Audio actions in routines are currently not supported on this device.

  • 5 December 2018
  • 78 replies
  • 30614 views

Userlevel 3
I have set up a simple 2 step routing to turn on two smart plugs simultaneously through Alexa. This works 100% find on a dot but I get an audio recording of "Audio actions in routines are currently not supported on this device" every time I run it from my Sonos One. How do I make this irritation go away!

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78 replies

Userlevel 3
I don't have any duplicate devices. It's a real pity since we wanted to use Sonos throughout our home instread of Alexa speakers/dots due to the sound quality. We had bought a Play One to trial this and it clearly does not work and I'm not putting up with that irritating message for each routine (even though the routine works 100% fine bar this quirk). Regardless of whether or not it is an Amazon or Sonos issue, Sonos should really try to address this in the interests of their customers. Now I need to find alternatives speakers for my home, the Sonos were so close to being perfect. Frustrating!
Userlevel 2
Unfortunately it is down to Sonos fixing the Alexa integration which they seem to have no intention of doing. There are other things that dont work on Sonos that are also frustrating such as drop-in. I am seriously considering giving up and going for an Show or plugging an Echo dot into a separate speaker which is a real shame since I have been with Sonos since they launched in the UK. Who knows if we get lucky they may actually read this and try to do something about it..:D As a go to man for things like thiscwith my friends my current advice to people is avoid Sonos. :(:?
Userlevel 1
It’s absolutely ridiculous that this doesn’t work. I’ve just bought three Sonos Ones to replace three play 1s and an amazon echo

I didn’t realise they lacked this functionality and hasn’t even got to the part of realising that they also can’t do drop in.

Absolutely pointless product and they should uodate their advertising/marketing material to reflect what it can actually do being a so called “Alexa enabled device”

Garbage

Sonos, any update?

Userlevel 1

I have been waiting almost a year for an update since I spoke to some-one at the team.

This could have been easily implemented in this time. In fact the functionality was there, it just had the annoying ‘audio actions..’ message after. Now the functionality has been removed in an update, and only the annoying message plays!

 

Sonos, can we have some clearer communication here please. Does the routine voice commands via Sonos using Alexa have a barrier of entry set by Amazon? Are your developers and/or team working on this? Any idea of time if so? 

Many like myself who will view these threads are patiently waiting, feeling like they have overpaid for a product lacking functionalities you would expect from the advertising. I know people who feel the same way, and I myself am considering changing systems as home automation was the main reason I purchased all these speakers.

 

 

Userlevel 1

Same issue. I went out and bought 3 speakers to the tune of $1000+ because of the sound quality and Alexa integration. I planned on buying 3 more to complete the set up, but might just cut my losses, sell  what I have, and wait for Amazon to come out with better sounding speakers. Or try Apple HomePod. It’s obnoxious to hear Sonos tell me my routines aren’t integrated every day. Super disappointing. 

The fact that it’s been one year with this issue is what blows my mind.

such a big company and have no regard for their community.

It either has Alexa or not. They need to stop marketing that it does because it doesn’t.

i can’t market a whole house for sale and sell you half a house.

Luckily i I bought one, I’ll return it tomorrow because waiting for the “brilliant” engineers to fix it has already taken a year.

I feel for anyone whos spent a lot of money with Sonos.
Userlevel 2
Luckily I only bought one! Hopefully some manufacturer can get this right at some point, although I can see the day when Amazon release a high end audio device for £200/$200 and sweeps the market away. yes..Sonos need to up their game I agree. Before I bought my Sonos Ones I rang them to verify that the early shortcomings had been sorted out. I was told that they can do everything that an Echo can do. Obviously, the lady I spoke to was not up-to-speed. Disappointed to say the least. This will be the last ourchase from Sonos which is sad because they always delivered in the past and I was there from the outset. Sadly they are being left behind.
Userlevel 1
Another +1 here. Our Sonos Beam Alexa says this every time we run any routine. We have an old Dot that simply replies with "okay" when the same routines are run through it. I realize that this problem may lie more on the Alexa / 3rd party side of things, but I hope they all get it worked out since it drives us crazy.
Userlevel 3
Badge +1
I think this issue might've been resolved as of tonight. We have a "good night" voice routine that we use from the Beam in our bedroom. Wed got used to sarcastically chanting "Audio routines are not supported..." and then suddenly tonight, the routine just ran without a fuss.
Could you please add an audio action to your routine and see if the error message comes back again or not? It seems that the error message happens only if you add an audio action to your routine.


This is such an annoying issue, especially because the "error" Alexa says isn't even true! The audio action in my routine was just successfully executed, so why does Alexa need to tell me (every time?!?!?!) that audio actions in routines aren't currently supported?

Anyway, up until recently she would say that after any routine I gave my Sonos Beam, regardless of whether or not the routine actually had an audio action (which was even MORE annoying!) The routine worked fine otherwise, and also worked fine (with the audio action of Alexa wishing me a good night) from my Echo speakers in other rooms.

Just tonight I tried it again, but removed that audio action first, and lo and behold, Alexa didn't say "Audio routines are not supported..." at the end. Alexa didn't wish me good night at the end either (obviously) but that's a sacrifice I am willing to make so I can avoid hearing that "error" again. And again and again.

I really do hope Amazon fixes this. It's disappointing this bug has lasted as long as it has.
Userlevel 2
For Alexa routines to be properly supported. Sonos needs to implement the “InteractionModel interface of the Alexa Voice Service (AVS)”.

I recently had a Bose Soundbar 700 from their smart speaker range. I eventually returned it due to numerous problems, but this was one issue they did manage to resolve for me. Since then I moved to Sonos, and am extremely pleased I did!

So this is probably the only issue I have with the Sonos system, it would be great if Sonos could resolve it.

Details are here:
https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/a1470f4c-8aaf-4d12-b3bc-5cf38820ff82/alexa-it-s-bedtime-routines-for-avs
Userlevel 5
Badge +8
This is a really annoying bug. So far as a new Sonos user I'm extremely unimpressed with the product. My experience with the Sonis One has been a series of unexpected limitations and bugs, with Sonos dismissing most of them in this forum with an attitude of "that's just how it works".
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Sonos, any update on this bug? 

Sonos, any update on this bug? 

Sonos, any update on this bug?

Sonos, any update on this bug?

Userlevel 4
Badge +5

Hello there, thank you for reaching out to the Sonos Community with your concerns about your Alexa routines. While routines are not fully supported within Sonos at this time we are aware of this and are continuing to work with Amazon to improve features and expand functionality. Please keep an eye out on the "Announcements" forum for any updates on expanding feature support for our supported voice services.            


I hope your developers are aware that they just need to update to the new API? Bose did this very long ago.

Just stumbled across this mess after not being able to play a Spotify playlist using the name I created a Alexa Routine to do it.

It works now (Spotify playlist starts playing after invoking the Alexa Routine) but I get the annoying verbal response from Alexa “Audio actions in Routines are not supported by this device”.

Can’t believe there is no way to mute this dumb response.

Trying to contact Sonos on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_dawolf/status/1290009372500742144 lets see what they have to say.

Userlevel 1

I have been waiting almost a year for an update since I spoke to some-one at the team.

This could have been easily implemented in this time. In fact the functionality was there, it just had the annoying ‘audio actions..’ message after. Now the functionality has been removed in an update, and only the annoying message plays!

 

Sonos, can we have some clearer communication here please. Does the routine voice commands via Sonos using Alexa have a barrier of entry set by Amazon? Are your developers and/or team working on this? Any idea of time if so? 

Many like myself who will view these threads are patiently waiting, feeling like they have overpaid for a product lacking functionalities you would expect from the advertising. I know people who feel the same way, and I myself am considering changing systems as home automation was the main reason I purchased all these speakers.

 

 


I have also paused purchasing further speakers and am considering jumping ship to another brand now. 

Userlevel 1

Bose Music Speakers do support this, among others. 

The worst factor here is not having information on this from Sonos. Even with the annoying error message the functionality was still there, it has now gone, breaking a lot of routines.

It is fine if Sonos is having a block with Amazon, or there are some issues to be worked on. But not to give paying customers information and clarity is extremely frustrating. I would expect no solution is coming or they would respond to these with some clarity.

If it wasn’t for this I would be motivated to purchase more speakers through Sonos, and recommend them highly. But when people ask me, I have to tell them now that functionality stops working, and they do not let you know what is going on. 

If it is purely Amazon with new terms holding Sonos back, that is very understandable, but customers need to know in order to make decisions.

 

Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Sonos any update? 

 

Userlevel 3
Luckily I only bought one! Hopefully some manufacturer can get this right at some point, although I can see the day when Amazon release a high end audio device for £200/$200 and sweeps the market away.
Same problem here, that message "Audio actions in routines are currently not supported on this device" is so irritating, that iam not using routines. I dont understandent why we get the message, if all tasks in routines are done correctly afterward. Can you please respond sonos? Iam thinking about turningoff microphone and use dot rather.but then there is no point for buying beam.
I have the same problem. It was working fine but now they (amazon or sonos) changed something in the updates this month and I get that message now. very poor on both company's side. THIS WAS WORKING and I have changed no settings
I believe I have figured out the problem. My Alexa-enabled Ecobee4 does the same thing. If you have a routine called “goodnight” which turns off all your lights, a true Amazon Alexa device will turn off all your lights AND say “goodnight, sleep tight” (or something similar). Our Sonos (or Ecobee4) are merely “Alexa-enabled” and aren’t full features Alexa devices. And they hit a brick wall with attempted conversation. If you create an identicle routine, with a nonsense name (“Waffle House”), your routine will be completed without a failed attempt to respond to you / the error message. Let me know if you think I’m right. But after a bit of research, it’s what I think I’ve figured out.

Does support monitor this thread? It’s a year old with numerous requests for help from Sonos and not a peep from them. It makes me nervous about continuing down the SONOS path or recommending to friends.