Sonos App controls no longer appear on your lock screen

The decision to do this by Sonos was clearly a huge error and shows that they have lost their way. I would suspect that the ratio of customers hurt to benefitted is huge (like 10:1 or more). Why not just give us an option in the app: A. Use Airplay 2 and lose lock screen or B. Disable the "new" feature of Airplay 2 and all its excitingness and let the user use the lock screen controls (which include using hardware volume adjust). Why not do that, Sonos?

The decision to do this by Sonos was clearly a huge error and shows that they have lost their way. I would suspect that the ratio of customers hurt to benefitted is huge (like 10:1 or more). Why not just give us an option in the app: A. Use Airplay 2 and lose lock screen or B. Disable the "new" feature of Airplay 2 and all its excitingness and let the user use the lock screen controls (which include using hardware volume adjust). Why not do that, Sonos?

You do have that option. As Ryan from Sonos stated above, you can bring back the lock screen on Sonos by turning off AirPlay on any devices in your home that aren't Sonos devices.

The decision to do this by Sonos was clearly a huge error and shows that they have lost their way. I would suspect that the ratio of customers hurt to benefitted is huge (like 10:1 or more). Why not just give us an option in the app: A. Use Airplay 2 and lose lock screen or B. Disable the "new" feature of Airplay 2 and all its excitingness and let the user use the lock screen controls (which include using hardware volume adjust). Why not do that, Sonos?

You do have that option. As Ryan from Sonos stated above, you can bring back the lock screen on Sonos by turning off AirPlay on any devices in your home that aren't Sonos devices.

No need to restate the obvious that is all over this thread. Most of us either can't or don't want to "disable" Airplay (which for certain apple devices means unplugging them). What we want is a switch on the Sonos app that trades off the amazing capability to go around the whole Sonos concept and use Airplay 2 vs being able to control Sonos via the lock screen. That is all.

This update is terrible. Please reverse this! I have two homes fully equipped with Sonos everywhere. I need lock screen controls! And my Apple Watch controls back!

Here’s a worse fact: I have diligently disabled (by unplugging) my AirPlay devices, re-set the Sonos controller, and I STILL have no lock-screen control of the Sonos app. Would appreciate any thoughts, other than the now-universal disappointment with this update. Running iOS 11.4.1 on an iPhone X (and other devices).

Here’s a worse fact: I have diligently disabled (by unplugging) my AirPlay devices, re-set the Sonos controller, and I STILL have no lock-screen control of the Sonos app. Would appreciate any thoughts, other than the now-universal disappointment with this update. Running iOS 11.4.1 on an iPhone X (and other devices).

After resetting the controller, did you toggle the lockscreen controls to "ON" in settings?

Yes, and toggled off and back on for good measure, relaunched the app, etc.

You should be able to see the lock screen controls if there are no non-sonos airplay devices on your network. I would double check to make sure there are no airplay speakers on your network. If that's clear, the next option I'd try would be to reinstall the Sonos app.

Yes, and toggled off and back on for good measure, relaunched the app, etc. What a mess! SONOS, you have to fix this. You knew this was going to be a big problem and even devoted an entire blog entry to explain the issue to your users. Your "fix" is not acceptable. You need to pull back on this update and rethink the user interface in light of what you are hearing. I suspect that the majority of your user base use either the lockscreen or an Apple Watch to control their music while it is playing. Nobody wants to waste time unlocking the phone, launching the app and then proceeding to control the music. Too many steps in the process. Disabling AirPlay on my AppleTV seems to have worked for me but as KMcWalter and others on this thread have indicated, the solution is not universal. And even if it were, the solution is a band-aid solution for the the time being only. We should not have to lose out in this manner, especially if we have no intention of ever using AirPlay2.

I need one clarification here: Do the older versions of the Sonos controller still work with the lockscreen? Or are those broken due to the iPhone's update to 11.4.1? This is a critical piece of the puzzle. If Apple broke the functionality via the 11.4.1 update then Sonos needs time to find a workaround. If, however, Sonos broke the functionality via their update to 9.0 which hit simultaneously, I think?, with the Apple update, then Sonos should be in a position to release a software fix ASAP with an update to the controller on iOS.

As an aside, for those of you wishing to use your Apple Watch, you could always use the "Sonobit" widget (download from teh AppStore) which works in both iOS and WatchOS. Just a recommendation as a temporary workaround until these issues get resolved.

Yes, and toggled off and back on for good measure, relaunched the app, etc. What a mess! SONOS, you have to fix this. You knew this was going to be a big problem and even devoted an entire blog entry to explain the issue to your users. Your "fix" is not acceptable. You need to pull back on this update and rethink how the user interface in light of what you are hearing.


That's not going to happen. Sonos isn't going to pull airplay 2 from customers, so that customers effected by the lock screen control are happy. And since they were aware of the issue, as you pointed out, what makes you think a better solution is possible?


I suspect that the majority of your user base use either the lockscreen or an Apple Watch to control their music while it is playing.


Well, probably 50% use android or iPhone, but of the Apple users who use their iphones for control, probably right.


Nobody wants to waste time unlocking the phone, launching the app and then proceeding to control the music. Too many steps in the process. Disabling AirPlay on my AppleTV seems to have worked for me but as KMcWalter and others on this thread have indicated, the solution is not universal.


I believe it is universal. There are some cases that are having problems still, but that doesn't mean that airplay should be taken away from all so the exception get the lock screen back...if that even resolves their issue at all.


And even if it were, the solution is a band-aid solution for the the time being only. We should not have to lose out in this manner, especially if we have no intention of ever using AirPlay2.


I wouldn't look at this as a Band-Aid. From what I understand, Apple doesn't even really support the lockscreen controls for home audio products the way android does. Sonos implementation of it was really the Band-Aid that eventually had to be removed for some scenarios.


I need one clarification here: Do the older versions of the Sonos controller still work with the lockscreen? Or are those broken due to the iPhone's update to 11.4.1? This is a critical piece of the puzzle. If Apple broke the functionality via the 11.4.1 update then Sonos needs time to find a workaround. If, however, Sonos broke the functionality via their update to 9.0 which hit simultaneously, I think?, with the Apple update, then Sonos should be in a position to release a software fix ASAP with an update to the controller on iOS.


As I understand it, it's the Sonos update, not iPhone update that broke the functionality. Again, it was done in order to accommodate airplay intentionally, so don't expect a fix. It's not a matter of meeting customer expectations, it's a matter of what is technically possible for Sonos to do.