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I have seen a few posts in this forum where people ask about why the Android app requires “precise location” permission in order to connect to a Sonos system. Like many of these commenters, I see no obvious reason why Sonos would require “precise location” and urge Sonos to remove this requirement. Perhaps it is needed because there have been changes to Android APIs in recent versions of Android, and Google is somehow coercing Sonos to implement what appears to be a dark pattern on their users. If that is the case, fine, but Sonos should post a FAQ somewhere explaining precisely and in detail why this happens. Otherwise, this just makes Sonos look like a company that collects and resells location data. Perhaps they are? I don’t think so. If not, they need to make it VERY CLEAR.

All of that said, I do want to mention something that might explain what Sonos is actually doing with precise location to benefit their users. I have a Sonos S1 system and just got a new phone. I connected my phone to my WiFi, installed the Sonos S1 app, and started it up, expecting to enter my username and password. Like the other irritated users, I was prompted to turn on precise location. I grudgingly did that. But then, the S1 app connected to my system with no username and password required. Please note that when setting up this new Android phone, I did not migrate from my old phone, nor do I have my Google account configured to back up my app settings to Google. So unless I messed that up, I don’t see how my old S1 app settings could have made it to my new phone and enabled it to connect.

Maybe the “precise location” feature allowed the Sonos app to geolocate itself and also scan nearby WiFi devices and deduce who I am without asking for my account? This seems not 100% secure—it would mean anyone on my network could do the same thing. Or maybe it already has my Google account information and uses that as well? (I did sign into Google on my phone, even if I tried not to migrate my app settings or anything else.) Or maybe the “precise location” truly has nothing to do with this. Sonos, it would be really great if you could clarify the technical details. Thanks.

I can say that after getting the S1 app connected to my system, I was able to remove its “precise location” permission and it still seemed to work fine. So it appears that “precise location” is only required to complete the initial app setup process. (Of course, once my precise location at home is gathered once, its likely to remain the same, so the “damage is already done” when it comes to privacy...)

Hi ​@PelagicDreamer 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

I understand your concern, but please note the following:

  • Location permissions are required in order to gain access to nearby WiFi names and devices - without them, we cannot possibly connect your Sonos speakers to your WiFi. Why exactly this is referred to as Precise Location in Android/iOS, I am not entirely sure, but this is what we need in order to utilise WiFi at all. It is the same for every app that attempts to connect another device to WiFi (if you are setting up smart plugs, for example).
  • Your Precise Location data is not uploaded to our servers - it remains local on your device(s). WiFi network names are included in diagnostics, and therefore can be uploaded, but actual location data is not stored or even asked for by the software in the first place.

You can also have a read of this similar post from not so long ago:

Sonos does not sell user data, but we may share it at times for certain functionality to work - Alexa or Google Assistant, for example, or indeed any music service. Only what is required for the correct functionality to work is shared (usually account credentials and the specific music asked for).

I hope this helps.

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