Sonos App controls no longer appear on your lock screen

Reinstalled the app, same result. I've disabled all the obvious Airplay devices in my household, as well as the Airplay embedded in non-Apple devices like the TV and media amp, but I suppose some could be lurking somewhere (how silly is this?). Is there a way to detect Airplay devices on a network? My net analyzer app doesn't flag them.

@KMcWalter, I believe you should see everything that's compatible when you attempt to use airplay from your phone. So for example, go to an app that uses airplay, like iTunes, play a tune, and then hit the airplay button (I forget what it looks like exactly, but I believe it's on the bottom center). Apple will pop up a list of airplay compatible speakers you could stream to. If you disable airplay on all the nonsonos devices on the list, you should get your lock screen back.

The way I understand it, each airplay compatible device is supposed to send out a beacon that your phone picks up on. That's what it uses to generate the list.

@melvimbe, thanks. I so rarely use Airplay that I hadn't thought of it as way to detect Airplay devices (duh). There was indeed a second amp lurking on my system with active Airplay. With that disabled, the lock screen controls are back, thank you!

But seriously, what a chore. I'm quite sure you're correct and that our ire should be directed at Apple (which no doubt considers its lock screen as valuable real estate that only it should control) rather than Sonos, but "meeting customer expectations" is after all what a consumer products company, especially one like Sonos on the cusp of an IPO, should be all about, and the roll-out of this latest "upgrade" was surreptitious in its failure to warn that it would involve the trade-off of losing one important function in order to gain another (which in my and obviously many other cases, was a net loss). I've been a Sonos customer for over 10 years and have been increasingly dismayed by the direction the software interface has taken, sacrificing simplicity for sub-menus and multi-step processes -- and now this. The irony, of course, is that Sonos started with the ultimate lock-screen/hardware volume control -- i.e. dedicated controller hardware, which they stopped supporting, forcing everyone onto third party devices whose makers ultimately call the shots. Perhaps not the smartest strategy. Indeed, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Sonos to re-introduce a dedicated handheld device to replicate the top-screen functionality we've just lost by this upgrade. I'd probably buy it, however resentfully.

Thanks again.

I believe I've read all the posts on here, but does anyone know if this lack of lock screen control with SONOS is due to them or to Apple?

As a few others have said, disabling Airplay on my laptops/Apple TV/tablets isn't practical. I actually use Airplay for those. I don't personally see the need of using Airplay for music as SONOS does that pretty well.
If it's an Apple issue, I suppose we are just stuck lock-screen-less.
Hopefully it's a SONOS issue that they can fix.
We shall see.

I believe I've read all the posts on here, but does anyone know if this lack of lock screen control with SONOS is due to them or to Apple?


It's not exactly a matter of blame type issue. I already explained the situation a couple posts above so I won't repeat the details again. But based on the situation, you could...

-blame Apple for not implementing a way for app developers to use the lock screen controls for home audio systems...pushing Sonos to develop a 'hack' way of getting around the limitation that is no longer fully sustainable after implementing airplay support. Of course wouldn't take any blame since they never supported the feature to begin with.

- blame Apple for introducing airplay 2 with the tech requirements and features it has.

- blame Sonos for developing the hack solution that wasn't sustainable. Should they have never given iOS users the lock screen controls to begin with? If they had never done it, no one be upset that it doesn't work in all scenarios anymore.

- blame Sonos for not just making this work. Forget about technical limitations and all that. Customers want the lock screen controls to work and therefore they should just work.

So just pick your favorite. There's a little truth to all of them, except maybe the last one. Personally, I can't point too much blame anywhere as they were all decent to good decisions at the time they were made.

While Apple is not really a friend to anyone outside their walled garden, this problem falls squarely on Sonos.

Spotify has neatly solved this. They have lock screen controls for both their own Spotify Connect protocol as well as when using AirPlay.

There is no technical reason Sonos can’t do the same. I’m not saying it’s not complex to implement, but that’s not our problem.

Sonos took away critical functionality to support an inferior multi-room protocol, that makes their speakers act just like any run of the mill AirPlay speaker.

[quote=Quintus]

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.


Thanks for the tip on SonoBit!!!

I agree with the group here in the general irritation at this update but, since we look to be out of luck...

This works especially well for Apple Watch and, all things considered, is a good replacement. Worth the $2.99 so far for the simplicity. Only drawback is the tapping for volume change rather than using the crown.

Thanks again!

While Apple is not really a friend to anyone outside their walled garden, this problem falls squarely on Sonos.

Spotify has neatly solved this. They have lock screen controls for both their own Spotify Connect protocol as well as when using AirPlay.


Spotify is a music service, not a home audio system. Not a parallel situation.


There is no technical reason Sonos can’t do the same. I’m not saying it’s not complex to implement, but that’s not our problem.

Sonos took away critical functionality to support an inferior multi-room protocol, that makes their speakers act just like any run of the mill AirPlay speaker.

Understandable that you aren't a fan of airplay, but a ton of people do care. And has been explained several times, if you don't want to use airplay, turn it off and your lock screen controls for Sonos return.

Spotify is a music service, not a home audio system. Not a parallel situation.

.

I think people who use Spotify Connect in their homes to play audio to their speaker systems would be surprised to hear it isn't a home audio system lol.

Got the notice in my iOS app, came here to look, and found this thread. Read comments on page 1 and half of page 2, then skipped to page 6 (the last page as of this moment) hoping there was a better answer, and instead, still people complaining and nothing official from Sonos.

Why is it that every time SONOS updates their app, they "F" things up terribly? Every time I get a notice that Sonos needs to update, I have to pop some anxiety meds before I do the update!

I read that SONOS is struggling as a company. No doubt. With this last update, my android controller (an Amazon Fire HD8 tablet) has been screwy, switching to other rooms all by itself, not refreshing the screen with whatever is playing, not responding to what I tell it to do, and just being plain difficult. It's NEVER done that before.

Are these software releases coming too fast to have been properly tested?