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Feature request - Detect the nearest speaker using Bluetooth Low Energy BLE

  • September 8, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 40 views

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Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if it would be possible for the Sonos app to use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to detect which Sonos speaker is physically closest to your smartphone when you open the app.


For example, if I walk into the kitchen and open the Sonos app, it could detect that the kitchen speaker is the closest one and automatically show the Now Playing screen for that speaker, instead of showing the speaker or room that I had previously selected.
The idea would be to make the app more context-aware: when you open it, the speaker you're most likely trying to control is often the one physically closest to you.


Ideally, this could be an optional feature in the Sonos app settings, so users could choose whether they want this behavior or prefer the current behavior of keeping the previously selected speaker/room.

For example, there could be a setting like “Automatically select nearest speaker” that could simply be enabled or disabled.


BLE could potentially be used for proximity detection without requiring a full Bluetooth audio connection.


Would something like this be technically possible with current Sonos hardware? And is this a feature that Sonos has ever considered?


I think it could make controlling a multi-room Sonos system feel much more immediate and intuitive, while still giving users the choice of whether or not to use it.


Thanks!

3 replies

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  • Local Superstar
  • September 8, 2026

‘Nearby Interactions’:

https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/nearby-interactions

For example, a person playing music on their iPhone can continue listening on their HomePod mini when they bring the devices close together, simply by transferring the audio output from their iPhone to the HomePod mini.


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  • Author
  • Renowned Enthusiast I
  • September 8, 2026

Yes, exactly. The idea would be to use the “Nearby Devices” functionality available on Android and iOS to detect which speaker is closest to the smartphone.
The main limitation I can see would be older Sonos speakers that don’t have Bluetooth/BLE capabilities.
I’d be very interested to hear the Sonos team’s thoughts on this and whether something like this could be technically feasible.


Airgetlam
  • September 8, 2026

The Sonos team doesn’t respond in this forum, the best you’ll get is a ‘we’ll pass this on to the team’ from the moderators.
 

The real question is more likely if the feature is market worthy, given the number of already installed speakers that don’t have the electronics in them to recognize BLE. But it’s an interesting idea, I’m just not sure you’re going to get the desired ‘response/discussion’ in these forums. And ‘technically’ is a great distance from ‘marketable’.