Sonos version 8.1 Brings Support for Sonos One

Related products: Software News

Sonos version 8.1, the supporting software for the all-new Sonos One, the smart speaker for music lovers, is now available. Sonos One will be available in stores on the 24th, and brings Amazon Alexa to Sonos, now with great sound and for hands-free control of your music and more.



You can connect Sonos One with Amazon Alexa easily over Wi-Fi. Just setup the speaker, select the Sonos skill in the Amazon Alexa app. For full steps, take a look here. Once that’s done, you’ll be all set to play music, get news and answers, manage your smart devices and enjoy the wide selection of Alexa skills using your Sonos One.



Sonos and Amazon Alexa are constantly working and updating the integration with new features, services and skills, your music and voice options will keep getting better over time.



Voice control for Sonos with Amazon Alexa is currently supported in the US, UK and Germany. The Sonos One is future ready for voice control in other countries when Sonos and a voice service launch together locally. Learn more http://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/one.html



Minimum OS requirements:

Android 4.3 or later

iOS 9 or later

macOS 10 or later

Windows7 or later



Partially Supported Controllers

Sonos apps on these older operating systems are not fully supported.

Android 4.0/4.1/4.2

iOS 8

MacOS 10.9(Mavericks)



After Updating to 8.1, you can still browse, search and play music on your Sonos system. But you won’t be able to use these older systems for less common tasks like adding new speakers, modifying your music services, or setting up a brand new Sonos system.



You can use a device that meets the minimum OS requirements for these settings. Also, please note that the Sonos CONTROL/CR200 does not update to 8.1, but can still browse, search, and play music on your Sonos system.
Another release from Sonos that causes issues with the playbar from your tv/sky box. Broke in August for nearly two months. Fixed in release 8:0 then broken again in 8.1. Sound breaks up, stops making TV unwatchable if using playbar. Sort it out Sonos you are better than this....
Another release from Sonos that causes issues with the playbar from your tv/sky box. Broke in August for nearly two months. Fixed in release 8:0 then broken again in 8.1. Sound breaks up, stops making TV unwatchable if using playbar. Sort it out Sonos you are better than this....





We'd love to take a look with you on this one, there shouldn't be any changes in this release for the PLAYBAR which I'm aware of that could cause this issue as opposed to the 8.0 software. Can you give us a call on our support line and work with a technician on this one if you haven't yet?
Was prompted to upgrade to 8.1 today, after upgrade system insists i register devices to my account. After that all devices Needs to be registered over again(names still known for some reason)


After that, I'm prompted that all nodes will be updated. After several minutes, upgrade ends with restart and the message, problem during upgrade, try again? Tried again, same result. System is :bridge, 2xplay5, 1xplay 3 1xplay 1


Any ideas?
That's an odd one, Lars. Have you tried using a different controller? Mind sending in a diagnostic from your Sonos system?
I've tried both iOS and android versions. Both show similar behaviour. Varies a bit though, just now the iOS one is in a loop where controller asks me to upgrade, sends me to App Store where I can only press open , no option to download/upgrade. I will send log now
Sent logs from both controllers.


/lars
Looks like your players are updated to 8.1 already. Are you able to uninstall the app and download it fresh? That should do the trick.
That fixed it, great thanks. Lost my Nas based music collection though, don't know if related at all. Will trouble shoot separately. Appreciate the very fast response.
Another flawless update, insofar as the update process goes. A couple of questions:


1. After the update, it opened up a box inviting me to open a Sonos account, this has never happened before. I have an account so I just skipped this. Curious.


2. Amazon India will launch Alexa here on October 31 as promised. Will my Dot work with Sonos right away? I don't see why Sonos has to wait till after Oct 31 to do anything needed to make it so work...and the Japan launch is soon thereafter. India is a big Amazon focus at this time as their fastest growing market with the potential to be as big as the one in the US, with China lost to local players. I know this isn't the case for Sonos, but there are a few users here....
BUMP: for a Ryan response.
Another flawless update, insofar as the update process goes. A couple of questions:


2. Amazon India will launch Alexa here on October 31 as promised. Will my Dot work with Sonos right away? I don't see why Sonos has to wait till after Oct 31 to do anything needed to make it so work...






Hi Kumar,





I may be wrong, but Echo products' and Alexa's availability seems to be the only limitation for now. (perhaps Ryan can confirm)


If you already own an Echo Dot, you should already be able to use it with your Sonos system. You will just need to play a little with the settings.


I am currently using Alexa on my Sonos system in France. I had to configure it with an Amazon.co.uk account to be able to use Alexa and I had to cheat a little and use a vpn on my cell to be able to download the Alexa app but I made it.





I read that some people with a strong accent may have difficulties using Alexa in countries where it isn't officially available yet: my french accent doesn't seem to be a problem so far.





I hope this answers your question 😉



I hope this answers your question ;)



No, but thank you:-). My trouble at this time starts with even getting the Amazon app on my phone, although I have active accounts with Amazon US and UK.





But that does not matter; I don't have an Echo/Dot, it is on order with Amazon India with a promised delivery in early November by which time Amazon will have launched Alexa for India when the app will no doubt be also available. So if it works with Sonos then, I am fine.





But I have some doubts if it will, based on what was said earlier by Sonos; hence the direct message to Ryan. Let's see what he says.
Ryan, hello!!!
Update went smoothly. Not sure if it's a coincidence, or if something else changed recently, but I was having a lot of trouble getting Alexa to play a station from TuneIn on Sonos on the previous release. It would play from Amazon Music no problem, but when I asked it to play a station from TuneIn either nothing would happen, or it would start playing after a long pause (like > 1 minute). Tried it again tonight, and it happened again, so I was going to use my phone. Got the update notice when I launched the Sonos app, did the update, and afterward asked Alexa to play from TuneIn on Sonos. Started playing immediately; made me really happy.:)



But I have some doubts if it will, based on what was said earlier by Sonos; hence the direct message to Ryan. Let's see what he says.



Perhaps a bump at the beginning of his day will see a Ryan response.
Hey Kumar, sorry it's been a bit busy and I missed the replies here. I've reached out for details on if or when India might see the Sonos and Alexa integration. From what I've heard so far it won't be available on the 31st. Though it may work while not officially supported. I'll let you know when I hear more.
I've reached out for details on if or when India might see the Sonos and Alexa integration. From what I've heard so far it won't be available on the 31st. Though it may work while not officially supported.


Thank you.





From what I have understood of how this works, the above suggests an expected latency in response between Sonos Cloud servers and my Sonos units located in far away India. I expect Amazon to have addressed their part of the requirement before they release Alexa officially here on October 31. Sonos perhaps lacks the scale to do this for their cloud servers? I am sure that not thinking globally may come back and bite Sonos in unwelcome places in the future though.