Struggling to locate that lost Bose soundbar remote trapped somewhere in your sofa cushions again?
Thankfully, you can still turn on your Bose soundbar even without a remote using the soundbar’s manual controls, HDMI ARC connections, Bluetooth pairing or even handy Alexa voice commands for hands-free convenience.
Let’s explore these straightforward alternatives to power up your entertainment without remote assistance.
How To Turn On Bose Soundbar Without Remote
You can easily turn on a Bose soundbar without the remote control by using the manual power button located directly on the soundbar itself.
Simply press this button, usually labelled with a standby or on/off icon, to power on a Bose soundbar instantly without needing the missing remote.
We’ll explore more convenient hands-free voice control, connectivity options and soundbar button tricks in detail ahead.
Using the Soundbar Buttons
The most straightforward way to turn on your Bose soundbar without the remote is to use the manual buttons located directly on the soundbar itself.
Most Bose soundbar models have buttons for power, volume control, and switching between different audio source inputs.
To start the process of powering on your Bose soundbar without a remote, you first need to locate the power button on the soundbar.
The power button is usually marked with the standby or on/off symbol to make it easily identifiable from the other buttons.
It is typically found on the top or front right hand side of the soundbar for easy access.
Once you have located the power button, simply press and release it to power on the Bose soundbar instantly.
If several seconds pass after pressing the power button and the soundbar does not turn on, double check to confirm that the soundbar is plugged into an active, working electrical outlet.
Make sure that the outlet is switched on and that the power cable is fully inserted into both the outlet and the soundbar.
In some cases when powering on via the manual soundbar buttons, you may also need to hit the source or input button to cycle through connected devices until audio plays out of the speakers.
For example, if you have your Bose soundbar connected via HDMI to a Blu-ray disc player and also to a TV, you may need to toggle the input button back and forth between the Blu-ray and TV connections to choose an active audio source.
So after pressing power, give your soundbar 5-10 seconds to boot up then try pressing the source or input button repeatedly to cycle through connections.
Listen to hear audio kick in from the linked source device confirming the correct input is now active.
Next to the power button, you will usually also find dedicated volume up and volume down keys to control sound levels on your Bose soundbar without the remote control.
The volume keys often have plus and minus symbols or vertical bars indicating raising loudness up and lowering it down.
Once powered on, tap these volume buttons as needed to increase or decrease volume to your desired listening preference without requiring the soundbar’s remote control.
Press and hold the keys to amplify volume adjustments faster. Allow a few seconds between tweaks for the changes to take effect based on the audio source connected.
Using Your TV Remote
If you have your Bose soundbar connected properly to your television via cable connectivity, then you can often use your regular TV remote to turn the Bose soundbar on and off automatically.
Modern Bose soundbar models communicate seamlessly with TVs using an HDMI ARC or optical digital audio connection for linked power functions.
The HDMI ARC (audio return channel) standard allows a compatible TV to both send and receive digital audio directly from a soundbar, without needing an extra dedicated audio cable connection.
This means you can conveniently power on both devices in sync together using one centralized remote control.
To use your existing television remote instead to power on your Bose soundbar, first confirm your soundbar is plugged firmly into your TV’s HDMI ARC port specifically.
Typically labeled explicitly as ARC, Audio Return Channel, or HDMI OUT, this specialized port allows bi-directional 2-way audio communication critical for synchronization.
If you don’t see the ARC label, look for the HDMI port on your TV with notation like ‘HDMI OUT’ or something with ‘Out’ indicating audio signal transmission back OUT from the TV.
With the appropriate ARC HDMI cable connecting into that coordinated port on both ends, your Bose soundbar and television can “talk” back and forth digitally.
With the vital HDMI ARC hardware connection in place, simply power on your television using the familiar remote control as usual while the Bose soundbar begins receiving electrical signals automatically in turn.
This sends an instant electronic “wake up” message that activates both your TV and the synchronized soundbar simultaneously within seconds.
You can then tweak volume louder or softer using the recognizable volume buttons on your television’s remote per routine.
The Bose soundbar recognizes the infrared volume level commands from the TV remote thanks to the behind-the-scenes HDMI ARC digital audio handshake communication linking the devices seamlessly.
Similarly, pressing the power or standby button on your television remote at the end of viewing sessions also powers down both the TV and cabled Bose soundbar automatically in convenient unison.
This coordinated power off sync shuts both systems down together, avoiding wasted standby energy when not actively watching home entertainment.
Just keep in mind, using simplified CEC controls does depend on advanced TV compatibility specifically via that HDMI ARC port.
If your television is older or does not have an explicitly labeled Audio Return Channel HDMI slot, then you’ll need to utilize an alternate Bose Soundbar power on method instead.
Controlling Through Bluetooth
If you invested in a Bose soundbar with integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity support, then you can use practically any external Bluetooth-enabled mobile device to remotely power on the soundbar.
This includes popular gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth-capable computers able to wirelessly pair and broadcast out an activating signal.
You first need to teach your target mobile device to electronically recognize and “connect” with the Bose soundbar via Bluetooth’s automatic pairing process before remote power on control is possible.
This pairing step allows the two devices to discover each other wirelessly and remember that trusted relationship for quick connectivity in the future.
Begin by enabling Bluetooth mode on both the Bose soundbar itself and your intended mobile controller if not already activated automatically out of the box.
Scan any included manuals for details on initiating Bluetooth pairing methods unique to your exact Bose soundbar model and chosen Bluetooth external device.
Common manual activation steps when starting from zero paired devices involves pressing and holding the Bluetooth or Connect button on the Bose soundbar for several seconds.
This shifts the soundbar into Bluetooth discovery mode – detectable by nearby devices.
Next, grab your target phone, tablet or computer and access Bluetooth settings to initiate pairing mode there too.
The external device scans the local wireless sphere and detects the Bose soundbar broadcast signal as an available new audio playback destination.
You can then select the detected Bose soundbar by its model name shown as an available connectable device on your control screen.
The mobile controller sends an electronic pairing request for access confirmation.
Once the soundbar accepts and pairs back wirelessly, you will hear an audible confirmation tone or see a connection status indicator.
Your external Bluetooth device may also ask you to confirm a visible passkey number or code between screens as an additional verification security measure.
When Bluetooth pairing completes successfully, both your mobile controller and Bose soundbar store one other’s digital address to enable quick fire-and-forget wireless reconnects in the future.
Now with an established Bluetooth partnership officially registered, any media playback initiated from your Bluetooth-paired smartphone, tablet or computer automatically signals and awakens your Bose soundbar without touching any buttons.
This includes tapping on songs, videos or streaming apps to queue up entertainment.
As soon as Bluetooth audio begins streaming from the chosen mobile device, the associated Bose soundbar instantly powers up and plays that music, movie or audio feed through the speakers automatically thanks to the wireless tether.
So when you misplace the Bose soundbar remote again, simply access and play content from any handy trusted mobile source you already took time to pair up.
This allows you to conveniently power up and push audio to your Bose soundbar completely wirelessly without remote assistance.
Using Alexa Voice Controls
If you invested in a higher-end Bose smart soundbar model with built-in Alexa digital voice assistant capabilities, you can power up your Bose soundbar completely hands-free without any physical remote or controls.
Thanks to sensitive long-range microphone arrays that actively listen for programmed wake words, Alexa allows power activation via intuitive voice commands.
Much like Amazon Echo speakers, first ensure your Alexa voice-compatible Bose soundbar is fully set up using the detailed Bose Music smartphone app.
The in-app activation links your soundbar securely with your home WiFi network and Amazon cloud account for fluid integration that responds reliably to spoken cues.
Follow all on-screen configuration and account linking steps carefully when registering the device into your smart ecosystem.
Key aspects involve designating a custom wake word your compatible Bose soundbar listens for intently, like “Alexa”.
You also assign a unique device name so Alexa knows specifically which hardware to control when you issue general power change requests via voice in a room full of smart gadgets.
For example officially name your Bose soundbar something clear like “Living Room Soundbar” for crystal clarity.
With everything successfully WiFi connected, registered, updated and given a designation identity, simply speak out your pre-programmed wake word loudly to grab Alexa’s attention from across the room.
For example clearly state “Alexa, turn on [soundbar name]”.
Speak your actual named soundbar model in the command for assured accuracy, such as: “Alexa, turn on the Living Room Soundbar” so Alexa powers on the correct Bose system configured in that space.
After a few moments to process the speech request, Alexa then replies back through your target soundbar confirming she heard and understands the power on order.
The specified Bose soundbar verbally acknowledges too and immediately boots up fully operational hands-free without remote assistance.
Now powered on and wirelessly connected to expanded smart home functionality, continue issuing Alexa voice commands to adjust volume, launch streaming music apps or even integrate with other Alexa-compatible devices on the network.
Thanks to robust Alexa digital assistant integration replacing the need for a remote, soundbar buttons or wired device connectivity – powering on compatible Bose models becomes delightfully uncomplicated.
Let your voice both activate equipment and adjust settings for an optimally relaxing, eyes-free listening experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several convenient methods to power on your Bose soundbar without the remote control.
Trying the manual soundbar buttons first for a quick power up, connecting devices via HDMI ARC or Bluetooth for automated turn on, or using Alexa voice controls hands-free are all effective solutions.
With multiple options at your fingertips, you can comfortably command your entertainment without the reliance on finding that easily misplaced remote.