What Does a Blinking White Light on Beats Mean? Causes and Fixes Explained

If you dropped $150 to $200 on Beats headphones (or any device for that matter!), you’ve got to know how they work and what every indicator light color means to get the most bang for your buck. It’s also handy to know so you can fix an issue should one arise.

One common question that has Beats owners stumped is why their headphones are suddenly blinking white. Let’s dive into the reasons, and more importantly, how to fix it!

If your Beats are blinking white, it could mean they’re in "discovery mode," ready to pair with a device. Essentially, they’re searching for a Bluetooth-enabled device, like your phone or computer. This is one potential reason shared in an Apple discussion thread.

Another cause could be a connectivity issue, like the headphones being too far from the device or interference. If you’ve tried pairing your Beats with your device and it won’t connect, you might need to try a few troubleshooting methods, some of which we’ve outlined below.

As for TikTok user @asking_for_tech_h, who has a pair of Beats Solo 3 headphones, they complained that after the headphones were dead for a few days and were powered back on after charging, a white light started flashing, but the headphones wouldn’t turn on. For wired Bluetooth headphones, this could happen if the wire has come loose from the earbud, and you can fix it by running your fingers along the wire to make sure it’s properly attached.

Of course, this won’t help if you have standard wireless headphones. Luckily, if your headphones are flashing a white light and not turning on, one TikTok user shared a troubleshooting method that worked for them, and hopefully, it’ll work for you too!

The first and usually most effective method of resolving a technical issue is to reset your Beats. Sometimes, they just need a quick refresh, and a reset might do the trick. To do this, press and hold the power and volume down buttons at the same time for 10 seconds. Wait for the light on the right ear cup to blink red and white, then release. This should reset your Beats and allow you to try pairing them again.

You might also want to reset your phone as another troubleshooting method. TikToker @vaxsl2 followed this method but mentioned they pressed the ear cups together and had to do it twice before the lights flashed white and red. They also placed the headphones on the charger for one to two hours, and they were good to go!

Someone in the comments also shared that, in addition to holding the power and volume down buttons, they clicked "forget device" on the device they wanted to connect their Beats to.

If these methods don’t resolve the flashing white light issue or you can’t even power them on, it might be time to contact the company’s support channel. They should be able to walk you through additional troubleshooting steps or direct you on how to get them fixed.