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S1 Creating New Account Issue

  • December 24, 2025
  • 13 replies
  • 53 views

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I have a Play:5. Setting up a new account, on a different iPhone. I keep getting the “Unable to create Sonos account” error. I’ve rest everything, still unable to create new account.

13 replies

Stanley_4
  • Lead Maestro
  • December 24, 2025

Any privacy or VPN stuff on the phone?

Is the speaker still registered to the old account?


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  • Author
  • Avid Contributor III
  • December 24, 2025

Any privacy or VPN stuff on the phone?

Is the speaker still registered to the old account?

No privacy or VPN stuff on the phone. I have factory reset the speaker.  It shows up on my S2 phone with a pop up about not being able to add it (which is fine as I’m creating a separate S1 ecosystem).


Mr. T
  • December 24, 2025

Why not just use your existing Sonos account details for the S1 system?


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  • Author
  • Avid Contributor III
  • December 24, 2025

Why not just use your existing Sonos account details for the S1 system?

It wants to downgrade my existing S2 system to S1. I want my Play 5 isolated.


Mr. T
  • December 24, 2025

Why not just use your existing Sonos account details for the S1 system?

It wants to downgrade my existing S2 system to S1.

Reset the S1 app, then select the option to create new system when you reopen S1 app.

The Play:5 may need to be rebooted or factory reset again to allow setup, if the led is not flashing green.

If you still have issues, power down your S2 system when you attempt the S1 setup.


Airgetlam
  • December 24, 2025

I’ve not attempted this, but two suggestions:

  1. Use a different email address, on the chance it recognizes one is already in use. No idea if Sonos actually checks this, but worth a shot.
  2. unplug all your S2 devices while setting up this S1 system (once you can set up the account, that is), it should stop nagging you (somewhat) about downgrading.

Honestly, I don’t get the ‘isolated’ requirement. I’ve got rooms on my system (S2) which I never group with certain other rooms, in my mind they’re ‘isolated’, but still on the single controller. The only time I’d ‘force’ a different OS is if I still had an S1 only device. 


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  • Author
  • Avid Contributor III
  • December 24, 2025

I’ve not attempted this, but two suggestions:

  1. Use a different email address, on the chance it recognizes one is already in use. No idea if Sonos actually checks this, but worth a shot.
  2. unplug all your S2 devices while setting up this S1 system (once you can set up the account, that is), it should stop nagging you (somewhat) about downgrading.

Honestly, I don’t get the ‘isolated’ requirement. I’ve got rooms on my system (S2) which I never group with certain other rooms, in my mind they’re ‘isolated’, but still on the single controller. The only time I’d ‘force’ a different OS is if I still had an S1 only device. 

I tried two different alternative email addresses, no luck. I’m wondering if I should try with the Play 5 hooked to an Ethernet cable?


Airgetlam
  • December 24, 2025

Certainly wouldn’t hurt. Or calling Sonos Support to discuss it. They might be better than this public forum.

When you speak directly to the Support staff, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system.


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  • Author
  • Avid Contributor III
  • December 24, 2025

Update - pushed volume up while green light was flashing, heard a tone and now I have the flashlight yellow light.


Mr. T
  • December 24, 2025

Update - pushed volume up while green light was flashing, heard a tone and now I have the flashlight yellow light.

Has the S1 app discovered the speaker yet?

Flashing green indicates it was ready to be setup.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/sonos-led-lights

If you’re still having difficulty creating a new account, have you tried creating the account by going to the following https://login.sonos.com/ then selecting “Create account” ?


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  • Author
  • Avid Contributor III
  • December 24, 2025

Update - pushed volume up while green light was flashing, heard a tone and now I have the flashlight yellow light.

Has the S1 app discovered the speaker yet?

Flashing green indicates it was ready to be setup.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/sonos-led-lights

If you’re still having difficulty creating a new account, have you tried creating the account by going to the following https://login.sonos.com/ then selecting “Create account” ?

S1 has not discovered the speaker. Also haven’t created an account. Will try that next.


Mr. T
  • December 25, 2025

S1 has not discovered the speaker. Also haven’t created an account. Will try that next.

Connecting by ethernet is normally the quickest solution for initial setup, especially for older devices.


Airgetlam
  • December 25, 2025

And, just to drive this point to a ridiculous extent, if the device had been previously set up on S2, it won’t be ‘found’ by the S1 controller, you’d need to follow this FAQ