Sonos App controls no longer appear on your lock screen


After updating to 9.0 on iOS, I am getting the message "Sonos App controls no longer appear on your lock screen" on all my updated devices. The lock screen controls stopped working on all my controllers with above message.
I do not have any other music player running nor I have any sort of voice over configured. Settings for the app are correct with both hardware volume control and lock screen controls enabled on all devices.

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226 replies

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Disabling my AirPlay1 devices is not a solution. I don't have AirPlay2 devices at home.

Currently the only solution is to downgrade to Sonos App 8.6.

Luckily, I did not update my Connect:Amp.
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This is so extremely disappointing! Sonos needs to give users the choice to enable or disable airplay functionality. Sonos controls in the lock screen was one of the main things that sold me on Sonos!! Sonos you NEED to fix this!!!

Agreed. The Sonos-AirPlay protocol/functionality should be disabled from within the Sonos App, NOT from my existing AirPlay1 devices.

This will satisfy people with older devices, like me, who have Lock Screen Controls and Airplay1 devices working seamlessly on one network.
Userlevel 2
Regardless of the technical issues and whether it's Sonos or Apple's fault, it is Sonos duty to ensure their customers have the best experience possible. They were eager to email us about the upgrade's benefits but not about the detriment. 9.0 disables lock screen control and you only found out when it was too late, within the 9.0 App. To simply share this in the same email we received in the morning would not have been much to ask [which already was screwed up as it falsely stated the Playbar was supported (which tells you a lot about how things are running at Sonos)]

SONOS Please re-release 8.6 as a legacy app or offer it in the Test Flight platform, but don't screw over your customers that have invested thousands of Dollars in you eco-system you just took a crap on for a feature that only makes you be less Sonos like!
Are you planning on using airplay 2 anywhere in the house? If not, you can set things so that your lock screen controls will come back.

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3381?language=en_US

edit: Just realized I'm only repeating what's already been said. oops.

No, you can’t turn off Airplay. You have to unplug all airplay devices, which is really Silly.


What airplay devices devices do you have? Other users have disabled airplay through settings on AppleTV and/or Sky Q. Unplugging the device would get it done as well, but shouldn't be necessary.
Reset controller in advanced settings in sonos app restores lock screen and hardware volume controls 😃
Userlevel 3
Reset controller in advanced settings in sonos app restores lock screen and hardware volume controls :D

Nope...that didn't work. 😞
Userlevel 3
Currently the only solution is to downgrade to Sonos App 8.6.

Is there an easy way to do this?
Currently the only solution is to downgrade to Sonos App 8.6.

Is there an easy way to do this?

Downgrading the app to v8.6 would just lead to a mismatch between controller version and firmware build.
Why didn’t Sonos warn us PRIOR TO UPDATING that we would lose lock screen functionality????
Userlevel 1
This is a real failure by Sonos. I use the lock screen controls all the time especially at night, and Unplugging Apple TV is not an option.
Sonos need to fix this.
I think it's Apple that needs to fix this, not Sonos.
Userlevel 1
I am very disappointed in the version 9 software. Before this upgrade I loved my Sonos Play:1. I told everyone that I talked to about my Sonos that it was the best purchase I made in a long time. I loved how the Sonos app worked on the iPhone. I could see the music that was playing on the lock screen and I could control the volume with the hard buttons on the side of the phone. It even worked well with two iPhones in the house controlling it. But apparently those were happier times that were not meant to last.

It is ridiculous that the official fix it to turn of airplay on every other device on the network. I have three Apple TVs, why would I turn off a feature that I use? Why not give the Sonos app a toggle to turn off the AirPlay functionality? I can't use AirPlay2 with the Play:1, why not let me turn it off so I can continue to use the app in the user friendly manner that was available before, while still being able to use AirPlay on my Apple TVs? I am so disappointed, I created a forum account just to post this comment.
Userlevel 2
Another half arsed software attempt! Great speakers, no complaints there BUT SONOS really need to get a new APP Team!
Not only did we have to wait months for Alexa to work in Australia but when it "was" activated, we only got about 50% at best, of the full Alexa features and NOW with the update to version 9, lock screen controls for IOS no longer work unless you disable your whole house from using Airplay! Come on you guys get your act together or at least don't release updates until they work flawlessly 100%!!!!!
To be honest, I think you guys at Sonos know that SONOS users have invested heavily in your system and know that we HAVE to put up with crap software as we ain't going to change what we have as we outlayed such a large amount of money in the first place.
NOT HAPPY JAN! :@:(
Userlevel 2
I’m not a fan of anger posting but Fuck! I’m pissed! And Sonos just don’t give a fuck! It’s like they don’t use their products 😠
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Thank you so much, got back control on my iWatch 😃 Reset controller in advanced settings in sonos app restores lock screen and hardware volume controls :D
Userlevel 5
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This sucks big time!
I have numerous Sonos units around the household - but no AirPlay 2 capable devices.
I have Apple TV 4K which I use for AirPlay and an Airport Extreme which I use for AirPlay of sound to my Sonos environment.

But now I no longer can have Sonos control from lockscreen from any of my iDevices!
This is NOT acceptable!
Hi, I have spent the last hour or so on this. I had to disable airplay on my 2 Sky Q devices and I then got the controls back. The Sonos message on this was not clear and I spent the first hour looking for a setting on my phone. So anything you can airplay to has to have airplay disabled on that device.
Userlevel 1
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I don't have Airplay 2 and was planning on upgrading my Sonos network with an AP2-capable device first chance I got. I understand this is Apple's problem ultimately and not Sonos...but Sonos was aware enough of the problem to give me a pop-up once I had upgraded, but not thoughtful enough to say, "Hey, if you don't have Airplay 2, you might want to be aware that this is happening..." ahead of time. If they sent out a warning, I didn't see it. It looks like others didn't see it either. So Sonos basically saying, "Well, just kill all your Airplay and it will work again..." that is silly.

Very disappointed. Plans to upgrade the network are on hold until I see how Sonos fixes this. And yes...it is theirs to fix because they allowed the problem to happen to their customers when they knew it was going to be a problem. If I had known I was going to reduce my functionality, I would have waited.
Userlevel 1
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So...question: Sonos has no lock screen controls. But Spotify still has lock screen controls. If I use Spotify to stream Spotify to Sonos, I have lock screen controls. If I use Sonos to stream Spotify to Sonos, I have no lock screen controls.

Why is there a difference between Spotify and Sonos now? Note: I'm pretty sure there's a reasonable explanation I just have no clue what it is.
I only have an Apple TV which was configured to run AirPlay. I turned this off, updated the latest iOS software on my iPhone and boom, volume controls on lock screen is back. Phew.
Userlevel 1
Booo! Sonos I hope you are reading this. I am so angry!!! I switched my whole house over Sonos because airplay was crap. I have no Airplay2 devices and did not intent to get any. Now you take away the feature that makes Sonos usable - the lock controls! What were you thinking?! I'm not going to stop using my apple TV airplay because I still use that to stream video. Guess I should just go buy the apple speakers? I think apple just tricked you.... maybe beat you! Fix it! Just fix it! Please post how to downgrade back to previous version or something, I want my lock screen controls back. Mad as hell!
Userlevel 1
Version 9.1 needs the option to disable Airplay support within the Sonos controller. Like many others, I do not have any Sonos Airplay 2 compatible devices, and the lock screen controls are a huge part of the user experience.

Turning Airplay off on Apple devices is not the solution.
Userlevel 1
I just don't get it... I switched to Sonos a few years ago because Airplay was so terrible. It was totally unreliable, would skip and drop music all the time. Sonos was rock solid and I have been happy with it until now. Taking away key features like the lock screen makes no sense..... I had pretty much ignored the Airplay 2 and apple home pod altogether until now. I've gone and read up on airplay2. So if I want to continue to enjoy sonos i need to buy newer speakers that are airplay2 compatible? I'm frustrated because I've spent so much already on sonos speakers. Not about to spend any more after this. Why would I not just buy the apple speakers? Until now I really had never even considered that but am actually seriously considering switching back over. Makes no sense to me why sonos would take features away in order for me to be able to use the crummy apple airplay that I was glad to get away from.
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I worked it out !
I simply unplugged the apple TV box that I never use anyway.
Then went to sonos app
More tab - settings - advanced settings
Then “Reset Controller”
The Lock screen now works again.

Hope this helps out others.


I didn't have to reset the controller! just closed the app and re opened.

thanks Adam!
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I am sure Sonos will send out an update allowing us to disable the Airplay 2 Capabilities so that we can leave our old Apple TV plugged in.