Volume commands stopped working

  • 19 November 2017
  • 38 replies
  • 6591 views

Using an Echo Dot to control 3 existing Sonos speakers.

Have speakers set up as Kitchen / Dining Room and Bedroom

Can start and stop music fine 'play blah blah in (or on) Kitchen'.

Volume commands, for example 'turn it down in the kitchen' and Alexa responds with 'that command does not work on device kitchen.'

I've disabled and re-enabled the Skill to no avail.

Am I doing something silly or is it a bug; should I try deleting all the devices and resetting?

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38 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +20
I suspect that you have duplicate device names for 'kitchen'. Try renaming your Sonos players to Room Name followed by 'Sonos'. e.g. Kitchen Sonos, Lounge Sonos, etc
Userlevel 2
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In my case it's "You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App". However occasionally it does work.
Userlevel 7
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In my case it's "You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App". However occasionally it does work.

Can you detail your set-up and specific issue?
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
In my case it's "You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App". However occasionally it does work.

Can you detail your set-up and specific issue?

2 Play:1s - Bedroom and Kitchen. 2 Echo Dots - Bedroom Dot and Kitchen Dot.

Starting and stopping playback never fails. Volume control erratic. When not working the message is as previously stated
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
In my case it's "You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App". However occasionally it does work.

Can you detail your set-up and specific issue?

2 Play:1s - Bedroom and Kitchen. 2 Echo Dots - Bedroom Dot and Kitchen Dot.

Starting and stopping playback never fails. Volume control erratic. When not working the message is as previously stated


Try opening the Alexa app and select Smart Home>Devices and scroll down to the bottom and select 'Discover'. Make sure your two Play:1's are listed under devices.
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
Try opening the Alexa app and select Smart Home>Devices and scroll down to the bottom and select 'Discover'. Make sure your two Play:1's are listed under devices.

They are already listed. New Alexa app doesn't allow for devices to be removed. I've already tried disabling them, powering off all 4 devices, disabling and re-enabling the skill.

Like I said, the only issue is consistent volume control.
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
If you use https://alexa.amazon.co.uk from a PC then the Remove All function is still available. Beware if you have created any Routines then this will wipe all actions defined within all Routines!

If your problem still exists, I suggest a reset of your voice control set-up as I've listed in this answer:

https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/sonos-one-not-responding-to-alexa-comands-6793239
Userlevel 2
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Problem still persisting.
Userlevel 7
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Are you able to submit a Diagnostic and post the number in this thread?
Userlevel 2
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I'll submit a new one this evening.
Userlevel 2
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Are you able to submit a Diagnostic and post the number in this thread?
Number 8120116.
Userlevel 2
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I did some testing with my 2 dots and 2 speakers this morning, a pair in the bedroom and kitchen.

1. After starting playback, a volume down command generally works; subsequent volume downs may or may not work;
2. After starting playback, a volume up command doesn't work.
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
Okay, more testing today. There are two accounts attached to my Alexa devices, the two adults in the Amazon Family.

The volume control still doesn't work properly but the message Alexa states is 'That command doesn't work on device bedroom/kitchen' rather than 'You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App'.

So question, does the skill need to be enabled for both family accounts? Do the speakers need to be discovered for both?

The Sonos account is my account rather than my wife's, does that matter?
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
Okay, more testing today. There are two accounts attached to my Alexa devices, the two adults in the Amazon Family.

The volume control still doesn't work properly but the message Alexa states is 'That command doesn't work on device bedroom/kitchen' rather than 'You don't have any Smart Home devices To get started, go to the Smart Home section of the Alexa App'.

So question, does the skill need to be enabled for both family accounts? Do the speakers need to be discovered for both?

The Sonos account is my account rather than my wife's, does that matter?


This is your issue - the linking of a Sonos account to an Alexa account must be 1:1. e.g. you can only have one Amazon account linked to a single Sonos account. You will need to have all of your Alexa devices signed into the same Amazon account.
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

This is your issue - the linking of a Sonos account to an Alexa account must be 1:1. e.g. you can only have one Amazon account linked to a single Sonos account. You will need to have all of your Alexa devices signed into the same Amazon account.

I had only enabled the skill on my account and discovered the speakers on my account.

Alexa allows both adult accounts that are part of an Amazon family to be signed; one can then easily switch profiles.

Previously there was no issue with volume control when switched to my wife's account (with Amazon Prime) to make use of Prime music until the week I initially replied here.

I appear to have now fixed it:
1. Skill enabled on both family accounts;
2. Speakers discovered on both family accounts;
3. Speakers disabled on my account.
Userlevel 7
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Well done, all of the documentation states this isn't possible!
Userlevel 7
Badge +15
Same issue here. I start the radio for example in the Kitchen. Starts OK.
Then "Alexa turn the volume up in the kitchen." or "Alexa turn the volume up in kitchen."- and she responds with 'That command doesn't work on device kitchen.".
"Alexa turn the volume down in the kitchen." - and it often goes down!
I have no devices named similarly and the Dots still have their default names.
I only have one Sonos account and one Amazon account.
I've looked in the Alexa app and Settings - General - History and all command are written exactly as I've said them so it's not as though it doesn't understand the request.
I've disabled and re-enabled and re-linked accounts too.
I'm doing the above from a quiet room with a Dot in, not in the same room the music is playing.

Separately, I read many of the comments about how poor the Sonos One is at hearing commands and I wonder how poor they really must be and how challenging it must be to have the mics so close to the actual speaker - as I find the Dots (about 3-4ft from the speaker) struggle to hear when anything of any volume is playing.
I think voice control and how regimented many commands need to be is so far away from mass acceptance that if it doesn't get better quickly, people will be switched of it all and pass it off as the latest craze and move on..
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
Well done, all of the documentation states this isn't possible!
I spoke too soon it's not working again and here's something I found out from playing around: disabling the speakers in both household accounts via the app doesn't disable the speakers; Alexa was still able to playback!

I wonder if this issue was introduced by the updated Alexa app with this disable rather than forget feature.

As noted earlier, from the prime account Alexa will say the command is not supported by the speaker. From the 2nd account Alexa will say there are no devices.

I will now try just enabling the skill and discovery from the prime account. I may re-register the dots to the prime account too.
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I will now try just enabling the skill and discovery from the prime account. I may re-register the dots to the prime account too.

Still no luck:
1. Removed skill and forgot devices from both accounts;
2. Re-registered both dots to Prime account;
3. Power cycled Play:1s and used add player in Sonos app;
4. Enabled skill in Alexa app using my Sonos account and Prime account;
5. Discovered speakers using Alexa app,
6. Volume command not supported by speaker 😞
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
Same issue here. I start the radio for example in the Kitchen. Starts OK.
Then "Alexa turn the volume up in the kitchen." or "Alexa turn the volume up in kitchen."- and she responds with 'That command doesn't work on device kitchen.".
"Alexa turn the volume down in the kitchen." - and it often goes down!
I have no devices named similarly and the Dots still have their default names.
I only have one Sonos account and one Amazon account.
I've looked in the Alexa app and Settings - General - History and all command are written exactly as I've said them so it's not as though it doesn't understand the request.
I've disabled and re-enabled and re-linked accounts too.
I'm doing the above from a quiet room with a Dot in, not in the same room the music is playing.

Separately, I read many of the comments about how poor the Sonos One is at hearing commands and I wonder how poor they really must be and how challenging it must be to have the mics so close to the actual speaker - as I find the Dots (about 3-4ft from the speaker) struggle to hear when anything of any volume is playing.
I think voice control and how regimented many commands need to be is so far away from mass acceptance that if it doesn't get better quickly, people will be switched of it all and pass it off as the latest craze and move on..


Have tried just saying Alexa, Volume 4 (Any number up to 10)

Here are the commands that are supported:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4343?_ga=2.148042807.1095743978.1506552577-1491669311.1488879254&_gac=1.184731227.1511606155.CjwKCAiAxuTQBRBmEiwAAkFF1oALnz96PmYXSnBA2S5Va6kZH-GMxirNsBm3OEv4x_UDJRYzPiX8OxoCxj8QAvD_BwE
Userlevel 7
Badge +20

I will now try just enabling the skill and discovery from the prime account. I may re-register the dots to the prime account too.

Still no luck:
1. Removed skill and forgot devices from both accounts;
2. Re-registered both dots to Prime account;
3. Power cycled Play:1s and used add player in Sonos app;
4. Enabled skill in Alexa app using my Sonos account and Prime account;
5. Discovered speakers using Alexa app,
6. Volume command not supported by speaker :(


If you use the PC app https://alexa.amazon.co.uk the Forget All command is still available. This still sounds like an Amazon account conflict to me, as the devices are not replying the same. Can you check that you haven't logged on to your other Amazon account on ANY other app?
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

If you use the PC app https://alexa.amazon.co.uk the Forget All command is still available. This still sounds like an Amazon account conflict to me, as the devices are not replying the same. Can you check that you haven't logged on to your other Amazon account on ANY other app?

I'm not sure what you mean, are you saying I need to log out of the Alexa app and all other Amazon apps including Kindle if it's not the Prime account?

That's a bit extreme. I then can't access any of my (non prime account) content?

Currently both dots are on the Prime profile. The iPad and iPhone are in the Prime account in Alexa. The Android is in my account.
Userlevel 7
Badge +20

If you use the PC app https://alexa.amazon.co.uk the Forget All command is still available. This still sounds like an Amazon account conflict to me, as the devices are not replying the same. Can you check that you haven't logged on to your other Amazon account on ANY other app?

I'm not sure what you mean, are you saying I need to log out of the Alexa app and all other Amazon apps including Kindle if it's not the Prime account?

That's a bit extreme. I then can't access any of my (non prime account) content?


Yes, that appears to be the case with other people that I've helped. All sorts of strange behaviour occurs otherwise... Here's an example:

https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/2-sonos-one-speakers-in-differnet-geographical-locations-and-one-alexa-app-is-showing-both-speakers-6793735
Userlevel 7
Badge +15
Should the location of Sonos devices be set somewhere in Alexa or are they set by Sonos? Attempting to change these details in the Alexa app just gives an error.
Userlevel 7
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Should the location of Sonos devices be set somewhere in Alexa or are they set by Sonos? Attempting to change these details in the Alexa app just gives an error.

They are set in the Alexa app under Settings>Your Sonos One. You should be able to set a Country specific address for each Sonos One. I'm not sure of your location but I find it better to use https://alexa.amazon.co.uk or .com rather than an Android or iOS app.