I have noticed a major downgrade in alex on sonos understanding me. For the first month or so it was almost perfect. 99% of the time it did exactly what I wanted it to do. Not sure what happened but now it will understand my commands about 30% of the time. especially in my kids room. Some times it even says it can not find the device (light) or there is another device using that name, or device does not support this. When I go to the alexa app it shows it got my voice 100% correct. Other times it just can not understand the device name I am saying. (when before it had 0 issues). Sonos and Amazon need to fix this its driving me crazy and making alexa on sonos useless.
Amazingly, I have the Alexia connection, working in Canada, using Alexia devices bought in Canada and a Sonos speaker also bought here. The Sonos skill is not published directly, but indirectly I found that if I set up Yonomi on Alexa, enable Smart Home on the Alexa device and the allow Alexia/Yanomi to search for devices, then miraculously, it finds the Sonos device. I then attached the Sonos account to my US Amazon account (I had one already, but easy to set up anyway) and behold, the Sonos responds just like an Alexa. Not sure if this is a hack or just using available resources and common sense. It works, I can play my Amazon Prime Music on the My Canadian Snos Play. Now, if only I could figure out how to get Audible just as directly...
BtrWrld,
You haven’t really said what is wrong with the Sonos Ones? Are they paired, grouped, standalone? ... Do they play from within the Sonos App? Are you using the Alexa voice control features or not..? ...Exactly what isn’t working here?
Are they cabled and running on SonosNet, or are they working on your own routers WiFi ? Have you checked the microphones are on... did you try simply powering each one off and back on again?
I think more information is needed to assist you.
This is getting a little silly.
I've now found out that the issue I am facing is a known bug - so there is a help page asking you to basically to re-set up everything from scratch after a hard re-boot when the issue has nothing to do with accounts, duplicate items or authentication. It's simply a bug - Amazon and Sonos have both acknowledged it.
grumpysausage,
Can you kindly point me towards the help page you refer to in your post please that acknowledges the problem both by Sonos and Amazon and asks us to reset everything ... thanks very much.
I have just spent nearly £2k on a second Sonos system for a different property precisely because my first was so simple to set up. I now feel sick that it is so complicated and I cannot, however much I try, get Alexa to play a well known UK radio station.
Hi Spekesmill
A couple of things to check:
1/ What command syntax are you using? Can you try 'Alexa, Play Radio 2' - please include the room name at the end of the command if not a Sonos One, 'Alexa, Play Radio 2 on Kitchen'
2/ If the command fails, does Alexa reply with a message?
3/ What Sonos devices do you have? If they are Sonos Ones, can you check that the small round white light is displayed on the top. If not then the mic has been switched off, just touch the mic symbol to toggle back on.
4/ If you open the Alexa App>Settings>History did Alexa properly hear you?
5/ If still not working please look at the Answer to this post which lists the three most common issues:
https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/alexa-says-she-is-playing-on-kitchen-but-no-sound-comes-out-6800126/index1.html
Let us know how you get on.
Is the problem arising because spekesmill is (perhaps) using the same amazon and Sonos Accounts and mobile controllers at his second home location perhaps?
Don’t they need to be different for a second home location ?
Thanks all for your helpful comments I appreciate your time. As I mentioned this is my second system so I am familiar with the lights and other basic controls. Alexa hears me ok but keeps saying I need to enable the skill to use the radio even though I have done this in the same way as I did with my first system. She does a sort of "humph" sound then proceeds to tell me to enable the skill. Can't give you the exact wording as I am in property 1 at present. I will try your suggestions asap.
Regards my commands going to the wrong system I thought I needed to be on the same network / WiFi to operate the respective systems?
I think my issue revolves around the 2 accounts as suggested by Ken but I might be wrong, I am no expert.
Thanks again.
Regards my commands going to the wrong system I thought I needed to be on the same network / WiFi to operate the respective systems?
Not for voice command but yes for the App.
I think my issue revolves around the 2 accounts as suggested by Ken but I might be wrong, I am no expert.
Thanks again.
Yes, I expect so. To run multiple Sonos locations you need two Sonos accounts and the relationship between your Sonos Account and your Amazon account must be a 1:1, so you'll need two Amazon accounts.
I refer back to my original post.
Please can you point me in the direction of how I creat two Alexa accounts and two Sonos accounts. At present I am seriously regretting my second system purchase and I wish I had done more research.
Specksmill,
If you were allowed to use the same Amazon/Sonos account credentials at different locations, it would mean that some unscrupulous users could get together and use those accounts at numerous houses and yet only buy one monthly music subscription.... so for example me and everyone in the street where I live, could all share the same account. So that’s obviously not going to be allowed.
So when you set things up at a different location it’s best to keep things separate... otherwise if we take your Sonos Account (just as an example) it may end up with two speakers at different locations with identical names like 'lounge', 'dining room' or kitchen etc. So it’s best to use a new Sonos Account for your other premises to keep those speakers separate from each other.
Same with Amazon, because you have to link the Sonos Account to the Amazon Account and only one Sonos Account can be linked at any one time.
So you need two new accounts (one Amazon and one Sonos)... you set them up in exactly the same way you that setup the earlier accounts, but use different email addresses.. some folk create an email address specifically for this purpose, l presume others use their partners email address.
I hope that now helps and gives you a slightly better understanding.
Thanks for that, I will try the wife's device route and let you know how I get on.
Cheers.
Thanks for that, I will try the wife's device route and let you know how I get on.
Cheers.
The best way to do this is when you open the Sonos App in your new home make sure you select New System and not Connect to Existing. (If you've already connected, just uninstall and then install the Sonos App again.)The Sonos app will then ask you to enter your email and password and if you enter a different email to your first home account then a new account will be created. When you add voice services for this new account, it will ask you to enter your Amazon account details, at this point you need to enter your wife's Amazon account details. (Make sure that you are not still logged into your Amazon account on the same device when setting up as otherwise it will default to this account.) Let us know how you get on, once this set-up is done, there will be no complication switching between addresses.
Thanks again, just a thought I was thinking my other option would be to wait for Google home to be supported apparently some time this year..?
Thanks again, just a thought I was thinking my other option would be to wait for Google home to be supported apparently some time this year..?
I would expect the same issue. The cloud doesn't know you have two homes unless you have two accounts. I helped someone early on where someone's boyfriend was playing music through his girlfriends speaker and one was east coast of the US and the other west coast. It really is simple if you follow my instructions in my previous post.
Ok thanks, I will give it a go and let you know.
Hello, guys! I perchased the Sonos One speaker resently. In Alexa app I found a function to adjust the speaker to my voice in order to make it respond only to my voice. When I press button to start setting this function, the app says that my device doesn’t support this function, though in help page of this function I found that Sonos One does support it. Why I can’t start this function?
It's the same for me but I can't find an exact answer....
roman2810 & marianvlaza: Thanks for posting, I'm happy to clear this up. That particular feature is only available to Amazon Echo devices and is not supported on Sonos One. Should this change and I am able to provide an update I will be sure to reach out with an announcement on the Community. Thanks!
Thanks Ken, that worked!! I must have done that 20 times before doing the full reset without it working, but never thought to do it again afterwards!
The only downside is that my 7 year old will be in charge of the music again now 😉 At least she has good taste (other than her obsession with Little Mix)!
This did not resolve the issue of Alexa skills not actually playing even though Alexa acknowledged the command and said "now playing..." I am having this same issue, followed all the instructions three times over, clearing out Amazon accounts, etc, and nothing. She still says, "playing *whatever*" and then nothing. This is very irritating. Anything I can do? If not I might have to return.
This did not resolve the issue of Alexa skills not actually playing even though Alexa acknowledged the command and said "now playing..." I am having this same issue, followed all the instructions three times over, clearing out Amazon accounts, etc, and nothing. She still says, "playing *whatever*" and then nothing. This is very irritating. Anything I can do? If not I might have to return.
This was a known issue for a while with no amount of resetting addressing it, but it seems to have been fixed in one of the last two Sonos updates. Mine now works OK (previously no joy even with UK Media's steps).
So do check your application version on your phone/device and make sure Sonos is updated to the latest version.
As a test, enable "Babbling Brook" skill on the Alexa page and then say "Alexa, start babbling brook".
Good luck.
There is no Forget All in the Alexa app. There is also no Settings on the Sonos link USA site. Terrible instructions.
I have a new Sonos Beam. All working well, except I can't setup Alexa. I've been onto the Alexa app/website and added the Sonos skill; I've then been through the steps of providing Amazon and Sonos credentials. But then when it asks to discover, it tells me that an error has occurred so the Beam never appears. I've tried restarting the Beam but to no avail. It is my first Alexa product fyi. Please can someone assist? Been going at this for hours.
There is no Forget All in the Alexa app. There is also no Settings on the Sonos link USA site. Terrible instructions.
I can't see the US site, as I have a UK account but they were there and still are on the UK site Also, are you trying to tell me that Amazon have removed the Settings page from the Alexa App in the US? How do you configure Alexa then?
I have a new Sonos Beam. All working well, except I can't setup Alexa. I've been onto the Alexa app/website and added the Sonos skill; I've then been through the steps of providing Amazon and Sonos credentials. But then when it asks to discover, it tells me that an error has occurred so the Beam never appears. I've tried restarting the Beam but to no avail. It is my first Alexa product fyi. Please can someone assist? Been going at this for hours.
Is your Beam visible to your Sonos App?