If you’re giving a device to someone else, I’d recommend before having it leave your control, you  factory reset  the device. 

That way, they get a “fresh” device (with the latest software, too) that they then can set up using the standard “new user” procedure. It also has the benefit of removing all of your personal data, including services/playlists/networks from it. 

I will do the factory reset of the devices that i am letting someone else manage.   I simply want to make sure that nby doing a transfer that i will not mess up the configuration that i have for the other set of devices that i will continue to manage and enjoy.   

So, the net-net is that “does a transfer request ONLY transfer the devices in the current environment (aka current ethernet)?

thanks in advance,

No need to transfer, just factory reset and have the new owner register it themselves.

Not sure how to answer that question. The “transfer” process is kind of an intermediary. It reassigns (to my knowledge) the email account associated with the account, without touching the DB that maintains who “owns” the device. It also doesn’t do any erasing of data that Sonos stores on the speakers, which is almost everything. If a device is leaving your control, you should always factory reset before giving / selling it. As I said before, that gives the new person the opportunity to follow the normal setup process, as if they’d purchased the device from the store. Much cleaner, safer process than a “transfer”. 

I may have misunderstood you Bruce, but I disagree around the “transfer” process. I think the transfer system ownership does exactly what it says it does; it transfers the devices from one email account to another, reflecting on the DB that maintains who ‘owns’ the device. 

I recently added some S1 products, completing a factory reset on each one as I added them. I had to use the ‘Transfer System Ownership’ option as they were still showing as being registered to previous owner. Once I followed the app prompts, the devices were then registered against my email address and showed under my Sonos account online.

However, I nevertheless agree the OP should factory reset each device themself before handing them over.

Maybe we’re misunderstanding each other. I thought what I said was essentially what you said. Ah…, except for the DB part. I don’t think (although I could be wrong) that a transfer using the email account transfer does the same thing about writing to that “I bought this device” DB on the www.Sonos.com website. Whereas the factory reset does, essentially moving the “you bought this” data from the old user to the new user, when they sign up and “add a speaker”. 

Certainly the factory reset clears all “stored” data on the speakers. I don’t think (again, untested) that it erases other stored data on the speakers (network, playlists, associated service connections), merely transfers the email address on the account itself.

I think we essentially agree If you’re “giving” a Sonos device to someone else, for any reason, do the factory reset. If your keeping it yourself, fixing the email is a fine solution. 

If the unwanted player is part of a Surround System or Paired with another unit. remove this unit from the Surround/Pair before Factory Reset.

Each player has a full copy of system setup details. Factory Reset of one unit does not trash any other units.

However, the controllers might detect that a unit is now “missing” and nag you about that for a while. Just ignore the nag as it will eventually go away.

If you look at your online system profile, it will indicate that you still own the Factory Reset unit until it is registered by the new owner.