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Parkae
Contributor I
October 21, 2017
Answered

Alexa on Play 5

  • October 21, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 3598 views
I noticed a card on my Alexa home screen last night notifying me that the play 5 in my kitchen had become available as an Alexa device. I have already synced my Sonos and Alexa accounts and have been using them together for a few days, but this notification seemed to indicate that I should be able to speak directly to the play 5 as if it were an echo. I haven't been able to actually do this though and was also confused as to why that was the only play 5 in my house that was made available for this function. I thought maybe I was going crazy but there is a link there to set up Alexa settings for the speaker which are the same settings available to edit for all of my echo devices. There is also a link advising me to visit the Sonos site for a full list of commands available for this speaker, but I couldn't find anything there. I dropped a screenshot here to hopefully avoid all the know-it-alls who will be just so excited to try to explain to me that the play5's mic isn't far-field and so this isn't possible and I don't know what I'm talking about. Anyone else seeing this?
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Best answer by bockersjv
No, you have the wrong idea. Having the Play 5 listed in Alexa means you can send music to it. ie. Play Music by Abba on Kitchen Sonos(or whatever it is set up as). Only the new Sonos One has Alexa microphones built in, so far.

5 replies

bockersjv
bockersjvAnswer
Local Superstar
October 21, 2017
No, you have the wrong idea. Having the Play 5 listed in Alexa means you can send music to it. ie. Play Music by Abba on Kitchen Sonos(or whatever it is set up as). Only the new Sonos One has Alexa microphones built in, so far.
ParkaeAuthor
Contributor I
October 21, 2017
Right, I understand that the Sonos speakers now show up as smart home devices, and I understand the whole concept of the echo sending commands to the speakers, but, like I said when I click the link to edit Alexa settings the settings menu looks like I am setting up a new echo device. For example,I have the option to add the speaker's location and choose between Celcius and Farenheit. Not only are these things that are not currently available within Sonos/Alexa functionality, but these settings are for this specific speaker as if to indicate that the speaker itself should be capable of outputting responses without any echo device connected. I have attached another screenshot of the play 5 Alexa settings for more context.
Ryan S
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
October 24, 2017
No, you have the wrong idea. Having the Play 5 listed in Alexa means you can send music to it. ie. Play Music by Abba on Kitchen Sonos(or whatever it is set up as). Only the new Sonos One has Alexa microphones built in, so far.

This is correct. The way Alexa recognizes Sonos as a smart home device has a lot of options, at you mentioned, that don't really do anything. The PLAY:5 gen2 does have a couple microphones, but they aren't suitable for voice control and aren't active currently.

You'll need to be talking to a device that's Alexa enabled, with a full microphone array, like the Sonos One, or an Amazon Echo Dot.
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Vulpix70
Lyricist II
December 9, 2017
Can we all clarify the following questions please:
1) Alexa Echo can not do anything with the Play5 2nd Gen?
2) If it can: What can it do?
3) If it does something: What are the voice commands? (just to be consistent)

Extra: When I ask Alexa to start Spotiy, it says it is connected and it plays music on the Echo, but not on the Play5.
Play5 is linked in "Skills" app and active but it doesn't do anything in my house... back to #1 🙂
jgatie
jgatie
December 9, 2017
Can we all clarify the following questions please:
1) Alexa Echo can not do anything with the Play5 2nd Gen?
2) If it can: What can it do?
3) If it does something: What are the voice commands? (just to be consistent)

Extra: When I ask Alexa to start Spotiy, it says it is connected and it plays music on the Echo, but not on the Play5.
Play5 is linked in "Skills" app and active but it doesn't do anything in my house... back to #1 :)

1) False. An Echo can control the music playing from any Sonos unit ever made.

2) Only Amazon supported services can be initiated via voice, but all sources can utilize basic voice controls (pause/resume/skip/previous, etc.) after the stream has been started. See this link: https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/alexa-now-playing-on-sonos-6791301

3) See this ink: https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4343?_ga=2.7009777.215155772.1512771106-933959630.1505542743
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