Chromecast functionality
Sonos is a billion dollar a year company, not a hobbyist open source programmer working out of their basement. Right now Google and Sonos aren’t on very good terms, and if Sonos ever tried to implement unauthorized Chromecast functionality, Google would sue them into oblivion.
In the process of getting rid of my Sonos speakers and replacing with Harman Kardon Citation series. Fully implemented Chromecast so I can add my choice of speakers to groups.
IMHO I think the HK Citation one sounds better than One-Play 1 and SL, cheeper and like I said they all work well with Chromecast, sick and tired of companies tying you into there own eco systems " YOU WILL USE OUR SPEAKERS HOW WE WANT YOU TOO"!.
Why is Sonos lacking the Chromecast functionality, which basically every 100€ WiFi speaker has. It makes it impossible to use YouTube music ( you have to open the Sonos controller and control it from there instead of just pressing the cast button) and it makes using the Google Assistant unnecessarily cumbersome. You have to specify the speaker after a voice command instead of being able to simply set Sonos as a default speaker. That not enough, it also makes it impossible to cast all audio to Sonos. Sonos always talks about being open and support all platforms, yet after waiting a year longer than Airplay 2 users (which got supported as soon as the service got released), we get a shitty, half-assed service lacking basic functionality. Sonos basically incentivizes people to switch to Google Home Max et al, to use get the full capability from the services.
I just bought a Sonos One, set it up and couldn't cast to it. I went online and found all this nonsense about not being able to do it. It's extremely frustrating and depressing. I'm going to try and return this to the shop and buy another brand tomorrow but doubt they'll take it as I've opened the box. I'll just have to put it on eBay or something and lose money on it. Will never buy Sonos again - this is not Google's fault, many many cheaper brands come with this as standard, it's Sonos trying to corner you in to their products for multi room sound, but it's not going to work with me unfortunately for them. There is misleading information out there about whether this should work. Lots of reviews say that you can do it. I would gladly give up google assistant compatibility for the ability to cast to it, I don't give a crap about making a phone call through a speaker, I just want to listen to music on a group of my speakers.
Just got my first SONOS ONE. Very disappointed, I can’t do anything with my Android! Why not support Bluetooth if they refuse to integrate android cast? More functionalities are only available only for iOs, like the tuning on the space. Such a shame.
Agree with all comments above. This is discrimination against Android users. If Sonos really wanted to support that, they would have, no matter the obstacles. They just dont care. I have found endless similar posts and requests on the internet.
I have no problem using my android phone to control my Sonos system, exactly as intended. I have no need for chromecast.
Who asked? That is your experience and your needs. Why would you reply just that?
The same person who asked you. No one. I replied because it shows that not every android user see chromecast as a vital feature, and that there are plenty of features in Sonos without it.
Do you recognize that there are many different users and requirements that dont match your own? Or you feel you are the only one that matters in this world?
I’m not sure how you could draw that conclusion from what I stated. However, you do seem really bothered that I don’t share your view about Sonos and chromecast.
Tell me how to do that then, if you are so confident with your speakers.
- I want to watch netflix app on my phone and have the sound on SONOS.
- I want to listen to Google podcasts with the sound on SONOS.
- I want to watch my camera videos with the sound on SONOS.
- I want to listen to whatsapp voicenotes with the sound on SONOS.
- MANY MORE
I rarely have any desire to do these things. I watch netflix on TV, unless I’m away from home, which would take Sonos out of the picture anyway. I don’t listen to Google podcasts. I’ve never thought the audio from camera videos needed something more than the phone’s speakers. I don’t use whatsapp. There have been times where I watched a youtube video and wanted better sound, and I have then cast the video to the TV and watched it there.
Dont tell me to use different apps, please spare the suggestions. I am not going to change my preferred usage just because of SONOS limitations.
I didn’t tell you to do anything. If you are dependent on chromecast, unwilling to consider other possibilities, then Sonos is clearly not for you.
I need the Chromecast option!
Using my mackbook and Airplay is so easy, so why can’t i keep listening to my music or podcast from my android when I come home?
Why is Sonos lacking the Chromecast functionality, which basically every 100€ WiFi speaker has. It makes it impossible to use YouTube music ( you have to open the Sonos controller and control it from there instead of just pressing the cast button) and it makes using the Google Assistant unnecessarily cumbersome. You have to specify the speaker after a voice command instead of being able to simply set Sonos as a default speaker. That not enough, it also makes it impossible to cast all audio to Sonos. Sonos always talks about being open and support all platforms, yet after waiting a year longer than Airplay 2 users (which got supported as soon as the service got released), we get a shitty, half-assed service lacking basic functionality. Sonos basically incentivizes people to switch to Google Home Max et al, to use get the full capability from the services.
I just bought a Sonos One, set it up and couldn't cast to it. I went online and found all this nonsense about not being able to do it. It's extremely frustrating and depressing. I'm going to try and return this to the shop and buy another brand tomorrow but doubt they'll take it as I've opened the box. I'll just have to put it on eBay or something and lose money on it. Will never buy Sonos again - this is not Google's fault, many many cheaper brands come with this as standard, it's Sonos trying to corner you in to their products for multi room sound, but it's not going to work with me unfortunately for them. There is misleading information out there about whether this should work. Lots of reviews say that you can do it. I would gladly give up google assistant compatibility for the ability to cast to it, I don't give a crap about making a phone call through a speaker, I just want to listen to music on a group of my speakers.
An update - luckily I took the Sonos One back to the shop and they gave me a refund even though I'd opened the box and used the speaker for ten minutes. I then went to another shop and bought 2 x LG XBoom W7 speakers. I could buy two because they are less than half the price of the Sonos One. The setup was a dream and what I expected the Sonos setup to be like. I can cast to them in groups just like I had hoped I would be able to with Sonos. Highly recommended. The downsides are that the speakers are not quite as good sound quality and do not go as loud. I'm an ex professional sound engineer of 15 years and have heard a speaker or two and know that they're far from audiophile quality but for the sake of having multiroom audio they're great.
Welp.…
Add another one frustrated customer here.…
Came out of ikea today with 3 of theirs Sonos speakers…
Only to arrive at home, and discover that the "Google assistant" suport on the Sonos lineup does not means what it should meant…
I have other speakers on the house and was hoping to up my sound quality with those... But I'm really considering returning them…
It was an impulse buy, they sound great on the demo stand, quick Google search shows GA suport, no brainier I thought...
A real shame....
Jeez people! Why the bitter attitude? Are you paid by SONOS?
You came in with a bitter attitude yourself, and I’m not really seeing how you could read my messages as bitter. And no, not paid by Sonos, as Sonos staff are clearly marked in the forums. It shouldn’t really matter though as if I said something that’s factually inaccurate, it should be easy to refute regardless of whatever motivation I might have for making the statement.
This doesn't have to be explained but here we go: Problems that users share for ANY device or software, don't apply to the overall user group but only to some (!)
So its not a surprise that for you this is not an issue - be informed that this thread is not a poll!
We are MANY having issues with this if you look up online or in other threads here, each with different usage needs.
So give us a break and go comment somewhere your input can be useful instead of negative?
Did you actually read your own comments and decide you were being positive while anyone who disagreed with you was negative? The reality is that you can use and android device with Sonos quite well without chromecast. There is no discrimination.
ps. I did do my research before buying, this is not something you will typically read as a not supported feature ;)
There are so many protocols and features possible with smart speakers, or any smart device really, that I would highly recommend that anyone positively confirm a feature is supported if it’s crucial to them, rather than just assume it is supported when it’s not stated as ‘not supported’.
As mentioned, another example that SONOS is not willing to put the same investment for Android, is that the Trueplay Tuning is only available in iOs…
If you look at the many topics on that issue, you’ll see that there is a good reason for that, or go there and debate it if you wish. Apple has consistent mics on their iDevices that are calibrated and well known for trueplay to be done accurate, while there is no consistency on android.
By the way, Sonos lets you play audio files on your android device to speakers, but you cannot do the same on iDevices. You can use Google Assistant or Alexa on Sonos speakers, but you can’t use Siri. Logical reasons for both of those decisions, but don’t fit the android discrimination narrative.
The new Sonos Optimo line of speakers being released this year are reported to have Bluetooth built into them. What will be interesting to see is if this will provide connectivity to your whole Sonos system (like the line in on the Play 5) or if it will just provide connectivity to just that one speaker?
All just rumors as Sonos hasn’t announced anything official yet. The main source for this came from the same author who stated that you’d be able to use 2 Rays as rear surround upfiring speakers. I am doubtful that Optimo speakers will be released this year, but bluetooth seems plausible since Roams can already do this...connect to BT and WiFi concurrently and share the BT audio with the rest of the Sonos system.
So is there any official statement from Sonos to why casting youtube etc isnt supported?
Sonos needs to stop the discrimination of Android users, in favor of IOS users.
Discrimination? Do you have inside information and proof that Sonos is intentionally not allowing funcitonality on Android? It couldn’t be that Google is charging more for license, has different hardware requirements, or Google isn’t allowing Sonos to have chromecast for whatever reason? You sure it’s just that Sonos thinks little of android users?
Similarly, tuning of Sonos speakers is only available on IOS.
Sonos has explained the reason for that repeatedly. I would rather Sonos just sell their own mic-enabled device for tuning rather that develop tuning for all the hardware flavors of android.
What else are Android users missing out on?
An understanding of why certain features are on iOS but not android? I’m not suggesting that customers need to know all these details, but assuming the reason is discrimination when facts suggest otherwise.
Did you know that you can play files stored on your android phone with Sonos, but you can’t with iOS? That’s not as big of deal with airplay, but was certainly not popular before airplay was widely used. And people made the same assumptions you’re doing now, that Sonos just doesn’t like their Apple customers, ignoring the fact that iOS changes made the feature unmanageable.
Sonos, being an open platform should rather prioritize the open operating system (Android), than the walled off IOS.
From what I’ve seen, Sonos prioritizes based on volume of customers who could use the feature and feasibility to actually develop the feature. And of course, they need to make a profit somewhere too.
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.
People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.
Speak for yourself.
Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.
Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.
Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.
Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.
...
Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.
I see a lot of people on here asking for Chromecast that only have one speaker. I know I sound like a purist, but I get the feeling that they don't "get" what the Sonos ecosystem is actually about, and would maybe have been happier with an upmarket Bluetooth speaker.
In my day to day, I have not seen any use case that has me say "I need Chromecast on this thing". Mind you, streaming YouTube and splitting the audio from the video cannot be done on Google Home speakers either. Full YT videos can only be casted to video Chromecasts, it has to do with YT's terms and conditions.
I can give you my reason to want to cast…
I use nest minis, and I want to shout an GA command to start songs on my speaker system… without cast suport I cannot assign the Sonos as default speaker to my mini's...let alone integrate them on my groups...
And as stated above, we can clearly use speakers to play selected services, but if you do not subscribe to them for any reason, you are out in the Cold…
Also as stated before, guests are unable to control media without logins, major inconveniences for the price point and general market feature set state.
Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.
Well, actually, it might… Sonos always insisted that hires wasn’t worthwhile and wouldn’t be supported, but looks like they’re going to do a complete about face on it. Marketing pressure works, if the numbers are high enough.
Actually, you can set them as an audio target - I did that for the rooms that don't have a voice enabled Sonos.
Oh, I think I found it, probably you are talking about the integration directly with “Sonos” service on the google assistant, currently not available to me at Portugal, for what reason I dunno, since I have other products on my house integrated with GA… another frustation, i guess...
Are there services that are not on Sonos? Or do you mean free services?
Basically, anything that supports cast and is not on the Sonos shortlist of services… ranging from local media to other stream services.
Hi,
I would really like to be able to use my chromecast with my sonos. Please lesson to your customers.
Thanks
Marc France
+21
+6
I also think not having Chromecast supported on Sonos is a huge disadvantage. Google Assistant support on Sonos is really bad, ranging from not being able to play radio stations from TuneIn, BBC and Global Player using voice commands, and the Google Assistant not working as expected when Google Home/Nest speakers work just fine. A good example of this is not being able to shuffle music using voice commands!
Also, when asking Google Assistant on a Nest Hub to play music on Sonos, it only displays basic playback controls instead of displaying song and artist information and a seekbar, rendering the screen useless when it’s being used to play music on Sonos.
The lack of Chromecast is extremely annoying and a great downside and even more aggravating considering the fact that AirPlay 2 is supported on Sonos, meaning that the lack of support is even more irksome for Android users.
Please fix this! Again, this is a MAJOR disappointment.
+17
Unfortunate would be better….
I thought you could already do that, and it would be nice, but that’s not really it. What I would need, is full Chromecast audio support, so that apps that support to cast their audio via Chromecast, can discover and cast to the Sonos system.
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.
Without full Google Home accessibility...just doesn't’ seem to work for me...probably going to return them.
Between the multiple connection issues and lack of key features, it certainly hasn't turned out to be what it was cracked up to be..
I'm letting them know about the multiple disappointments I've felt through reviews on the various sites. I feel I should prevent anyone else from feeling buyer's remorse if I can.
What is happening here? I'd rather not join the vocabulary discussion.
AirPlay and Chromecast are proprietary protocols. Google created a flexible, lightweight solution based on open source technology, the Chromium browser. I can play 1080p video and surround sound from a ~6 year old dongle hanging off the back of my TV that's just slightly bigger than my thumb. I didn't look up whether I'd be able to cast to my new Arc because with this kind of a price tag and Google Assistant and AirPlay, it should be a given.
Wow, just picked up a Sonos One SL thinking that since Sonos Ones work with Google Assistant that Chromecast would be simple.
Now thinking I should return it and get a HomePod on sale since I’m on Apple most of the time and Sonos isn’t going to be easy to use for my Android and Chromebook using family members anyway.
If it was common knowledge that Sonos cannot cast, I bet their sales would be greatly reduced...
Aww! The lack of Chromecast support is very disappointing. I absolutely demand AirPlay 2, so that’s great, but I want Chromecast support too. Sonos equipment ticks all my other boxes. So close!
Reply
Enter your username or e-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.