If your TCL soundbar starts having connectivity problems or you notice degraded audio performance even after tweaking the settings, it may be time for a reboot.
Resetting TCL soundbar models to their factory out-of-box state is an easy process that often resolves common issues encountered over time.
Let’s explore the step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips for successfully resetting your TCL soundbar device via both soft power cycles or a more extensive hard restore.
How to Reset TCL Soundbar
The process for resetting a TCL soundbar involves either a simple soft reboot power cycle or a hard reset that erases custom settings.
Specific steps depend on the model but generally require holding remote/unit buttons or using a paperclip in a pinhole.
We’ll outline the procedures in detail below.
Why You Might Need to Reset Your TCL Soundbar
It is not uncommon for glitches or bugs to occur in the system software of soundbars, including TCL models, after prolonged periods of use.
Connectivity issues between the soundbar and television or other devices connected via HDMI, optical, AUX, Bluetooth or WiFi are also a frequent complaint from users.
In situations like these, completing a reset of the TCL soundbar will often clear out any software problems and restore functionality when reconnecting devices afterwards.
Resetting and rebooting your soundbar can also become necessary if you have changed your home WiFi network or router the soundbar was previously connected to – completing the reset will erase the old settings and allows you to sync with the new network credentials during setup.
Preparing to Reset the TCL Soundbar
Before beginning the reset process on a TCL soundbar model, it is important to properly prepare the unit so that the restoring of factory settings goes smoothly.
As a first step, you will want to power off and unplug all devices that are currently connected to the soundbar, including the HDMI cable from the TV input, optical/auxiliary audio cords, ethernet cables if directly wired to a router, and the power cord from the wall outlet.
Removing all wired connections before a reset prevents any voltage irregularities or electrical issues from occurring accidentally while re-initializing the device.
Locate the physical reset button on the exterior casing of the TCL soundbar – check your instructional manual if you are unsure of its location as this varies by model.
On certain units it is on the bottom panel towards the back, while on others it may be underneath a small pinhole on the side or rear of the chassis.
Have the soundbar remote nearby as you will need to use it toggle power states on the device throughout the reset process.
Resetting the TCL Soundbar
TCL soundbars have two options when completing a reboot to factory default settings – a soft reset which quickly power cycles the device, and a hard reset which erases all existing alerted configurations or customized EQ levels.
Initiating a Soft Reset
To perform a soft reset, firmly press and continually hold the power button located on the TCL soundbar remote for at least 10-15 seconds.
Do not let go once depressing the key – continue holding as the soundbar shuts off after several seconds, its front LED display going dark.
Keep the remote power button held down and soon after the device will turn itself back on, the LED interface illuminating with activity.
Releasing the power key once the front of the soundbar comes back to life completes a successful soft reset.
The process is quick and simple, quickly rebooting the connected microprocessing components without deleting sound levels, network passwords, or paired Bluetooth device profiles.
A soft reset fixes minor software glitches but does not erase user customization of the system.
Performing a Hard Reset
If a soft reset attempt did not resolve the issues on your TCL soundbar, you will then need to execute a hard reset to factory default settings.
This completely erases all adjusted presets and reinstalls the unit’s software from an internal backup partition.
Begin this process by locating the recessed pinhole reset button along one of the back edges, side panels, or bottom casing of the soundbar – check your exact model’s reference guide for the precise placement.
Acquire a straightened paperclip and gently insert the tip into reset port, pressing down on the concealed button within for between 5-10 seconds.
You will see the LED status indicators on the front of the soundbar begin flashing in unison – continue depressing the reset key until the lights stop blinking.
Remove the paperclip immediately once the LEDs turn off.
The soundbar will now restart itself just as when completing the soft reset, its display indicating activity and initialization of the factory default software profile.
Once complete, your TCL unit will be restored and reset properly.
Connecting Devices Afterwards
After successfully resetting your TCL soundbar via either the soft or hard method, you will now want to reconnect all of your external media players, streaming boxes, game consoles, HDTVs, and wireless playback devices.
Begin by plugging the main HDMI cable from your primary TV’s ARC/eARC port into the soundbar’s output.
If utilizing older televisions without HDMI ARC capability, use an optical TOSLINK cord instead to pass audio signals.
Connect all other HDMI video sources such as Blu-ray disc players, streaming media boxes or game consoles directly into available HDMI input ports along the rear soundbar interface.
For non-HDMI devices, you can use analog or digital optical auxiliary cords.
Reconnect the Ethernet LAN cable or configure the WiFi credentials via the settings menu for restoring your high speed internet access.
Finally plug the power cord back into the electrical outlet to complete all wired connections.
Power on the television first followed by the TCL soundbar via the remote to begin wirelessly pairing previously synced Bluetooth headphones, speakers or smartphones for streaming music playback.
Test that audio signal pass-through is functioning from each connected device before completing the setup.
Refer to the soundbar’s operations manual for device pairing instructions if issues occur getting external gadgets to sync during this process.
With all equipment linked successfully, your TCL soundbar is now ready for use again after resetting!
Troubleshooting Issues After Resetting
In some situations, you may still experience intermittent connectivity problems or dropout of audio signals from television programming and HDMI video sources even after completing a factory reset on your TCL soundbar model.
If audio dropout issues persist between the soundbar and television either via HDMI ARC or optical TOSLINK, try power cycling both units instead by unplugging them from the wall for 1 minute before reconnecting.
Ensure all video and audio cables are firmly seated in their respective ports.
Confirm that HDMI cables meet certified premium standards to handle lossless Dolby and DTS-HD surround sound pass-through from a 4K HDR external video source.
Test with alternate HDMI inputs on both the soundbar and television as certain ports many have defects.
Reset WiFi network settings and attempt pairing mobile devices again as Bluetooth inconsistencies can develop.
If anomalies continue, perform another hard factory reset on the TCL soundbar following the steps outlined above.
Checking for the latest over-the-air software updates and firmware upgrades via the settings menu is also recommended as TCL periodically enhances stability in regularly released patches.
As a last resort if problems adapting sources or dropping audio persists, contact TCL customer service regarding a replacement soundbar or on-site technical service call to inspect what internal electronic components could be malfunctioning following multiple resets.
Be prepared to provide detailed information on all troubleshooting steps you performed during the ongoing issues.
Resetting and updating your TCL soundbar’s software will resolve most functionality problems hear initially after purchasing.
Conclusion
Resetting your TCL soundbar back to factory default settings can solve a variety of technical issues and glitches that commonly occur over time.
Following the step-by-step soft or hard reboot procedures outlined above will help restore functionality and reconnectivity with paired devices if unusual problems emerge.
Performing periodic resets can also clear out software bugs, remove outdated network settings, and refresh the core operations if audio quality seems to be deteriorating.
With robust integrated components and future firmware enhancements from TCL, your smart soundbar will continue delivering pristine cinematic sound for years to come through occasional reboots when needed.