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Suddenly alexa is not working with my voice enabled Sonos Speakers S1 app

G
Userlevel 2

I am using the S1 app for my Sonos speakers.  Recently my voice enabled Sonos speakers are not working with Alexa.  I can control my speakers in the S1 app but not with Alexa.

When I look at the Alexa app the voice enabled Sonos speakers are showing offline.

  • I have disabled and re-enabled Sonos Skill in Alexa
  • Alexa does not find any devices when I re-enabled Sonos skill in the Alexa app
  • I have removed and added Alexa voice enable to each speaker
  • I have powered off and on the speakers

Did something change?

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Best answer by Corry P 21 March 2024, 17:51

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60 replies

Schlumpf
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

@petetobin 

Only Sonos and Amazon will know the answer to this. All discussion about the issue imho isn’t worth it any more as the problem is resolved and Alexa is working fine again. 😎

Ralf
P
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Even if the issue occurs after a Sonos update, it can be necessary to fix it on Amazons side. Two partners have to adapt their software each other to get something working like Alexa. Sometimes A has to change something and sometimes B… But imo also if Sonos has to fix it, why don’t just wait until it’s fixed. Blaiming someone or complaining doesn’t make work on it faster.

That can be true if the Sonos update was attempting to utilise new functionality on the Amazon side of the fence which had issues  but I don’t believe it was the case here.

P
Badge

Regardless of blame, it’s still been three days since a high impact outage with no update and that’s utterly unacceptable 

 

I’m a lead software engineer in charge a $6+ Billion a year OLTP transaction engine.  Anybody interrupts me for an update in the middle of a high impact outage, they are losing their frigging job.  Period.  You will get an update when there is something to update. 

That’s a ridiculous answer.  I have led teams resolving major outages in the payments industry and you have to give hourly reports to management on what is happening.  Management will then disseminate the information to the necessary stakeholders.

Airgetlam

Upgrading the app on your phone is the first step, then you need to check for updates in the controller, and update your speakers. Pretty sure it’s in settings > system > system updates.

Bruce
Y

i have a sonos one and am experiencing this issue.

when i try to search for system updates in the s1 app it prompts me tom upgrade the iphone app.  the updated app says its not compatible with the device.  Please advise how can Inipdate the frimware.

Schlumpf
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

@Dbuiz 

For Beta issues that forum isn‘t the right place. 
For the S1 fix there was no app update necessary. You just have to update Sonos firmware from within latest S1 app. 

Ralf
M

Hi @gduncan3595 et al

We have released an update for S1 that we believe addresses this issue. Please check your system for updates and test. If you continue to see this issue after updating, we recommend you get in touch with our technical support team for assistance.

Thank you for your patience.

Thank you - my house has come back to life 😂

J
Userlevel 2
Badge

Thank you for fixing this! Much appreciated. 

P

The update fixed it thanks.

 

i didn’t realise how reliant I had become on Alexa! Glad she is back!

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Dvantage 

You can go to Settings » System » [name of room] » Amazon Alexa » Wake Word Chime and turn it on.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
D
Userlevel 2

I installed the update, disabled and enabled Alexa , and it is now back working. 
 

BUT….

 

Prior to these issues when I said “Alexa” there was an audible noise, which indicated “she” heard me. Now that is gone. It otherwise works but any ideas how to get that back?

D
Userlevel 1

Did the system update and my SONOS one Alexa is communicating again🤣

L

Does not work for me ! Still same issue

Did you renew Alexa installation and Sonos skill? 

It is ok now, i had updated sonos app but not the sonos products. I have done it now and it is working. Thanks a lot

 

M

Thank you @Corry P!  I was able to open Sonos S1, request for latest updated within my system, disconnected and connected Alexa Skill for Sonos and yes, voice control for Alexa works through my Move speaker now.  Thank you very much for the update and fix.

G
Userlevel 2

I opened the Sonos app / settings/ system updates and did an update.  Alexa integration appears to be working properly now.  

If only the cover art, artist, and album information was working as it should I would be truly satisfied.

Thank you Corry for you and your teams efforts.

Schlumpf
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Does not work for me ! Still same issue

Did you renew Alexa installation and Sonos skill?

Ralf
L

Does not work for me ! Still same issue

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @gduncan3595 et al

We have released an update for S1 that we believe addresses this issue. Please check your system for updates and test. If you continue to see this issue after updating, we recommend you get in touch with our technical support team for assistance.

Thank you for your patience.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
D

I can’t believe Sonos hasn’t notified users of the outage… only a deep dive search revealed there’s a problem.  This is going to be a good test Sonos.  Do you fix this quickly (How about roll out the previous update so we can revert back!?!?) or do you leave us hanging and chosing to never buy another Sonos product again?  This is a bigger issue than they are recognizing.

M
Userlevel 1

So its now been the best part of a week since the fault was reported but still no update.  Why cant Sonos just immediately roll back the last update that appeared to cause the issue whilst they investigate further the longer term solution.

Or is this just an underhand way Sonos have thought of to force its long term Sonos Owners to scrap all their S1 hardware in the hope they will buy the new Sonos kit?? 

M

I use the S1 app for my Sonos speakers.  Recently my voice enabled Sonos Move speaker is not working with Alexa.  I can control my speakers in the S1 app but not with Alexa.

When I look at the Alexa app the voice enabled Sonos speakers are showing offline.

  • I have disabled and re-enabled Sonos Skill in Alexa
  • Alexa does not find any devices when I re-enabled Sonos skill in the Alexa app
  • I have removed and added Alexa voice enable to each speaker
  • I have powered off and on the speakers

Please repair this issue.  I don’t want to move away from Sonos.  Thank you.

N
Userlevel 1

I suspect this has more to do with Amazon than SONOS. I’ve had a few runs in with their software people, specifically with ‘works with Alexa’ there seems to be little or no due diligence from them, off topic I know, but I spent a lot of money on a smart bath/shower system that ‘works with Alexa’ only to discover it doesn’t in reality. it seems as long as something connected to Alexa once it gets blessed, even if it doesn’t do anything or can’t connect a second time. 
it maybe didn’t used to matter too much with throw away iot type stuff, but now higher end devices are using and increasingly relying on Alexa functionality it’s getting more serious. 
There is still a lack of maturity with voice systems where there are two parties involved and we are moving away from  cheap gimmick into more solid everyday, expected functionality - the service side is clearly lacking and not so easy to implement. 
these things are never easy or simple to fix, but when you leave a communication vacuum like this it does tend to suck in a lot of spurious stuff unfortunately.

 

A

wow… nothing as sinister as such a conspiracy theory!  More indirect, they are not adequately resourcing the support for customers on S1, imagine this happened on S2?? I would bet this is solved by now….

 

they are OK making that resourcing decision because we are no longer top tier customers to them? I hope not…. we invested a lot in Sonos and can’t just throw the non S2 compatable stuff away.

 

To be clear, i’m sure the people working on fixing this are working hard. Are there enough people doing it? i am not sure…

 

Also btw… a bit surprised by the number of staunch corporate defenders on this forum too now hitting back? how are posters like that employed? by sonos? just looking for neutrality and focus the problem. look i love the sonos equipment when it works too, but this has become an important functionality for anyone using some home automation. 

Agree on the slight religious tone here from some - Think your comment is very balanced and spot on;

Love my Sonos stuff and repeatedly surprised by the level of service i get upon contact even with my old stuff. Nevertheless a bit surprised on this outage. It is not like they are about to send a man to Mars, so assume there is some dependency to Amazon that lag out.

J
Userlevel 2
Badge

Yep feeling like before when Sonos ditched us after spending thousands with them. Except I doubt there will be the same media outcry and they are probably fine with it at some leadership level. This is a major issue and needs a much better response if Sonos cared about those that have been users for a long time. I still have many newer Sonos products as well and this affects them as well. Not great customer service to have a global outage lingering now on day 4 and may customers likely haven’t even figured this out. 

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Anyone who remembers the complete hash Sonos made of their EOL announcement will know they don't do comms to customers well. 

They wanted to change their model to get customers to keep upgrading. I'm sorry, forking out thousands on hardware doesn't make it easy for most to bin old for new. People invested in a brand and ecosystem. I've been a Sonos customer for almost 20 years (yes I had a gen 1 CR100 conroller 😆). Over that time I have upgraded and changed some devices (including that controller). Ive kept others. But the key was, I was never forced to upgrade. 

Their uturn of, sorry your devices are no longer supported, to a we bad, they will be but in a limited fashion (and here's and email from our COE saying sorry) was messy and poor. Customers dont forgot. The whole S1 was only created due to the backlash they got from their customers.  

I get it, you can want to have customers always on the latest version, spending more money with you. But hardware and software aren't the same. And a Sonos music device is not as important as a mobile phone to users, so pushing people to upgrade was wrong. 

If they wanted more revenue, a better model might have been to create a premium service that worked across all their ecosystem (maybe even Alexa dare I say it), ragher than segregate their hardware. You would get users who would pay a subscription to get those extra services. Others who dont could happily stay in their standard world. People would have also naturally upgraded some obsolete hardware over time, just like I did. So more revenue. 

Where am I going with this? Well Sonos created a 2 tier system for customers at that time.  Everyone knows S1 support and updates are second class to S2. Anyone who says otherwise is in cloud lala land.

It may not be that cynical, but at the end of the day they want you on the latest hardware. So resources to develop, test releases etc will be less than S2.

As some have said here, S1 customers are being treated poorly, but...

1. Did they cause the outage on purpose as a a ploy to upgrade? Very Doubtful. Did they cause the outage? Absolutely. 

2. Nothing was shared out to the "loyal" customers. We all had to find out ourselves after trying to fix it. Now we are self supporting others.

3. This is a global major outage (as Sonos report). But the length of time it's taking to resolve is frankly shocking. If you caused it, then make sure you fix it quickly. 

In summary, all this outage is doing is further showing the gap between their 2 tier system. And many probably didn't need any more proof of that.

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