON, indicated by a solid blue light on the front of the unit. Connect the included AC adapter to the DC jack located on the back of the unit, and connect the other end to a working wall outlet. Extend FM antenna. Two AA batteries are included for battery backup. Install them in the backup battery compartment located on the bottom of the unit before use.

Your device may not be paired correctly with the iBT230. Do so by making sure your Bluetooth device is fully charged. Turn on your Bluetooth device and make it "discoverable" by turning on Bluetooth mode (check in Options or Settings). Press and hold the Play/Pause/Pairing Button for 2 seconds. The iBT230 will beep and the Bluetooth icon will flash on the display, indicating the iBT230 is in pairing mode. "iHome iBT230" should appear in your device's Bluetooth menu. If a "Not Paired", "Not Connected" or any other similar message appears, select "iHome iBT230" to connect to it. If prompted for a passcode, enter "1234" on your device's keypad. If the pairing is successful, PAIR will appear at the bottom of the display and the Bluetooth icon will appear solid and 2 beeps will sound. This indicates the iBT230 is ready to play music. There should also be an indication on your device. If no device is successful within 2 minutes the iBT230 will default to previous mode. Once the iBT230 is paired to a device, it will attempt to autolink when the device is within about 30 feet.

Your iHome iBT230 is stuck on the same screen, and it won't let you continue.

If your iHome iBT230 is frozen, the unit may require a reset. To do so, unplug the unit from the power source and remove the backup batteries. Let the unit stand for 2 minutes. Re-install backup batteries and connect the unit to power source. You will need to reset the clock, radio, and any other settings.

Remove the unit from the charging base. In this case it might be better to do a reset in a different way. Insert the end of a paper clip while the unit is on ON into the reset pin hole on the bottom of the unit. If it still does not continue, there might be an internal issue, by which replacing the Main Motherboard would fix this issue. Please visit the iHome iBT230 Main Motherboard Replacement Guide for a step-by-step instruction on how to replace the Motherboard to fix these issues.

Your device or computer will not successfully pair with the iHome iBT230.

It is important that you always have the latest firmware for your device. When you power ON the unit, it will automatically link with the last paired Bluetooth device that is within range (about 30 feet). To pair it with a different device you must turn off the Bluetooth capability on the already paired device, or take it out of range.

Note: Bluetooth implementation varies depending on your device's hardware and operating systems. Please visit the iHome Support Page for further instructions.

Sometimes there might not be an issue with the iBT230 which may prevent the device from pairing with the iBT230, but rather an issue with your device itself, such as your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, etc. It is important to make sure your device is working properly, and there's nothing wrong with the Bluetooth connectivity. In this case, check your device's manual that it came with for details on Bluetooth pairing and linking. Once you determine the issue with your own personal device, it should be able to pair with the BT.

You are having stability issues of the connection between your device and the iHome iBT230.

Make sure that your device is at least 30 feet away from the iHome iBT230. If it is too far away, the connection may be disrupted. If this is the case, simply bring your device closer to the iHome iBT230, and it should autolink with the BT. It is important to always keep the two devices within 30 feet of each other, otherwise the connection will be disrupted.

It may be that the iHome iBT230 is low on power, and that might explain why it is having trouble staying connected with your device, despite being in range. Simply recharge the iHome iBT230 if this is the case, or replace the backup batteries. When replacing the batteries make sure to have the unit connected to the AC outlet to maintain all of your settings, otherwise you will need to reset the time and alarm after the batteries are replaced. Press tab to remove the battery door located on the bottom of the unit. Remove the old batteries. Insert 2 fresh AA batteries in the backup battery compartment. Make sure the polarity of the batteries ("+" or "-" nodes) is considered when placing the batteries into the slots. Close the battery compartment door. Confirm that the backup battery indicator is not flashing in the display. And now you should be able to stay connected with your device and the BT, without any further disruptions.