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Removal of lock screen and volume control iOS 2023

S

How does Sonos plan to solve the issue of accessing lock screen controls and device hardware button on iOS? Removing that functionality with release 15.6 on July 25, 2023 is a significant impact on the user experience. Our phones are the primary way we control the product so is there a solution other than having to unlock the phone every time we want to control the volume, change a track or turn the system off? Please clarify your plans or provide alternate solutions. Note: I do not use voice controls with my products, so that is not an alternative. Thanks. 

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Best answer by melvimbe 27 July 2023, 16:16

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41 replies

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +11

Maybe there is an opportunity for Sonos to design a handheld controller with no lock screen, automatically turns on when you pick it up, maybe it could have tactile hard buttons for volume and music selection, possibly an old school scroll wheel (like the original iPod) to scroll through music? Just a thought. 😀

melvimbe

Here’s the release notes about the change.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/release-notes-for-sonos-s2

 

We’ve removed the ability to control the Sonos app for iOS using lock screen controls and device hardware buttons. The way these features were architected do not meet Apple’s experience guidelines for developers and no longer offer a reliable control experience.

 

The alternatives to controlling volume, mute, tracks that I’m aware of are:

  • Voice control (acknowledging OP rejects this option)
  • Opening up app on phone (again, acknowledging rejection)
  • ‘hard buttons’ on the speakers themselves.
  • For home theatre room, TV remote controls will control volume and mute
  • Various third party smart home remotes
  • Using a different device (tablet, iPad, Mac, PC) that does not lock to control Sonos.

Are there any other methods I missed?  What other method would you want Sonos to create (either a device or software solution) for controls?

 

edit: Airplay would likely work.  If you initiated playback on Sonos via airplay, then Apple would surely let you control volume via the lock screen.

Danny
melvimbe

Brutally disappointed that this functionality has been removed.  While voice controls do work, it was so simple to be able to control from iPhone or iPad without having to unlock the screen.  Hard to understand why Apple standards suddenly matter after having this functionality for years. 

 

Doesn’t Apple review every app in the App store?  Can’t they just decide that if you don’t remove this function, we’re going to remove your app?

Danny
Ken_Griffiths

I still think that ‘sliding right’ at the Lock Screen, to reveal the iOS Home Screen and using the services of a 3rd-party ‘widget’ to control all Sonos speakers, without unlocking the mobile, seems to be quite a viable alternative🤔?

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ratty

So the native apps have figured out how to make the functionality work - where Sonos got rid of it. 

As has been pointed out countless times, this is comparing apples with oranges.

The native apps are local media players.

The Sonos app is a remote control for the speakers, and never touches the actual audio stream. 

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +11

In case of any confusion, I was just jesting with some dry British humour, especially for those that remember the good old days. 😀

K
Badge +2

I ask a question and of course get everything except for what I inquired about Technology gone wrong again Q&A August 2nd 11:00 PT trying to make sure I can tune in or interact with this broadcast 

melvimbe

I ask a question and of course get everything except for what I inquired about Technology gone wrong again Q&A August 2nd 11:00 PT trying to make sure I can tune in or interact with this broadcast 

I attempted to answer OPs questions as a fellow user.  You aren’t OP and didn’t post any questions in this thread, so I’m not sure what questions you are expecting answers for.

Danny
melvimbe

Thanks for feedback @Airgetlam and @melvimbe. Of my 8 speakers, only 1 has SVC, so that’s why that’s not a viable option. 
 

Makes sense.

On the remote, which seems to be most viable solution, do you know of one that will control a group? I’ve read Reddit thread that Lutron Pico will only control one speaker or bonded speakers, which I think are similar to home theater option.  I don’t have an arc, playbar or beam, so no home theater to leverage. 
 

 

 

I believe that is correct for Lutron.  I do have a couple remotes (I have the lutron light switches) and they are all tied to single rooms.  I also use Lutron to turn on/off lights and music in the morning when I wake up.

I also have the ikea remotes, but I don’t know if they can control a group or not.  I don’t use it that way.

 

My use case is that I can’t turn down music (streaming from Sirius) before answering my phone if I can’t access controls from a locked screen. 

 

I do not use it anymore, but there is/was an app called Yonomi where you could set an automation to automatically mute your Sonos whenever you receive a phone call.  I don’t get a ton of phone calls so didn’t have much use for it, but perhaps it works for you?  It would also do things like turn on/off Sonos when your phone leaves WiFi range, if I remember correctly.  There are probably other apps or Apply Home that you can setup these sort of automations.

Danny
Airgetlam

How are you able to discern @Corry P ’s demeanor, especially as threads are automatically closed by the forum software for non-activity after a certain amount of time? Is there a possibility he was merely the last respondent, but didn’t close the thread(s) himself?

Bruce
jgatie

By no means does the last post in a thread automatically mean that poster was the one to close the thread.  Matter of fact, I almost guarantee if you hover over the time of the post and the time of the lock, a few months will have gone by from one to the other.  Simple fact; threads are automatically locked if they are inactive for a while, and this has no bearing on whether Sonos is currently taking action on the request. 

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +11

Or if using a native App (Apple Music, Spotfiy, BBC Sounds etc) without using voice (OP doesn’t use voice):

  1. Phone rings
  2. Swipe Up, press pause or adjust volume with hard buttons or soft slider
  3. Press phone icon top left and answer call

 

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +11

A solution existed decades ago for old world corporate phone systems. A user would wear an ultrasonic beacon and there were sensors in the rooms. As the beacon moved through the building a call to the user’s extension would ring on the nearby phone.

But they would still have to physically walk back to the volume knob on the PA/Tanoy system in a different room to adjust volume when answering the call 😀

ratty

I’m just saying that the ideal solution here is that audio automatically pauses or mutes when you receive or pick up a phone call.

  1. Phone (or FaceTime) rings
  2. “Hey Sonos, stop!”
  3. Answer call

Simple.

 

OP said voice control wasn’t an option.  

Oh yes. Can’t think why. Sonos Voice Control is entirely local, so no privacy risk.

Airgetlam

Muscle memory is my guess. Just not accustomed to it. 

Bruce
Ken_Griffiths

Also, thanks @Ken_Griffiths for the thought on the widget.  I’ve since learned there is no widget, but found multiple threads asking for it with someone named Corry P. from Sonos saying he would register the feature request and then cheerfully closing the thread.

Just to add that an iOS ‘widget’ does exist to control Sonos from the Home Screen (which is available from the Lock Screen by sliding left to right) - it’s a 3rd party iOS widget, as mentioned in my post. In fact it is shown in a screenshot attached to my earlier post, but just to add I’m not affiliated to the ‘widget’ and I’ve chosen not to name it, as it didn’t seem right to promote it here in the Sonos community… a search of the iOS App Store should lead you to it.

Sonos have not mentioned any plans to make their own widget, as far as I’m aware, but I sometimes find it a quick way to control playing speakers/groups without having to unlock the mobile device. That said, I personally mostly use voice assistants, or the speaker hardware buttons, to adjust volume/play/pause etc. anyway, rather than reaching for a mobile or tablet.

F

I also think this is a big issue and disappointment!!😤 I also use the Sonos-app as discribed (without voice control etc.). Sonos, please devellop a widget for volume control on the lockscreey. I think you’ll make the Apple-users very happy.😄

melvimbe

I’m just saying that the ideal solution here is that audio automatically pauses or mutes when you receive or pick up a phone call.

  1. Phone (or FaceTime) rings
  2. “Hey Sonos, stop!”
  3. Answer call

Simple.

 

OP said voice control wasn’t an option.  

Oh yes. Can’t think why. Sonos Voice Control is entirely local, so no privacy risk.

 

OP said only 1 of 8 speakers has SVC.

Danny
Airgetlam

I don’t think Apple wants any third party app to have that capability. As suggested before, they want to sell their own stuff. 

Bruce
ratty

I’m just saying that the ideal solution here is that audio automatically pauses or mutes when you receive or pick up a phone call.

  1. Phone (or FaceTime) rings
  2. “Hey Sonos, stop!”
  3. Answer call

Simple.

 

OP said voice control wasn’t an option.  

Oh yes. Can’t think why. Sonos Voice Control is entirely local, so no privacy risk.

 

OP said only 1 of 8 speakers has SVC.

Right. I should have RTFT. 

BTW the IKEA remotes do control the group volume. 

buzz

A solution existed decades ago for old world corporate phone systems. A user would wear an ultrasonic beacon and there were sensors in the rooms. As the beacon moved through the building a call to the user’s extension would ring on the nearby phone.

But they would still have to physically walk back to the volume knob on the PA/Tanoy system in a different room to adjust volume when answering the call 😀

Back then, sure. Today, a SONOS speaker could be aware of the beacon and know exactly which room to mute. Passive speakers would be more of an issue, but a simple accessory could detect the beacon. It would even be possible to have the mute follow the beacon from room to room during a call.

Airgetlam

I think Sonos got out of the ‘make our own controller’ business with the CR200. Too much, I’d think, change in features that make it hard to figure out the CPU and memory to make it ‘affordable and sale-able’.

Bruce
Airgetlam

Plus you’d need to add a team of programmers for support of just that device, as well as customer service…could be a fairly expensive corporate decision to take. 

Bruce
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

If Sonos would release a CR-100 version 2 the spouse might finally get off my back over hers going away. She might also start using Sonos again and not be so negative about me buying more.

I know, it isn’t going to happen. :-(

R
Userlevel 2
Badge

So I tried craigski’s solution of using the native app — and used AirPlay to stream the music from an iPhone to my Sonos devices. Works just like a champ and the native app is better for navigating the music source and has the Lock Screen controls that work just fine. So the native apps have figured out how to make the functionality work - where Sonos got rid of it. 

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