Android Controllers and Setup, past the CR100 brick

As many of us are being thrown off of our CR100's, and forced onto an external third party device, please use this thread to say what device you will use or have tried, and advise what settings and configurations make it work.

Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.

Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.

To start,

I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.

Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0

So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.

Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.

Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"

Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.

One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?

Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.

Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.

If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.

On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.

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duplicate post, also Grrrrr

This will probably be duplicate or triplicate post too...******* forum software (by Insided, why do Sonos not dump them?)

That will be it - I think it would depend on the age of your wired device. Older SonosNet identifiers began with HHID. Useful to know you can see yours - don't know why mine isn't showing up!

Like the Magnetic cables and the Sliding stand thanks guys!

Yes you can set security (Standard Android options) on the Lenovo Tab, So I assume that means PIN, But I haven't tried as I wanted it open and quick to access.

Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, connects to the SonosNet no problem (HHID_xxxxxx)

It is also Pretty slick, speed wise

Actually what I meant was " screen pinning" the Sonos App. This is a feature available on android devices running Lollipop 5.0 and above. It means that the pinned app is the only one available on the device. You have to enter a PIN to get to any OTHER apps you might have on the device, but not to get to the pinned app.

The Sonos support note on how to do this:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3241/kw/Guided%20access

doesn't tell you that actually it won't work on the Amazon Fire 7 (because Amazon have played about with the OS). If it works on your Lenovo Tab then it could be pretty useful.

I’ve been using two Nexus 7s (2012 models) for a good 4 years now as dedicated Sonos controllers.

They have dedicated docks as well that charge wirelessly and can be locked to Sonos if required or just left to run Sonos without a screensaver or password so you’re left with an always on device that has little or no delays in activation.

Of course there are no hardware buttons but unless someone cobbles something together in a shed that will always be the case in this day and age.

Works well if you want something dedicated and can be picked up cheap and with custom firmwares available they are not locked down like many brand new cheap tablets like the Fire tablets have proven to be

Nexus 7 (2012) doesn't come with wireless charging, but does have side contacts for the dock. With Android 5.1 they tend to be sluggish, but a pinned Sonos app just about works okay. Use Tasker for setting the display timeout to large values if required, and for auto-locking when placed in the dock.

Nexus 7 (2013) has Qi wireless charging and remains pretty quick with Android 6.

When in the dock the Nexus 7 charges without a wire or cable anywhere near the tables charging port. Not sure how you’d classify that but as far as I am concerned it is charging WITHOUT wires.

I also never stated it worked in the QI standard.

I’m using it on a custom Lineage OS 7.1.2 Nougat firmware that runs like it did when it was new (so I’ve been told) and it’s faultless and is far better than the previous official firmwares it had been running on.

No slow down. No crashes. Everything I need on it runs perfectly which is the Sonos app which works like a dream on it.

When in the dock the Nexus 7 charges without a wire or cable anywhere near the tablet itself. Not sure how you’d classify that but as far as I am concerned it is charging WITHOUT wires.

There's an unbroken electrical circuit. 'Wireless charging' is commonly understood to imply magnetic induction.

I would say most people you ask would say wireless charging it a way of charging without connecting a wire to a device.

Anyway. My point stands. It charges in a DOCK wirelessley and works flawlessly on a custom firmware.

I have it here right in front of me as I type and KNOW it’s working well as a dedicated and standalone Sonos controller.

I know a lot of drone users like the 2013 model as it’s great for flying with and again works well with a custom firmware.

I do however believe that there wasn’t a wireless charging dock available in the same way that the 2012 model worked so it’s not quite as “perfect” in use

The Nexus 7/2013 is distinctly easier IMO. I've used it with a handful of decent third party Qi pads for years without problem. My Nexus 2012 sometimes needs to be wiggled to correctly seat in the dock.

You might want to clean your connections as both of mine work each and every time they are re-docked.

I agree QI charging actually works better as a technology BUT there isn’t a dock that works in the same way that I’ve seen

Contacts have been cleaned repeatedly using IPA. I suspect the spring is weak inside one or more contacts in the dock.

Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet? Or is there something in the specs I will have to check, if so what is that?

I currently only have iOS Controllers (and CR100 + 200). Since I'm freezing my system and taking it off my regular wifi I'm interested in a solution where I can control it via Android and SonosNet since not all settings are available in the CR's.

These are three tablet's I've read about but I'm not sure if the can connect directly to SonosNet:

Amazon Fire

lenovo Tablet

Nexus 7

Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet?

They should do. The controller simply writes the SSID/key of the hidden SonosNet SSID into the Android WiFi settings. iOS doesn't permit this manoeuvre.

Oooh sounds good, Ok this new to me so I will have a play tomorrow!

My amazon fire does connect to sonosnet. But you can’t pin app to lock or home screen. Best you can do is set it not time out for 30 mins. After that screen locks and you have to reopen app.

Amazon Fire 10 and Lenovo Tab 7 Essential (Android 7) both definitely connect to Sonos Net, I'd be surprised if the Nexus didn't.

Amazon Fire 10 and Lenovo Tab 7 Essential (Android 7) both definitely connect to Sonos Net, I'd be surprised if the Nexus didn't.I agree. Really any Android device should do - it was only because I had trouble with the Fire, and the Fire's Android is a bit non-standard, that I wondered if there might be issues. It seems even that might be something local to my setup.

Hopefully, if nothing else, this will have raised awareness of this capability in Android controllers.

My amazon fire does connect to sonosnet. But you can’t pin app to lock or home screen. Best you can do is set it not time out for 30 mins. After that screen locks and you have to reopen app.If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there

If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there

Lock-screen notification/controls are enabled by default. If not required they can be explicitly disabled in Advanced Settings.

Lock-screen notification/controls are enabled by default. If not required they can be explicitly disabled in Advanced Settings.Thanks @ratty.

I also note that in lock screen mode, with the Sonos app open (beneath the lock screen), Sonos volume is still controllable by the Fire's physical volume control..

I also note that in lock screen mode, with the Sonos app open (beneath the lock screen), Sonos volume is still controllable by the Fire's volume physical volume control..

And with the screen asleep in fact. No need to wake the display to tweak the volume.

Mine goes to sleep after 30-minutes, the only way to wake it is to press the hard button near the power input. The screen that appears is just a big Amazon advert, with a little unlock padlock at the bottom. I have the cheaper let Amazon brainwash you version. I believe this can be turned off (for a small cost), do you have the brainwash version or non-brainwash? I don't have a PIN set.

I have everything selected in Sonos Device allowing stuff on lock screens. The volume buttons now do seem to control the app after I have pressed the lock button I am sure they didn't so will have to retest next time it goes 30-minutes and times out to see if still does it then but a manual sleep/lock seems to allow it. This speeds up silencing music when phone rings.

I have a throw away stand that came from an exhibition, it needs more weight as poking the screen starts to tip it over. That is sortable. I have also order two magnetic USB cables being delivered later today.

I have removed the CR100 from my desk so currently using just this as test!

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