A classic. You pull the buds out of the case, a blue light flashes promisingly, and then – nothing. Your phone can't see the earbuds, the earbuds can't see your phone, and everyone's alone in the world. Bluetooth pairing should be easy, but sometimes technology decides to be difficult just for the fun of it.
Don't worry. This is usually an easy fix.
Why won't the earbuds connect?
When you take the NL21 buds out of the case, they automatically try to connect to the last device they were paired with. If that device isn't nearby, is turned off, or has Bluetooth disabled, the buds just sit there waiting like a dog behind a closed door.
Another common reason: the buds have already connected to some other device. Maybe your work laptop, maybe a tablet, maybe your neighbour's phone. Bluetooth is loyal – to whatever device it last connected to.
Third option: something went wrong during pairing and the buds are just confused. Electronics are like that sometimes.
How to fix it
1. Check the basics first
- Is your phone's Bluetooth turned on? Sounds like a daft question, but we've all been there.
- Is the NL21 on your phone's Bluetooth list? If it is, remove the pairing completely from your phone's settings.
- Are the buds charged? If the battery is dead, the blue light flashes once and then dies. Charge them in the case for at least 30 minutes.
2. Check the contact protector stickers
If the buds are new, make sure you've removed the small protector stickers from the charging contacts inside the case. They prevent charging, and without power, absolutely nothing is going to happen. This is a surprisingly common oopsie.
3. Reset the buds
This solves the majority of issues:
- Place both buds in the case
- Plug the charging cable into the case
- Press and hold the touch panel on both buds for 5 seconds
- The blue light flashes once – reset done
- Take the buds out of the case and try pairing again
4. Pair from a clean slate
After the reset:
- Open your phone's Bluetooth settings
- Remove the old NL21 pairing from the list, if it's still hanging around
- Take the buds out of the case – they should enter pairing mode automatically
- Select "Valco NL21" when it appears on the list
- Remember: range is about 10 metres. Keep your phone close during pairing.
5. Make sure another device isn't stealing the connection
If you've previously connected the buds to, say, a laptop, it might grab the connection first. Turn off Bluetooth on other devices while you're pairing.
If nothing helps
If the buds still don't show up on your phone's Bluetooth list after a reset, or one bud connects but the other doesn't, you might have a faulty bud. Drop us a message at info@valco.fi – include your order number and tell us exactly what's happening (which bud, what lights are flashing, what your phone shows). A photo of the situation always helps.
We repair our devices in Kajaani. During the warranty period, it's all sorted at no extra cost.
Bluetooth as an invention is named after a Viking king, and sometimes it behaves like one – does whatever it pleases. Usually though, a reset restores order to the kingdom.
