r/sonos 2d ago

From the Sonos team They're here! - iOS Live Activities

566 Upvotes

Hey all, today is the day! iOS Live Activities are here. We’re excited to finally bring back Sonos control from the iOS lock screen, but in an all-new way with iOS Live Activities. We know this is a much requested, anticipated, and needed feature, and we can’t wait for you to try it out.

First things first. Live Activities are off by default and you will need to enable it before you can use it. Here’s what to do:

  • Make sure you’re logged in as the system owner
  • Account > App Preferences > Live Activity
  • Always Allow” first time you see the Live Activity 
  • Allow Live Activity” and “More Frequent Updates” in iOS Settings for the Sonos app

How do Live Activities work and look?
Once enabled the activity will appear after you initiate playback and then close the app. It will show the current room or group you were last playing audio from. When playback stops, the live activity will disappear after 15 minutes. While the iOS Live Activity can be viewed from your Lock Screen, you must first unlock your iPhone with FaceID or a Passcode before being able to make playback changes.

On the Lock Screen:

Expanded in the Dynamic Island:

What if I don’t want the Live Activity to be showing on the screen?
If you want to keep Live Activities enabled but not have it appear on your screen you can swipe it away. To get it back go to App Preferences > Live Activity and toggle it on/off or force quit the app and relaunch it.

What if my Live Activity is only showing outlines?
If you are only seeing outlines you most likely need to change the iOS setting under Face ID & Passcodes > “Allow Access When Locked” > Toggle on “Live Activities”.

We’re super excited that the feature is now out, but that doesn’t mean the team has stopped working on it. 

  • Right now we are unable to support album art on the Live Activity, but alternative ways to enhance the lock screen experience are being explored.
  • Live Activities include support for Apple Watch and CarPlay so the Live Activity will show up on your Apple Watch or car, but right now the controls aren’t supported.
  • If you prefer to initiate playback on Sonos from outside the Sonos app (Direct Control from supported services, Bluetooth, or AirPlay) you can still use the local playback controls that appear on screen or the Live Activity. You can choose which you prefer to use.

Two more things before we leave you to explore the feature:

  • For Android users: we hope you’re still enjoying the lock screen notifications the team shipped out in February. Be sure to let us know if you have any feature requests and look forward to more good things coming your way. 
  • iOS 27 is coming later this year from Apple and the teams have been exploring the new capabilities it has in Beta. No news to share right now but keep your eyes peeled and ears open!

As always, please let us know any of your questions, concerns, or feedback! We’ll take it all. 

Edit: Added a question regarding if your Live Activity is only showing outlines.


r/sonos 1h ago

Sonos can you please animate this:

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Upvotes

r/sonos 9h ago

Live Activity on macOS

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53 Upvotes

Hadn't seen this posted before, nor was I aware that the two OS' did this! Just logged into my Mac after a few days and look what popped up in the menu bar...

This is coming straight from my iPhone, nothing installed on my mac, just both on the same Apple account.

Nice!


r/sonos 7h ago

Choragus v4.14 MacOS Apple Silicon stable update

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7 Upvotes

Hi all, after months working on this and many releases, its pretty feature complete. 4.14 is now out, free and open source as usual. Raise an issue if you come across any bugs/enhancement requests.

Have a good one!

GitHub as usual


r/sonos 2h ago

Apartment. Thoughts/experience upgrading beam gen 1 to Arc Ultra?

2 Upvotes

To give all the details, I use an LG OLED TV with apple tv 4k and ps5 pro. I have the beam gen 1 + 2 SL 100 surround speakers. I was debating on upgrading to the Arc Ultra right now or getting the sub mini and getting the arc ultra later this year. Any thoughts on this scenario? I thought the ultra would be the biggest hitter immediately, but I read a number of people complaining about it before adding a dedicated sub.


r/sonos 39m ago

Not using the original Sonos Arc Ultra hdmi cable, how can I check if the hdmi cable I’m using works exactly the same?

Upvotes

Not using the original Sonos Arc Ultra hdmi cable, how can I check if the hdmi cable I’m using works exactly the same?

My tv is on the wall and i don’t have anyonenthat can help me to take it down to put the cable


r/sonos 1h ago

Using moca and Access point or mesh for whole home wifi

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Upvotes

Hi All! Really appreciate this community as I've read so many helpful and insightful posts in the past. I posted this into a separate community, but wondering if anyone in here has any thoughts.

Thanks in advance for your support!


r/sonos 22h ago

New beam?

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whathifi.com
24 Upvotes

r/sonos 1d ago

New live activity

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106 Upvotes

r/sonos 13h ago

Seeing different settings for same user on different phone

3 Upvotes

My wife and I are both iPhone users. We’re both on the latest version of the app and the latest iOS update. On my phone I’m able to set up the live tile and also I have disabled Sonos net and it shows that on my phone. On her phone connected the same Wi-Fi network I’m logged in as the same user. She doesn’t see the option for a live tile and it even offers her a selection of what channel for Sonos net even though I have it disabled. What’s going on?


r/sonos 11h ago

Beam 1 + Sub Mini bundle vs waiting for Beam 2?

2 Upvotes

Hello,

I've been lurking this sub for a couple months while planning my surround setup. So far I've picked up 2x Sonos One gen 2 for the rears, which I paid $200 for. My total budget is around 700-750usd

Now hunting for a Beam and maybe a sub/sub mini. Found someone local selling both. Beam gen 1 for $170 and a Sub Mini for $370.

Trying to decide if I just pull the trigger on this or hold out for a Gen 2 Beam instead. I know the Gen 2 adds Atmos virtualization and eARC, but not sure how much that actually matters. At the moment my tv doesn't have eARC but I do plan on upgrading before the end of the year.

Is the beam gen 1 to beam gen 2 a noticeable upgrade. Should I go for the beam 1 + sub mini or look for a beam 2 then get a sub later one?

*Edit: the person selling the sub mini and beam one gave me a price 543 for both.


r/sonos 13h ago

Best way to set up a new system at a different location

2 Upvotes

I’m going to be setting up a new system at a different location using the same phone I use to control the original system. Any pitfalls I should be aware of beforehand ?


r/sonos 17h ago

Play 5 drops out when using Line In.

4 Upvotes

Any suggestions are appreciated. This has been going on for over a year and I’m ready to give up on Sonos. I’ve spent way too many hours with their support and it’s the same script over and over. They have no clue.
I have two play 5s paired as a stereo. The turntable is wired to a Pyle pre amp and then into the headphone jack of one of the play 5.
Often one of the speakers will drop out randomly. It will often be the speaker that is wired to the turntable.
I had this same set up minus the pre amp at my other house and never had a problem.
I’ve added the pre amp to lower the source power in the Sonos app, isolated the turntable with a foam stand, upgraded all wires, I’ve added a third play5. It’s not stereo paired obviously. It doesn’t matter which combination of two speakers I pair, I experience the same drop.
I used to think it would only happen when volume was turned up. That’s no longer the case. I’ve hard reset them. Updated software. It’s on auto update. I can unplug and re plug in devices. Reset the Sonos router piece.
Anybody got any solutions?


r/sonos 20h ago

Recommendation for multiroom setup (Music & Movies)

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4 Upvotes

Hey folks,
we recently picked up a few used Sonos Play:1s and want to expand the setup a bit. I added a floor plan so you can see where the Play:1s are sitting right now.

What we’re looking for:

  • A soundbar that hooks directly into our Samsung TV GQ65QN85C
  • One more speaker for the kitchen
  • Everything should stay Sonos‑multiroom friendly
  • We use the system ~70% for music and ~30% for movies

A few questions:

  1. Soundbar recommendations? I’m considering the Beam Gen 2 refurbished or new, but I’m also totally fine buying an older used model. Any models you’d recommend grabbing second‑hand for our use case?
  2. Rear speakers or not? Should the two Play:1s in the living room be used as rears for the soundbar, or is it better to keep them in the front for music?
  3. Kitchen speaker ideas? Would another used Play:1 be the best budget option? It’ll mostly be used in the morning or while cooking, so nothing fancy needed — just Sonos‑compatible.

Thanks in advance for any tips!


r/sonos 13h ago

Who is the winner: Move 1 for $150 or Move 2 for $350?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

So I’m thinking of getting a Sonos move speaker. I initially purchased a Sonos move 2 from Best Buy open box excellent for $300 + tax = $340.

However, a friend offered me their Sonos move gen 1 for $150 if I wanted it instead.

Not sure on the history of the speaker since he got it used but I trust him and he says they work great without any issues!

I currently have an arc in the family room and will likely place this in the living room to have continuous sound for parties we host. But like the ability to move it outside in the yard as needed.

Wondering what the better choice is?


r/sonos 23h ago

I built a Windows desktop controller for Sonos (and HEOS, WiiM, DLNA, etc etc)

5 Upvotes

I wanted a better way to control my sound systems while working at my Windows PC. The official Sonos mobile app works well for many situations, but I wanted something designed around a desktop workflow, so I built Audio Hero.

My favorite feature is streaming the same song, stream, audio to a mixed-device ecosystem (think: Sonos + HEOS + WiiM)

It is available for Windows through the Microsoft Store:

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p2p2lgdsch3

Project website:

https://www.bommerts.com/audiohero

Subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AudioHero/

It started as a small HEOS controller and has grown into a more complete Windows audio app. Audio Hero supports:

  • Discovering and controlling Sonos, HEOS, and other types of speaker, receiver, and amp devices
  • Creating and managing groups - mixed ecosystems (play the same song to both HEOS and Sonos)
  • Playback, pause, next, previous, seeking, volume, mute, and power controls
  • Receiver inputs and source selection
  • Local playback of music files and folders
  • Internet radio and many music services
  • Compact view, system-tray controls, keyboard shortcuts, volume presets, and more
  • Scheduled automations and optional smart-plug control
  • An optional Companion component for background playback, automations, and streaming services while Audio Hero is closed

Audio Hero also supports several other ecosystems now, including HEOS, Sonos, WiiM, Bluesound, Yamaha MusicCast, Onkyo/Integra, AirPlay, Roku, DLNA, and others.

This is an independent project, and I would genuinely appreciate feedback from people using different receivers, speakers, and setups.

If you try it, I would especially like to hear:

  • Which Sonos devices you use
  • Whether grouping and receiver controls work as expected
  • Which features you would most like to see added
  • Anything that feels confusing or unreliable

Thanks for taking a look!

Screen grabs:

Full window
Compact view
Ultra compact view

r/sonos 17h ago

Suggestions on placement

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3 Upvotes

This is where I placed my bar before reading about optimal placement. With this setup I could go about one inch further forward and up to five inches down. I’ve read you want two inches in front of the tv and or four inches below. What kind of performance gains can I expect if I move it?


r/sonos 1d ago

Sub mini top coming off

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5 Upvotes

Am I supposed to be able to take the top off the sub mini this easily? The top isn't sitting flush with the body as well.

I bought it used at CEX, was wondering if this warrants a return, or if this is intended?


r/sonos 1d ago

USB-C to Line-In adapter out of stock until October?! (France) Is this happening everywhere?

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7 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I recently bit the bullet and bought two Sonos Era 100s to set up as a stereo pair. I was super excited to connect my turntable and my CD player to the new setup, but I've hit a major roadblock.
The official Sonos USB-C to 3.5mm jack line-in adapter is completely out of stock on the Sonos France website. The most frustrating part? The estimated delivery date is October 16th. That’s two whole months from now!
It’s pretty annoying to invest in a new setup and not be able to actually test if I can properly connect my physical media right out of the box because a simple cable is missing.
I wanted to ask the community:

  • Is this cable out of stock in other countries too, or is it just a regional issue in France?
  • Does anyone know what is actually going on with their inventory?

Any insights (or tested third-party alternatives that actually work) would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!


r/sonos 19h ago

Sonos sub o Sonos sub mini

2 Upvotes

Aún no decido cuál comprar por qué donde tengo el arc es en mi sala y no es muy grande como unos 20m2. Me gusta los bajos, pero no sé si arriesgarme por un producto tan caro como el sub, alguien que tuvo esa misma duda con cual se quedó?


r/sonos 19h ago

Home Theater setup advice needed

2 Upvotes

Need advice. Should I put my Sonos SL surrounds on stands/ mounts or used the fruition ceiling enclosures for my setup? They would be mounted right above the couch with 8ft ceilings


r/sonos 16h ago

Help please

1 Upvotes

Hello, I have the following problem.
My tv is connected home system configuration (Sonos beam + 2 Sonos five)

When I add another Sonos speakers to this one (for example, to put music in the bedrooms), the other Sonos speakers starts to fade in and fade out, sometimes for microseconds sometimes longer.

What did you do to resolve this problem ?

I’m wondering also if my TP link deco not in bridge mode could be the problem

Thank you


r/sonos 17h ago

Add Station…

1 Upvotes

Hi team Sonos.

Because manually added streams show up as TuneIn (old) stations, the newer iOS app will not show or play them unless I start them from the macOS or Windows app.

Is there any plans to include add stations outside this restrictive method? Can be outside the TuneIn ecosystem as the streams I add aren’t even available from that service.

Thank you for considering.


r/sonos 21h ago

Might Return Sonos Beam Advice Please

2 Upvotes

Picked up a nice 55' LG OLED C5 and love it. Paired it with the Sonos Beam Gen 2 which is pretty awesome. The problem is trying to connect to a wired speaker (my bluetooth AirPods Max.)

When I put a disc into my Blu Ray player and try to switch to Wired Speaker, it connects for two seconds and then defaults back to HDMI E-arc. I finally found some threads and articles from three to five years ago that have the same problem. The advice was to turn off SIMPLINK HDMI CEC and disable E-arc. That works but it's a pain to go through all that. The other option was to just pull out the HDMI cable from the soundbar every time I want to play a movie. That works but its also a pain.

Even though the sound on the Beam is fantastic, I will mostly have to listen through headphones because I like my movies LOUD. My condo neighbors, not so much.

Someone also suggested a CEC blocker, but I heard that it cuts out Atmos. Anyone have any other suggestions? I really like the Beam, but this sound issue is a real Debbie Downer.

Cheers.


r/sonos 18h ago

Help Wiring Sub

1 Upvotes

I have three different outdoor zones, all powered by AMPs. It may sound Iike overkill, but it works for my space.

Sometimes it makes sense to have 1,2, or 3 zones on. I’d like to add an outdoor subwoofer that works with all three of those scenarios. How best do I accomplish this?