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In the past few weeks the Sonos App on Android (Google Pixel 6) has started popping up ads on my mobile, but only when using Tunein as a music source.  Does anyone know if this can be blocked with a firewall like PfSense?

Hi @mrvelous01 

Thanks for your post!

To confirm, you see ads on your phone’s screen, in the Sonos app? Hearing ads on a TuneIn stream is normal, but what you describe is unknown to me. Could you please post a screenshot? Thanks.


Hello.  Yes, that is correct.  The ad is being displayed as a notification on my mobile phone - it is not played through the Sonos speakers.  I typically launch Sonos in the morning, change the Sonos input source to Tunein and listen for an hour or so then switch to Amazon Prime as the Sonos music source.  Later, and about 2-3 times per day (while listening to Amazon Prime through Sonos) my mobile will show a notification from Tunein advertising some station of theirs. To be clear, I NEVER launch the Tunein app on my mobile but I believe it had to be installed in order to play it through Sonos.  I *think* this is the Tunein app pushing the ad.  I have been using the Tunein feed for several years and this just started a few weeks ago.  I’ll post a screen shot from my mobile the next time one pops.


Hi @mrvelous01 

Playing TuneIn on Sonos does not require the TuneIn app to be installed. In addition, Sonos Radio get’s it’s radio listings from TuneIn, so you can use that to get the same stations on Sonos too - also without any other apps being needed.

You could try uninstalling the TuneIn app to see if it makes a difference - it won’t stop Sonos from playing.

I’m interested in seeing this pop-up though - would you mind waiting until after you see it again and take a screenshot before doing anything else? Thanks


Did not know that.  Is it correct that in order to play Tunein through Sonos I still need a Tunein account?  I will hold off on removing Tunein from my mobile until I can capture a screen shot.


Hi @mrvelous01 

You don’t need an account either, no.


Apologies if this does not resize properly.

 

 


Is this the Sonos app? I don’t recognize it as such. This looks like a TuneIn widget. 


Yes, I am now pretty sure it is Tunein’s widget that is popping up the advert.  Although Tunein is installed I never launch it.  I thought, incorrectly, that I needed Tunein installed in order to use it through Sonos.  My solution to those messages was to locate the Tunein app in the running app list and force stop it.  That *used* to work great on Android, and a force-stopped app would STAY force-stopped, but sometime in the past year an Android update must have overridden that as after every restart of my mobile I find the force-stopped apps have restarted.

Also, based on Corry P’s comments above I uninstalled Tunein from my mobile and Tunein is still a working music selection on my Android.  Even after an Android power off/on.

Thanks all!

 


Hi @mrvelous01 

I’ll confirm that for you - only the bottom section of that screenshot with the playback controls has anything to do with Sonos.