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Thug59
Contributor I
April 10, 2018
Answered

Alexa and Sonos grouping

  • April 10, 2018
  • 10 replies
  • 4129 views
When I ask Alexa to play on a particular named speaker it will play on whatever group of speakers where playing at the last usage. Rather than just the one I ask for.
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    Best answer by jgatie
    Grouping (or ungrouping) via Alexa is not supported at this time. If you previously used the Sonos app to group speakers, and then ask Alexa to play to one of the grouped speakers, it will play to the whole group. You need to use the Sonos app to ungroup if you wish it to only play to a single speaker.

    10 replies

    jgatie
    jgatieAnswer
    April 10, 2018
    Grouping (or ungrouping) via Alexa is not supported at this time. If you previously used the Sonos app to group speakers, and then ask Alexa to play to one of the grouped speakers, it will play to the whole group. You need to use the Sonos app to ungroup if you wish it to only play to a single speaker.
      RonJ103
      Trending Lyricist I
      August 4, 2018
      Having to manually group and ungroup all the time is ridiculous. When I told my wife that was the case, she was in disbelief. Her thought was "no way it could be that bad". Yes, it is that bad.
      Smilja
      Smilja
      August 4, 2018
      Having to manually group and ungroup all the time is ridiculous. When I told my wife that was the case, she was in disbelief. Her thought was "no way it could be that bad". Yes, it is that bad.
      You are barking up the wrong tree, Amazon is the owner and rightholder of Alexa.
      »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
      RonJ103
      Trending Lyricist I
      August 4, 2018
      Yes, Alexa is an Amazon entity, that is obvious. That doesn't absolve Sonos of all Alexa related issues when Alexa is integrated into a Sonos product and sold by Sonos. It seems like an obvious work around would be to allow several different groups to be defined in the Sonos app, allowing each speaker to be members of any number of the Sonos groups. Then the user could say, "play music on upstairs sonos group". Lots of ways this could be handled. The idea that Sonos has no responsibility here is ludicrous.
        Smilja
        Smilja
        August 4, 2018
        Yes, Alexa is an Amazon entity, that is obvious. That doesn't absolve Sonos of all Alexa related issues when Alexa is integrated into a Sonos product and sold by Sonos. It seems like an obvious work around would be to allow several different groups to be defined in the Sonos app, allowing each speaker to be members of any number of the Sonos groups. Then the user could say, "play music on upstairs sonos group". Lots of ways this could be handled. The idea that Sonos has no responsibility here is ludicrous.
        I see, you are an experienced software engineer. So tell me how Sonos should accomplish this task without a corresponding application programming interface provided by Amazon. It's an IT Cloud thing, you know.
        »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
        RonJ103
        Trending Lyricist I
        August 4, 2018
        Well, looking here: https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/alexa-sonos-how-it-works-6791310

        "The Amazon protocols determine if it’s meant for Amazon Alexa or for a Sonos player. If it’s for Sonos, that text is then sent directly, and securely, over to the Sonos cloud to be turned into a command using our own codes."

        How do you think Amazon determines what is mean for Alexa and what is meant for Sonos? Do you think this is magic or somehow happens without any input from Sonos at all? Do you think Sonos had no say in how this was done? When I add a new Sonos device and put it in a "room" on the Sonos app, Alexa becomes aware of that device/room. This could be exploited. I'm not saying that is the best approach, I'm sure it isn't, but the "Geez guys, all we can do is wait for Amazon because there isn't a thing in the world Sonos can do" is a total crock.
        Smilja
        Smilja
        August 4, 2018
        [...] but the "Geez guys, all we can do is wait for Amazon because there isn't a thing in the world Sonos can do" is a total crock.
        Fact is that at this point the so called Multi-Room Music Group only applies to Amazon Echos.
        »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
        RonJ103
        Trending Lyricist I
        August 4, 2018

        Fact is that at this point the so called Multi-Room Music Group only applies to Amazon Echos.

        Yes that is true. I don't know of anyone debating that point. There is more than one way to skin a cat. At this point I find myself wondering if you actually read and understood what I wrote above.....
        andyrm
        Lyricist III
        January 10, 2019
        So yet another example of why the Sonos claim "with Alexa built in" is untrue. Every time I try to do anything more that turn on, sound up/down or select a source I find that sonos/alexa doesn't support it. So the truth is closer to "with bits of alexa loosely bolted on" than the advertised claim of "built in". Will the fabled addition of google assistant be a complete installation or will chunks of that be missing as well?
        John B
        January 10, 2019
        So yet another example of why the Sonos claim "with Alexa built in" is untrue. Every time I try to do anything more that turn on, sound up/down or select a source I find that sonos/alexa doesn't support it. So the truth is closer to "with bits of alexa loosely bolted on" than the advertised claim of "built in". Will the fabled addition of google assistant be a complete installation or will chunks of that be missing as well?Sonos One is an Alexa-enabled speaker, not an Echo device. It does have Alexa built in, as advertised.

        This is an old thread. Alexa groups are now available on Sonos.
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