How to Bushnell Wingman Reset: Tips from Experience

If your Bushnell Wingman won’t pair, freezes mid-round, or keeps dropping connection, the fix is usually a full reset. Here’s the fastest way to do it, plus what to try if the first attempt doesn’t stick.

What Usually Triggers the Need for a Reset

Resets aren’t something you’ll do every week, but they come up in a handful of repeat situations:

• A failed firmware update – If the update interrupted (battery died mid-transfer, phone moved out of range), the Wingman can get stuck in a half-updated state where voice prompts are garbled or Bluetooth won’t activate.
• Bluetooth pairing confusion – After connecting to multiple phones or a golf watch, the Wingman’s internal pairing table can become corrupted, causing it to refuse any new connection.
• Deep freeze after low battery – If the battery runs completely flat and the unit sits for days before charging, the internal power controller sometimes enters a low-voltage lockout that a standard power-on can’t break.

Knowing the trigger helps you pick the right reset method on the first try instead of guessing.

Resetting Your Bushnell Wingman

The Wingman has a dedicated reset method that clears Bluetooth pairings and restores factory settings. You don’t need any tools—just the device and about 30 seconds.

1. Power off the Wingman. Press and hold the power button until the unit shuts down completely (the voice prompt will say “Powering off”).

2. Locate the reset button. It’s a small, recessed pinhole on the back of the device, near the USB‑C charging port. On older Wingman models (serial numbers starting with 20 or earlier), the button is directly below the power button instead of beside the port.

3. Press and hold the reset button. Use a paper clip or a small pin to press the button. Keep it held for 10–12 seconds. You don’t have to hold the power button at the same time—just the reset pinhole. Count a full 12 seconds; stopping at 8 seconds often doesn’t finish the cycle.

4. Wait for the confirmation. After releasing the button, the voice prompt will say “Resetting.” The unit will power off automatically in a few seconds. If you hear nothing, go straight to the battery-drain reset below.

5. Power back on. Press the power button normally. The Wingman will start in pairing mode (voice says “Bluetooth pairing”). It’s now ready to connect fresh to your phone or GPS watch.

Note: This reset wipes all stored pairings, but it does not clear firmware updates or course data. Your speaker will still have the latest firmware version after the reset.

What to Do If You Don’t Hear “Resetting”

If you press the pinhole button for 12 seconds and the Wingman stays silent (no voice prompt), stop and try a battery-drain reset first. That usually means the unit is in a deep freeze and the pinhole reset won’t register until power is cycled fully (see next section). Don’t repeat the pinhole attempt more than twice—it can wear down the tiny button.

Firmware Version Check Before You Give Up

If the reset works but you keep having connection issues afterward, check the firmware version. On the Wingman (not Wingman View), power on and press the volume-down and mode buttons together for 3 seconds. The voice will read the version number (e.g., “Version 2.4”). Any version below 2.1 is known to have a Bluetooth hang bug that a standard reset won’t fully clear—you’ll need the firmware update first. Bushnell’s website has the updater tool for Windows and Mac.

When the Standard Reset Doesn’t Work

Sometimes the pinhole reset doesn’t seem to do anything, or the device stays stuck. Try these in order:

Battery‑Drain Reset

1. Plug the Wingman into a USB‑C charger and let it charge for at least 30 minutes—even if the red light is off. A completely flat battery can take that long before the charging circuit activates.

2. Unplug it, then press the power button for 15 seconds straight (not the reset pinhole) to force a full power cycle. You should see no lights or sounds during those 15 seconds.

3. Attempt the pinhole reset again.

This can wake a Wingman that’s in a deep freeze after a partial power failure or a low battery shutdown that didn’t clear the internal state. It’s also the fix if the Wingman powers on but the voice is stuck on the previous round’s yardage.

Factory‑State Re‑Pair

If the device resets but still won’t pair to your phone:

• Delete the Wingman from your phone’s Bluetooth settings (“forget this device”).
• On your phone, go to Bluetooth settings and toggle Bluetooth off for 10 seconds, then back on. (This clears any stale cache entries.)
• Hold the Wingman’s power button for 5 seconds until the blue light blinks rapidly—that forces it into pairing mode even after a reset. If the light blinks slowly instead, the unit didn’t fully reset.

Firmware‑Lock Hang

A very small number of older Wingman units (firmware below v2.1) can lock up during an OTA update. In that case:

• Connect the Wingman to a computer via USB‑C (it shows up as a mass storage device).
• Delete any hidden `.fwupdate` file inside the drive.
• Eject safely, then perform the pinhole reset again.

This is rare, but it’s the only scenario where a reset alone won’t fix the issue—you need to remove a broken update file manually. If you see a file named `update.bin` instead of `.fwupdate`, delete that too. Both are left over from interrupted transfers and cause the Wingman to hang on boot.

Verifying the Reset Worked

After you finish, confirm the reset actually took effect:

• Bluetooth pairing: Open your phone’s Bluetooth settings. The Wingman should appear as “Bushnell Wingman” (not with extra characters like “LE” or “BT”). Tap it. The voice should confirm “Connected.” If it shows as “Wingman_LE” or similar, the reset didn’t clear the old pairing database—repeat the pinhole reset.
• Voice prompts: Turn the volume up or down. If you hear the correct prompt (e.g., “Volume 80 percent”), the unit is working normally. A frozen or garbled voice means the reset didn’t fully clear the glitch—repeat the steps. If garbling persists after a second attempt, skip to the stop threshold below.
• Battery indicator: Press the battery check button on the Wingman. The LED should show a solid color (green/amber/red) and not flicker. Flashing lights after a reset often indicate a hardware issue rather than a software one.

Stop Threshold: When to Contact Bushnell Support

If after the full battery-drain reset, pinhole reset, and re-pair attempt the Wingman still:

• Shows a continuous flashing battery LED, or
• Will not power on at all after charging for an hour, or
• Produces only garbled static instead of voice prompts,

then the issue is likely a hardware fault. Stop DIY efforts and contact Bushnell support (or use the warranty if still covered). Continuing to press the reset button repeatedly can damage the internal switch.

A Common Failure Mode: Phone-Side Bluetooth Cache

Even after a successful device reset, your phone may hold onto old pairing data. The symptom: the Wingman pairs, but audio cuts out after 5–10 seconds or the voice prompt says “Connected” then immediately “Disconnected.” The most likely cause is a stale Bluetooth cache on the phone, not the Wingman. Fix it by:

• Going into your phone’s Bluetooth settings and selecting “Forget This Device” for the Wingman.
• Restarting your phone (not just toggling Bluetooth).
• Re-pairing fresh from the Wingman’s pairing mode (blue light blinking).

This pattern catches owners who assume the Wingman is defective when the phone is actually the culprit. Always test with a second phone if available before returning the unit.

Following these steps in order should get your Wingman back to normal quickly. If you still have trouble, the issue likely requires a warranty replacement or a firmware update from Bushnell’s website.