Unable to set Sonos Era 100 as Alexa-enabled device in room/group using Alexa app

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Userlevel 1

Today I’ve upgraded my two Sonos Ones with Sonos Era 100s. After adding Alexa to the speakers, I tried to go into the Alexa app to associate them with their respective rooms. I’m able to add them as the room speaker, but I am unable to set them as the Alexa device for that room (allowing for room-specific commands like “Alexa, turn off the lights”, etc).

What’s weird is my Era 100s will show up under the Echo & Alexa devices section in the Alexa app, but they do not show up under Alexa-enabled devices when editing a room/group (see attached screenshots).

I’ve reached out to Alexa support and they were largely unhelpful, they claimed that from their resources Alexa isn’t supported on the Sonos Era 100 (maybe their documentation hasn’t been updated since this is a brand new product?). So they left the conversation there even after showing them that Sonos clearly states Alexa built-in support for the Era 100.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Seems like a bug in the Alexa app, and their support team is unwilling to report the issue up their chain.

 

Corry P 7 months ago

Hi Everyone

If you are still experiencing this issue (which we believed had stopped happening outside of Germany) please submit a support diagnostic and post the given number along with a screenshot of the Alexa app showing a lack of Era units under “Alexa-enabled Devices”, as above. Thank you.

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88 replies

P

Just added an Era 300 and it has the same issue. Calling into Sonos support and will be returning all my Era speakers if this can’t be solved. Bummer because I love them otherwise.

P

Joining the group here to say I am also experiencing this problem in the US. Haven’t pulled a diagnostic ID, but I have my office Arc showing up as an Alexa enabled device whereas my living room and master bedroom Era 100s are not. 

I

This is such a crazy limitation (that also exists for the Move 2). It really undercuts Sonos’ Alexa integration story, to the point where you should really market these products as being only somewhat compatible on the Sonos website, so that people understand the limitations before spending quite a bit of money on something being somewhat falsely-advertised.

It’s mind-boggling that Sonos doesn’t have the ability to escalate to Amazon to fix something like this. I understand that it takes some time but this thread was opened almost a year ago at this point. Many of us, myself included, have gone all-in on Sonos in large part due to the Alexa integration. It seems like partnership is unsupported at best, and really hard to assume will continue to exist.

Please help make this right.

U

Hi Everyone

If you are still experiencing this issue (which we believed had stopped happening outside of Germany) please submit a support diagnostic and post the given number along with a screenshot of the Alexa app showing a lack of Era units under “Alexa-enabled Devices”, as above. Thank you.

Like so many others I’m having the same issue in the US with a new Era 300. Has there been a solution yet? Diagnostic number: *************. The Era300 works with Alexa, but it’s not showing up in the Alexa app as an “Alexa-enabled device” in the Alexa app so I can’t say general commands for the room/group like “Alexa turn on the lights” I have to use the room name. Has this been solved yet? Screenshots below.

When listing all devices in the Alexa app it shows the Era 300 twice. The first is a default name I didn’t make with the wifi logo, and the 2nd is the era 300 named “New Master Bedroom”

 

  Neither device name for the Era 300 shows up for Alexa Enabled devices: 

 

But the Speaker does show up so I can add it as the speaker in the room/group, just not the Alexa enabled device in the room.

Moderator edit: diagnostic recorded and removed

S

Still not addressed in the US

Ken_Griffiths

@planigan,

Oh well it was worth trying those things. I could see from you initial screenshots that ‘Office Sonos’ was not enabling the group, but hoped that checking/removing it from all your groups and removing/reinstalling the ‘Sonos Skill’ might have perhaps corrected the issue. Looking at your last post you’ve done all you can, but I would still report this to Sonos Support with a diagnostic report and a reference to your posts here. I suspect it’s more-likely down to Amazon to resolve this issue so it maybe worth reporting the matter to them too, but see what Sonos Support say first.

Anyhow, I hope it gets resolved for you and everyone else affected by the issue aswell.

P

Ken,

Thanks for the suggestions! I just had a long reply typed out with screenshots and everything, but the site errored when I hit send and lost everything. Rather than re-type all the details, I’ll just summarize.

I checked each of the Groups in the Alexa app, and neither “Office Sonos” nor “Office Sonos Era 100” were selected as an enabling device in any of them. You’ll just need to take my word for that 😉

I then went ahead and removed the Sonos Skill as suggested. In order to ensure a clean slate, I also:

  • Removed the Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration via the Sonos app
  • De-registered all of my Sonos speakers via the “Manage Your Content and Data” portal in my Amazon account

With all traces of my Sonos speakers removed, I re-added them via the Alexa app. During that process I was also able to successfully add the Office Sonos speakers to the Office group. Small win!

I returned to the Sonos app to re-enable the Alexa Assistant integration, which completed successfully as well. My Era 100 played a cheerful “Hello” from Alexa, and I’m able to control it with my voice. 

Back in the Alexa app, “planigan’s Sonos Era 100” (default name this time) is again listed in the Devices tab and the Echo & Alexa page. However, neither “Office Sonos” nor “planigan’s Sonos Era 100” are available as Alexa-enabled devices in the Office group or any other.

It seems like me and the rest of the Yanks might be stuck without proper Alexa integration, at least until Sonos develops a fix.

Ken_Griffiths

@planigan,

I was initially a little confused by your screenshots, but think I have most of the detail now. There are two components for your Era 100..

  • Office Sonos - which is the actual speaker device itself
  • Office Sonos Era 100 (which I assume you renamed yourself) - this is the Alexa component part of your Era 100 speaker.  Renaming it did slightly confuse me - I tend to rename mine too, but would have personally called it "Sonos Office Alexa” to show it was the Office Alexa component. 

Anyhow, it is correct that the Alexa component is embedded within the speaker device in the Alexa App, although there are now options in the new Alexa App to change views and see the Alexa device list in a variety of different ways, which perhaps adds to the complication.

I don’t think your Era Alexa  ‘control’ for a group is correctly working here, but what would help is to provide a screenshot first of all showing all your Alexa groups… to do that see the photo below:

 


It would be helpful to see all the groups you have in the Alexa App. Just carry on then and go into each group and just make sure that "Office Sonos” is not enabling/controlling any of your groups that you have… If it is, then remove it from the group.

Note you are looking for the speaker component only here, not the Alexa component that you called ‘Office Sonos Era 100’ because that is embedded inside the speaker component.

So, if found, remove "Office Sonos" from the first ‘enabling’ section of any group and then see if it will appear as an Alexa enabling device that you can then add to your Office group. If it still will not let you do that, then try removing/reinstalling the ‘Sonos Skill’ in the Alexa App and then give it another go.

Finally, if after doing these things it still will not work for you, then it maybe best to submit a Sonos system diagnostic report from within the Sonos App, note it’s reference and then contact/chat with Sonos Support Staff via this LINK and see what the Staff can perhaps suggest to resolve the matter… and refer them to your post here too.

Hope the above assists.👍

P

So glad I found this thread, but a little frustrated because I bought my Era 100 specifically because it is Alexa-enabled. Hoping for a resolution!

My diagnostic number is 1733313870. I am in the United States. Screenshots and detail below.

My Era 100 is named “Office Sonos” and does appear in the main Echo & Alexa list, along with my other Alexa-enabled devices.

 

If I select Office Sonos from my Echo & Amazon list, an additional device called seems to be displayed.

 

Selecting that device displays the device settings that you expect to see in an Alexa-enabled device. Note that this item originally appeared as “planigan’s Sonos Era 100” but I renamed it for clarity. I was able to rename directly in the Alexa app.

 

However, when I look at the Devices tab, I actually see these two devices listed separately for my Office Sonos. One displays with a speaker icon. The other displays with a generic device icon.

 

The device settings screen for the “Office Sonos” device just displays generic information when accessed from the devices tab.

 

When I try to add my speakers to my Office group, neither the Office Sonos device nor the Office Sonos Era 100 device appear in the list of Alexa-enabled devices. 

 

The Office Sonos device does appear in the regular devices list. However, selecting the checkbox does not persist across saves (i.e., I can select the box and hit save, but the device appears unselected the next time I return to the screen. The device never actually gets added to the group.) 


Despite all of the above, I am actually able to choose the Office Sonos device as the speakers to play for the Office group, even though the device itself is not in the group.

 

 

 

 

Ken_Griffiths

Our posts crossed, but thanks (Danny) @melvimbe for your detailed post and referring to the Sonos support link too.👍 

Ken_Griffiths

@RussPAnton,

I was just speaking about the Sonos and Alexa Group interaction, as briefly outlined in the Sonos Support documentation here…

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/alexa-smart-home-device-groups-and-sonos

Sonos (or any other 3rd-party speaker manufacturer) has not ever worked with the Amazon Alexa ‘Everywhere’ Group, or those user-created groups in that area of the Alexa App - they’re exclusively used by/for Amazon manufactured products only.  

That said, had you have been a little more polite here, I might have given you a way to achieve the outcome you were looking for, to play all your Sonos and Amazon devices ‘together’ around the home, but I will just leave you to carry on with your own research on this topic, but just to add it has nothing to do with the topic that’s being discussed in this thread.

melvimbe

Not a big social media guy.  Among other reasons, folks on social media believe everything is up for debate, often with an unquenchable need to “enlighten” a deluded or misinformed lost soul, like myself :-).  Well, don’t you sound like a lawyer for Sonos.  Interpreting from thin air limitations implied by the advertised “enabled” Alexa compatability.  Because no such limitations are either stated or implied in the description of the “enabled” capability in Sonos documentation.  In fact there is at least one, if not more than one document avainable online that describes how to include the ERA in an Alexa group of Alexa speakers.  Which, again, does not work.

 

 

Can you provide a link to the document you found online?

 

 

Thanks, but I I needed no “clearing up” of my understanding.  I’m quite comfortable with my understanding of my issue. Something Sonos says works, doesn’t.

 

 

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/alexa-smart-home-device-groups-and-sonos

 

 

 You got a fix, great.  I’m responding because your uncolicited comments were so off base.  If you feel a need to weigh in with the last word, please do so. I have nothing more to say.

 

Danny
R

Not a big social media guy.  Among other reasons, folks on social media believe everything is up for debate, often with an unquenchable need to “enlighten” a deluded or misinformed lost soul, like myself :-).  Well, don’t you sound like a lawyer for Sonos.  Interpreting from thin air limitations implied by the advertised “enabled” Alexa compatability.  Because no such limitations are either stated or implied in the description of the “enabled” capability in Sonos documentation.  In fact there is at least one, if not more than one document avainable online that describes how to include the ERA in an Alexa group of Alexa speakers.  Which, again, does not work. Thanks, but I I needed no “clearing up” of my understanding.  I’m quite comfortable with my understanding of my issue. Something Sonos says works, doesn’t.  You got a fix, great.  I’m responding because your uncolicited comments were so off base.  If you feel a need to weigh in with the last word, please do so. I have nothing more to say.

Ken_Griffiths

I find it amazing that I researched buying an ERA 100 to replace an Echo device in my dining room to circumvent an Apple iMusic issue I have with Alexa. The ERA 100 is advertised as being able to function as an Alexa Echo device.  

I believe it’s not advertised as a full blown Alexa echo device, because that would surely harm Amazons own hardware sales - I think it’s talked about here in the community as being an Alexa ‘enabled’ device where the assistant is primarily used for music playback and control, but overtime some additional functionality (not all) has been included, but some things clearly are still exclusive to Amazon in much the same way that the Sonos grouping, pairing, bonding features are exclusive to Sonos products.

Absolutely zero caveats about that capability. So, I buy the ERA 100. Tout sweet, I run into this problem. I cannot add the ERA 100 to the everywhere Alexa group, or any group of speakers I try to set up, because while it responds to Alexa commands, it is not classified as an Alexa speaker after enabling the Alexa App skill. I then spend 2 days on the phone with both Sonos and Amazon, with nothing being resolved. I talked to at least 3 different Sonos support people. Not one word about this being an outstanding problem.  Instead my time was wasted by resetting and re-installing those 2 days, with a lot of finger pointing between the 2 companies. I give up, and google the issue and find this thread right on the Sonos site! INCOMPREHENSIBLE!  No one told me that this was an outstanding issue with an open ended ETA on a fix, and with more non-productive finger pointing! In 25 years of  working on getting music technology incorporated into my home you people still can’t get it right, especially across companies, and shame on Sonos support for pretending to scratch their heads over this with me like it was something they never heard of.

Some Alexa ‘Routines’ functionality is available to the US. which apparently is not available to the UK and EU countries. The one odd thing here is Sonos is enabled here in the EU and UK to control Amazon Alexa ‘enabled’ groups and that includes Era 100s, Move 2 and Era 300s but some in the US/Canada say they do not have that functionality. I’m not sure why that is🤔?

Just to also add this is a different grouping method to Amazon Echo Groups - I’m referring to their smart-home control of lights, plugs and playback on speakers etc. Sonos has never grouped with Amazon devices to playback on both manufacturers speakers.. this thread is about enabling the smart-home groups to play audio just on Sonos devices only. 

I hope that helps clear any confusion.. clearly though some users in the US have the issue that their Era 100s are not enabling/controlling the (smart) groups and in my humble opinion that’s something that Amazon needs to resolve with their Alexa accounts. I only say that though, because it appears that not all Sonos users have this reported issue.

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I find it amazing that I researched buying an ERA 100 to replace an Echo device in my dining room to circumvent an Apple iMusic issue I have with Alexa. The ERA 100 is advertised as being able to function as an Alexa Echo device.  Absolutely zero caveats about that capability. So, I buy the ERA 100. Tout sweet, I run into this problem. I cannot add the ERA 100 to the everywhere Alexa group, or any group of speakers I try to set up, because while it responds to Alexa commands, it is not classified as an Alexa speaker after enabling the Alexa App skill. I then spend 2 days on the phone with both Sonos and Amazon, with nothing being resolved. I talked to at least 3 different Sonos support people. Not one word about this being an outstanding problem.  Instead my time was wasted by resetting and re-installing those 2 days, with a lot of finger pointing between the 2 companies. I give up, and google the issue and find this thread right on the Sonos site! INCOMPREHENSIBLE!  No one told me that this was an outstanding issue with an open ended ETA on a fix, and with more non-productive finger pointing! In 25 years of  working on getting music technology incorporated into my home you people still can’t get it right, especially across companies, and shame on Sonos support for pretending to scratch their heads over this with me like it was something they never heard of.

V

Today I’ve upgraded my two Sonos Ones with Sonos Era 100s. After adding Alexa to the speakers, I tried to go into the Alexa app to associate them with their respective rooms. I’m able to add them as the room speaker, but I am unable to set them as the Alexa device for that room (allowing for room-specific commands like “Alexa, turn off the lights”, etc).

What’s weird is my Era 100s will show up under the Echo & Alexa devices section in the Alexa app, but they do not show up under Alexa-enabled devices when editing a room/group (see attached screenshots).

I’ve reached out to Alexa support and they were largely unhelpful, they claimed that from their resources Alexa isn’t supported on the Sonos Era 100 (maybe their documentation hasn’t been updated since this is a brand new product?). So they left the conversation there even after showing them that Sonos clearly states Alexa built-in support for the Era 100.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Seems like a bug in the Alexa app, and their support team is unwilling to report the issue up their chain.

 

I have the same issue. As new user of sonos, I’m very disappointed, I had high expectations.

D

Having the exact same issue. Era 100. Works with voice commands, but no ability to control the room/group.

 

Sonos, are you working on this?

B

Having the same issue with my Era 100 in the US 

C

Same issue with new Era 100s. good to hear the fixes are rolling out. Frustrating as a new Sonos user as I use the Alexa voice for lights around the house. This is definitely inconvenient especially for my partner and house guests  

Ken_Griffiths

I personally would have thought those with Era / Move 2 issues not showing as Alexa group ‘enabling/controlling’ devices in their Alexa App, should perhaps also contact Amazon support and see if it is an issue at their end. It seems rather odd it’s working in the U.K. Germany and areas of the EU, but not yet working in some areas of the US/Canada etc. maybe Amazon can provide the answers.

Attached is my Amazon Alexa ‘Kitchen’ Group (see screenshot) and that has an Era 300 called ‘Polo’ showing as ‘enabling’ the group and the devices above it are also ‘enabling’ the same group, these are 2 x Era 100s that are attached as surrounds to a Sonos Ray with Alexa installed on both those speakers and the top device is an Echo Dot. So it’s working fine here in the UK. I would hazard a guess this is more to do with Amazon rather than Sonos, er… perhaps🤔? I would see what Amazon have to say about the issue, although it’s probably best to do this after the holiday/weekend.

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I’m in the US and I’m still having this problem with my Era 100. Diagnostic number 215206880.

 

T

I got an update today and the problem is now fixed in my system (Era 100 in Germany)! :)

 
Airgetlam

As for the ‘alternate’ wake words, I think it unlikely that they’ll ever allow them on an ‘Alexa enabled device’, rather than an actual Alexa device. Just so there is a reason for you to buy their hardware, rather than giving all your money to someone else for the hardware, but using their software.

Bruce
U

Having the same issue here (in the USA). 
 

Diagnostic 2132391858

S
Userlevel 2
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Diagnostic is 365694344

In the screenshots:

Recognized as “Alexa capable” and part of an Alexa defined Group is “Nightstand” which is a Sonos ONE.

Also, “Beam” and “”Roam” are listed in the Alexa-enabled section, but not currently being used in any Alexa groups.

NOT recognized as “Alexa capable” are my devices “ARC” (Sonos ARC), “Kitchen Sonos” (Sonos ERA 100), “Lab Era 100” (Era 100).

Also NOT recognized my brand new Move 2 which I just received and installed today.

Note to Sonos support: I had to remove Alexa voice service from the “Kitchen Sonos” because it is in the same open area as an existing Amazon Alexa and conflicting.

Not specifically this bug, but will we EVER get the ability to use any of the existing Amazon alternative wake words (Computer, Amazon, Ziggy, Echo) with Sonos devices for Alexa?

 

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