I know there are topics about the battery life of the devices running the Sonos app, but each have been dismissed. I am telling you that there is a battery life problem when the Sonos app is running. I have very specific daily usage requirements which average about 72% battery life left at the end of the day, unless I run the Sonos app. Then, at the end of the day, I have an average of 37% left.
If Sonos wants to continue to blow this problem off, fine, but it is unacceptable to a long time user and overall fan. Not to mention a professional software developer. Get your head out of the sand boys and fix this usage problem. It is widespread and easy to duplicate.
iPhone battery life
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I don't have anything to contribute since I use Android; and there the widget is always on and I charge the phone once a day. So that isn't any help in identifying if there is a similar issue with Android Phones as well...have there been any such reports here?
The way I understand it is the iOS lock screen widget requires Sonos to spoof an audio player in order to operate, because iOS only provides lock screen controls for on-board players, not direct-to-hardware streamers like Sonos. This seems to burn up battery life. Turning off the lock screen controls should increase battery life. Not sure how Sonos can get around the on-board player requirement, as it seems to be an iOS limitation. So the choice is to turn off the lock screen controls, or live with the battery problem.
Either that, or I'm not understanding the problem.
Either that, or I'm not understanding the problem.
I think you nailed it, j. The lock screen was on for about an hour and a half last night. I just ran Sonos without the lock screen and battery life seems fine. I just enabled the lock screen again to see what happens over the next hour and a half.
The fly in the ointment is why does that occur only on some devices, and not others? I've got 3 iOS devices, and don't have this issue. That confuses me. There's got to be some other additional piece we haven't identified.
Its definitely the lock screen. Had it running for exactly two hours and it dropped my battery to 60% from 92%. The phone had no other usage during that time.
I have found some tips for how to Improve iOS 11 Battery Life On iPhone :8 https://www.howtoisolve.com/improve-ios-11-battery-life-iphone-ipad/
Userlevel 2
the SONOS App on iOS 11 is really an issue and needs some work. Well - iOS is in beta itself, so not really blaming Sonos - yet 🙂 .
However, the way it is currently, once i launch the app once it draines the batteries on all my devices over night. I started to always forcequit the app every time, but the tip with disabling the lockscreen feature is worth a try. Even though i really like that feature generally.
@alinahetly: thanks for the link, but this tips are not really good. many of them are unnecessary and will not improve battery life a lot, but definitely reduce the fun with the device. Typically my battery lasts the whole day, mostly 30-40% left in the evening. And i have them all enabled but background synch.
However, the way it is currently, once i launch the app once it draines the batteries on all my devices over night. I started to always forcequit the app every time, but the tip with disabling the lockscreen feature is worth a try. Even though i really like that feature generally.
@alinahetly: thanks for the link, but this tips are not really good. many of them are unnecessary and will not improve battery life a lot, but definitely reduce the fun with the device. Typically my battery lasts the whole day, mostly 30-40% left in the evening. And i have them all enabled but background synch.
Bought a Play 1 yesterday. Just about to repack it and return it because there is a massive battery drain on my phone ( an SE) I'm ne to this game and I don't know how to disable the lock screen widget. Can someone help me with this? Thanks
Open up Apple's Settings app.
Scroll down until you find the name Sonos and click on it.
Under App Settings will be a switch for Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Controls.
I'd recommend turning them both off (not green).
Scroll down until you find the name Sonos and click on it.
Under App Settings will be a switch for Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Controls.
I'd recommend turning them both off (not green).
This topic was MOVED from the "No sound on certain channels after system update today" forum which began 5 days ago, which is also when this HIGH BATTERY usage started. Since this issue began, I have noticed that my iPhone 7 Plus has been eating through my battery MUCH faster than ever before. When I look at my battery stats, it is showing that the main cause of battery drainage is Sonos app with Audio and background activity. Under settings, "Background App Refresh", the Sonos app doesn't even appear, so that I could disable that background activity. Something doesn't seem right here, as this has never been a big battery resource hog in the past. I am showing Sonos app using 42% of my battery in the last 24 hours and 25% over the last 7 days. The latest version of the app is installed. Is this only happening to anyone else? Any suggestions?
Moderator Note: This was moved from a different thread.
I will disable Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Control as mentioned by the other posters, BUT I actually LIKE and USE those features, and this NEVER ate through my battery BEFORE 5 days ago, so why is this issue just starting at the same time that your UPDATE broke everything 5 days ago????
Moderator Note: This was moved from a different thread.
I will disable Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Control as mentioned by the other posters, BUT I actually LIKE and USE those features, and this NEVER ate through my battery BEFORE 5 days ago, so why is this issue just starting at the same time that your UPDATE broke everything 5 days ago????
Same issue since buying an iPhone 7 with iOS 11. Fully charged last night, SONOS running in background, no music playing on any SONOS player, this morning 9% battery left. 83% SONOS, 4% messages, 2% iPhone, 1% YouTube, 1% Mail. I've been using SONOS since the first product shipped. Haven't noticed this before. I'll try turning off Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Controls. Clearly an issue with the SONOS app. Which I am sure they will address...
Since my battery is smaller (my phone is an SE) the effect was deep. I’m currently not using the Sonos. I’ve tried the fix of turning off the hardware volume control and the lock screen control and quickly found out the app without that was worthless. Seriously thinking of getting something else.
I was having the same problem with my iPhone battery drain even if I activated Sonos from my computer. I went into iPhone settings while Sonos was playing today (iHeart Radio) and it showed battery usage of 25%. All other apps were around 1 or 2 percent.
I turned off the controls per the other posts. We will see if this helps.
I turned off the controls per the other posts. We will see if this helps.
If it doesn't, and you want to help Sonos diagnose the issue, a diagnostic would probably help them a lot.
You're the first person I've seen complain since the release of version 8.0 of the app. I find that interesting.
You're the first person I've seen complain since the release of version 8.0 of the app. I find that interesting.
Hi all - I have had the same problem for quite a while but only just getting around to reporting it - the Sonos app eats up my battery on my IOS Iphone 6S (latest IOS version).
This seems to happen even if the Sonos app is just running in the background, and sometimes even when no music is playing on the sonos devices.
If the Sonos app is running the phone will burn through 20% of my battery in about half an hour - much higher than any other app other than maybe streaming of video. As said above, it seems to do this even when phone is switched off or Sonos app is in the background.
p.s. - I am using the latest IOS, latest Sonos app version, speakes are fully updated etc.
p.p.s - I am a bit sceptical about the explanation that this is because the app has to "play a song in the background" to appear on the lock screen - if I am playing an apple music or spotify song through my headphones in the background it doesn't use nearly as much battery as this Sonos app.
This seems to happen even if the Sonos app is just running in the background, and sometimes even when no music is playing on the sonos devices.
If the Sonos app is running the phone will burn through 20% of my battery in about half an hour - much higher than any other app other than maybe streaming of video. As said above, it seems to do this even when phone is switched off or Sonos app is in the background.
p.s. - I am using the latest IOS, latest Sonos app version, speakes are fully updated etc.
p.p.s - I am a bit sceptical about the explanation that this is because the app has to "play a song in the background" to appear on the lock screen - if I am playing an apple music or spotify song through my headphones in the background it doesn't use nearly as much battery as this Sonos app.
Userlevel 2
Since iOS 11 my batter use has been utter pants. Facebook got wiped first, then Sonos, Sonos was using about 30% of my battery in a day, without being used. Left it on the iPad with no problem. Don't really need it on the phone given I have the iPad, and you can't control it away from home anyway so no need to be mobile. Battery life a lot sweeter without Sonos. I might dig out my old Sonos controller 100 if I can find it....just for nostalgic purposes!
same thing happens on android. well, it does with my HTC 10.
I've not even got the Sonos app open - simply pressed "play" on my Play:3 as the last thing streaming was local radio and had that on in the background since this morning.
It's now 3.15pm and my phone at 37% battery.
I've not even got the Sonos app open - simply pressed "play" on my Play:3 as the last thing streaming was local radio and had that on in the background since this morning.
It's now 3.15pm and my phone at 37% battery.
Just affirming I’m having the issue as well. iPhone 7 with the latest OS. Got two Sonos 1 for Christmas. Love them except for the iPhone battery drain. Today, 42% of my battery use was from Sonos. That’s just crazy.
I agree with those above who note that, though the lock screen functions can be disabled, that defeats the point of good usability. Seems like this should be fixable. Please, Sonos, step up.
I agree with those above who note that, though the lock screen functions can be disabled, that defeats the point of good usability. Seems like this should be fixable. Please, Sonos, step up.
Maybe if you were to submit a system diagnostic, and post the number here, for the folks at Sonos to look at, it would provide them additional information for them to look at to track this issue down? It's hard to step up if you don't have enough information by which to reproduce the issue.
Thanks, Bruce. I didn't realize that was possible. I just submitted a system diagnostic, #8306998. Hopefully that's helpful step.
I really hope so too. While i haven't been afflicted with this issue on my three iOS devices, plenty of folks have, and I've not seen any indication from Sonos that they've been able to track down the cause. The more data that they can get, IMHO, the better.
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