Bose QuietComfort Headphones F38 Fix (No-Nonsense Guide)

Here’s the straight-up, by-the-book sequence Bose support will walk you through. Do it in this order, don’t skip steps.

• 1. Hard power reset
  • Turn the headphones off.
  • Wait at least 30 seconds.
  • Plug them into a known-good USB charger or computer using the original (or a good quality) cable.
  • Leave them charging for at least 5 minutes.
  • Unplug the USB cable.
  • Wait another 1 minute, then try turning them on again.
• 2. Bose reset procedure (QC-style reset)
  • Turn the headphones off again.
  • Wait 30 seconds.
  • Plug the headphones into USB power for about 5 seconds.
  • Unplug the USB cable.
  • Wait 1 full minute.
  • Turn the headphones back on and see if F38 is gone / they boot normally.
• 3. Clear the Bluetooth device list (Bose’s standard step)
  • Turn the headphones on.
  • Hold the power/Bluetooth switch in the Bluetooth position (or the Bluetooth button) for about 10 seconds.
  • Keep holding until you hear something like “Bluetooth device list cleared” or see the LED flash differently.
  • On your phone/computer, delete the headphones from the Bluetooth list too.
  • Re-pair from scratch and test.
• 4. Force a firmware update
  • Install or open the Bose Music or Bose Connect app on your phone (depends on your QuietComfort model).
  • With the headphones powered and nearby, let the app detect them.
  • If it offers a software/firmware update, do it. Don’t walk away; keep the phone and headphones close until it finishes.
  • Alternatively, use Bose’s computer updater (via USB on a Mac/PC) and follow the prompts to reinstall or update the firmware.
  • After the update, power-cycle the headphones and check if F38 is gone.
• 5. Rule out power/charging issues
  • Try a different USB cable and a different charger or USB port.
  • Let the headphones charge for at least 1 hour, then test again.
  • If they only behave while plugged in and F38 or random shutoffs return on battery, the internal battery is suspect.
• 6. Last official step: Bose service
  • If F38 keeps coming back after reset + firmware update, Bose’s official answer is service or replacement.
  • Check your warranty status on Bose’s site or by calling support.
  • Out of warranty, ask for a flat repair / exchange quote and compare it to the cost of a new QuietComfort model.