Answered

New SONOS one causing headaches

  • 31 July 2018
  • 9 replies
  • 484 views
M
Hi folks, New to SONOS here and need of some help.

I set up my new SONOS One yesterday in my kitchen and in the setup I was asked to state which room the speaker would be in... the kitchen, this then automatically named the device 'Kitchen'. All is fine... then I proceed to link it to my Amazon account... this is were things start to go a bit wrong.

My Amazon device list now shows two SONOS devices.... One called Kitchen and the second one is just named Marks Sonos One... yet they are one and the same. When I go into the SONOS app I have the option of flicking between both of these named devices... even though there is only one device. I contacted Amazon who were very unhelpful for a change and stated that it was a SONOS problem not Amazon. Any ideas?

Secondly.... Me and my wife have separate Amazon accounts. Is it possible to set up two Amazon accounts on one SONOS one so that we can both make the best use of Alexa?

Thanks in advance for the help.
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Best answer by melvimbe 31 July 2018, 20:17

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9 replies

melvimbe
Your Sonos One is showing up twice in Alexa because it is both a speaker (Kitchen) and an Alexa enabled device (Marks Sonos One). I would probably change the Alexa enabled device name to 'Kitchen Sonos', something that tells you where it is but not exactly the same name you gave it as a speaker.

Within the Sonos apps, you're going to primarily going to be using Sonos as a speaker. Within the Alexa app, primarily as an alexa enabled device. For example, if you were going to link a fire tv stick to an alexa device, you would use the alexa device name, not the speaker name...if that make sense.

This is the way it's supposed to work. Not a problem. Kind of disappointing that the Amazon tech support couldn't communicate this to you.

As far as using 2 amazon accounts with Sonos and Alexa, I believe the answer is yes, but I'm not 100% sure on how it works. I'm currently looking at upgrading to the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan, which would allow up to 6 streams at once and allow you to link several accounts together. You may have to recreate one of your accounts though, it's not clear on that.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimitedFamily/ref=sv_dmusic_amu_flyout_family

You may not need to do this though, As sonos and Alexa may just let you add your accounts separately. My situation is slightly different though as I'm not so much looking at having multiple accounts as have multiple streams at the same time.
Danny
Ken_Griffiths
Mvdarbs,

The reason you see two separate devices in your Amazon Alexa App Settings is because one device is the sonos speaker itself (this will have the Sonos Room Name) ... the second one you see is the Alexa voice control part of your Sonos One. In your case it’s called 'Marks Sonos One'.

It’s perhaps easier to think of this as a Sonos Speaker and an echo device separately for these purposes.

I hope that makes sense so far...

Alexa will allow you to switch user profiles between you and your wife’s Amazon Account... I assume you are both in the same Amazon household?

I can confirm the Sonos Skill will work in both profiles ... though I have noticed that you may see the devices listed twice in the Alexa App settings area... the devices do not however get listed twice in the smart home section of the Alexa App 'Devices Tab', which is the important bit ... so you are 'good to go' with adding the Sonos Skill to your wife’s Amazon Alexa account. (Edit: This is until Amazon, or Sonos, choose to perhaps later change these things!)

Hope that helps?
M
Hi Folks,

Firstly can I say thank you for such quick responses! Big Thumbs up for that.

In relation to the question about the two device names, I totally get that now and my OCD can rest easy. Thanks.

With regards to the question about the two Amazon accounts though...

Perhaps I didn't not explain myself fully, or I am just being dumb and not understanding the answers correctly. Basically what I would like to achieve is to have both my Amazon and my wife Amazon accounts linked to the speaker. For example, when it's on my profile I can use the Alexa feature to purchase something direct from my Amazon account. Then when my wife uses the speaker she can switch the profile and purchase something from her separate Amazon account. Everything i have seen so far suggests that I need to set up a second 'Household' Profile using the Alexa app (I am on an iOS device) However I do not have the option to add a a further Household profile. Equally... I am not sure that a second Household profile is what I am after. I just want to be able to switch between two totally separate Amazon accounts. If this is possible can someone please produce a total idiot proof guide and step by step instructions (Drawn in Crayon if necessary:D) on how to do this.

Thanking you in advance again
Mark
B
Userlevel 5
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You have to set up a family account in Amazon, which allows you to share various things, and ask Alexa to change profiles between the two. Amazon have a lot of help pages explaining this.

Be sure of what you are doing though as if you disconnect an account from a “household” then there is a 180 day wait before it cn be attached again.

As you know, everything must be given a unique name.
melvimbe
Ken, BoredofBelham, am I correct in saying that the navigation to do this in the Alexa app would be to go to Settings -> Household Profile then follow the instructions followed there? There seems to be a lot of information about the setup there.
Danny
M
Hi melvimbe,

Unfortunately I don't have the option of Household profile in my Alexa app settings. I've been looking into this all day and there seems to be a 50/50 split on people having that option in their app and others not having it. Confusing.

Hi BoredofBalham... would this mean that I can't 'merge' my wife current amazon account with a family account? As we both currently have totally separate accounts. Amazon customer service were really no help with this.
melvimbe
You might want to make sure your Alexa app is up to date. Regardless you should be able to do it from the web access page.

Go to alexa.amazon.com
login to your amazon account (whatever one the Sonos One is currently using)
Go to Settings
Go to Household Profile (it's under the Alexa Account section)
Follow the instructions from there.
Danny
M
Success. All sorted many many thanks folks. So Amazon customer service tell me it's not possible... I spend less than an hour on here and you lot prove them wrong... good work.
melvimbe
Glad you got sorted!
Danny
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