Best answer by jgatie
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Changing the name of a speaker
I just moved a speaker to another room. How do I change its name so I don't have multiple speakers with the same name?
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Hello,
I am using the desktop app for a while, but the renaming speaker options is removed. I would like to report a bug.
Desktop App has limited abilities and some settings are unavailable. You will need to use a controller that meets the Sonos System Requirements as shown here…
Hello,
I am using the desktop app for a while, but the renaming speaker options is removed. I would like to report a bug.
Sonos chose to put all room settings behind auth on other controllers for security reasons. It stands to reason that they would want consistency across platforms.
Userlevel 7
+23
You said they removed the entire Room Settings feature from Desktop because it required auth, and that is incorrect. They could have left it all as it was, and simply not attempted to add Volume Limit to Desktop, and pissed off a lot fewer people.
They decided to throw the baby [All Room Settings] out with the bathwater [Volume Limit].
They decided to throw the baby [All Room Settings] out with the bathwater [Volume Limit].
Do this:
- reset a controller (I just tested on an iDevice)
- restart it and associate it with the household
- hit More/Settings/Room Settings
- you get a 'sign in to access more features' screen before you can proceed
Userlevel 7
+23
Not remotely true. The only room setting behind Auth is max-volume-limit. Everything else is still on the long-existing LAN APIs. It actually took a lot more work to remove the Room Rename feature on Desktop than it would have to have left it in. Its not like this API has changed, ever, so maintenance cost is zero. This particular feature deletion really didn't make any engineering sense at all, unlike some that arguably did (eg Setup, Add Speakers).
Room Rename was about the simplest feature I added to my own app: one UPNP API call, and a UI so simple even I could code it up quickly.
Whether the software team's productivity is X or Y, they're a finite resource whose priorities must be set. My point was that to retain the renaming option in the Desktop Controller was not just a question of "leaving it there", there would have needed to be not insignificant effort to port the user account authentication functionality across.
The hardware is software driven. A software development team should already be part of the numbers. Judging from the amount of time it takes for relatively minor features that make it into an update and the amount of time between those updates tells me that team is lacking and inept at best.
I think this is probably true. The small number of people affected by this - which has a simple workaround - compared to the number of people clamouring for Alexa and Google voice support, and improvements on the initially released capabilities of that feature, make it an obvious business decision.
Of course, the alternative would be a huge price hike for new speaker purchases, which would upset existing users wanting to add to their setup and would reduce new-to-Sonos-ownership numbers so that Sonos can build its software development team.
Renaming a room is part of Room Settings, which is now behind a sign-in authentication. To retain it on the Desktop Controller would have meant adding in all the sign-in code. Not lazy, just a business priority decision on where to focus resources.
I’ve been saying that for years. I owned a software company for 25 years. No matter how you look at it, maintaining four sets of code is part of the business. Yes, some things they can’t fix like the ‘from this iPhone’ feature when it is an Apple requirement, but like removing the renaming feature from the desktop version... what’s the point? It’s already in there. Instead of maintaining, they remove. First rule of thumb in software development is NEVER remove a feature. Sonos doesn’t care. That’s just incompetent and/or lazy.
Having run Trueplay in 3 Sonos-equipped rooms, I can say that switching it on and off does make a noticeable difference, and the difference is a big improvement.
Since Trueplay can only be run on an iPhone, the suggestion for non iPhone owners is to borrow one.
if you are doing so, then borrowing it to add/reconfigure speakers and setups, and running Trueplay, is not so very different, and usually doesn’t take very long.
Agreed, for non-iPhone users this is not ideal. There’s a lot in life that’s like that.
Since Trueplay can only be run on an iPhone, the suggestion for non iPhone owners is to borrow one.
if you are doing so, then borrowing it to add/reconfigure speakers and setups, and running Trueplay, is not so very different, and usually doesn’t take very long.
Agreed, for non-iPhone users this is not ideal. There’s a lot in life that’s like that.
Also, one should distinguish between the number of desktop OS users, for simple playback control, and those who configured their systems that way. The latter could well be a small proportion of the former, given the convenience of a handheld device for set up, and the desire for follow-on activities such as Trueplay and adding voice control.
I'd say maintaining four separate paths for the code base was onerous, and expensive. The decision to remove that support came around (but not concurrent with) when the company went public. I'm taking the position that it was an effort to concentrate the available resources where the user base was. While we don't have access to numbers, I'm sure the person who took this decision did, and I'd guess that the number of desktop OS users were much smaller than user numbers for mobile controllers.
It's mildly inconvenient at times, but not terrible, for me.
It's mildly inconvenient at times, but not terrible, for me.
Are you telling me I can no longer use use windows (or a PC) any more to update my rooms. Let me say this, I do not think Sonos hates us, but as a retired IT person of 30 years I will say this: Sonos is losing their innovative edge or in other words losing perspective of technology. I am a Canadian but will quote a famous US president : not because they are easy, but because they are hard: Sonos is becoming a company that is taking the EASY way out.
After thousands of dollars invested in Sonos and losing components yearly, I conclude: when I lose my Play 5 (about a year or 2 out), l will go back to hard wiring speakers to amplifies. Strange, all my old speakers and amps still work! Out lasting Sonos by 30 or more years. (this is Fn true).
Here is a thought for you millenniums, Why do we spend money on stuff and shortly send it to the landfill. So not environmental!
Have a Nice Steve
John B’s question about Apple HomeKit is relative as there have been several issues reported in this forum where the HomeKit app appears to be resetting/controlling the name of the speaker. Some users have reported changing the name in the Sonos App, and finding that the name gets changed back to what the Apple thinks it is.
Appreciate the feedback. I will purchase the Boost.
The second issue is the velop router only has one ethernet port which i current use for vonage.The Boost has two Ethernet ports, partly to cope with this kind of situation. The Vonage could be daisy-chained through the Boost.
Yes to the Apple Homekit but I hardly use. I plan to purchase the Boost to hopefully improve performance. Is getting the Boost a waste of money when I plan to set up a home theatre and two sonos ones will be in the same Media Room. Since I hate wires all the equipment including the mesh network are located in a closet and the position of the second sonos one hard wired to the Mesh network might not be the ideal location. The second issue is the velop router only has one ethernet port which i current use for vonage. Thanks for the feedback.
Wire one Sonos component. A Sonos system in WiFi/'wireless' mode attached to a mesh WiFi is not a good idea. With the players forced to use different channels, performance will be suboptimal.
Don't factory reset it is pointless at best. Do you have Apple Homekit by any chance?
Wireless. My router is linksys velop. Verizon gigabyte. I just got off the phone with a Sonos support. Based on the rep recommendation I hard wired a sonos one to the router and then change the names of the speakers. I then remove the sonos one from the router. I will monitor now to see if issue continues. The rep suggests that I get a Boost as the speakers are not all on the same channel. The next step is to reset to factory setting.
Userlevel 7
Hi Oceanswim
Are you in wired or wireless mode?
Are you in wired or wireless mode?
I changed the name of the speaker through the mobile app and it resorts back to the original speaker name. For example I moved a Sonos one from an exercise room to a MBR, renamed and retune and it changed for awhile and then resorts back to the original name, exercise room. Same with a speaker in the kitchen. I rename via the app and retune and then it stays for a bit and then resort to back to the original name. I have two sets of speakers with the same name which is annoying. Currently on hold with Sonos to find a fix.
Userlevel 7
+22
No. It's only you lot.
They told ME they love ME!
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