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This is a basic ask. The owner of an account, signed into their Sonos system, should be able to lock the system down with a pin code, such that no changes can be made to important set up parameters.


Currently, anyone with a Sonos app on the Wi-Fi system, can change device names, eg, like room names, and mess with a system. This should not be allowed.

 

This would be a piece of cake for SONOS to implement, and it makes a lot of sense to do so.

Uhhhh, you can.  Most settings menus require you to log into the menu using your account username and password at least once on every controller.  After logging in once, the controller then has permission to use those menus until it is reset.  If you have inadvertently given these permissions to other controllers, reset the controller from the settings menu and re-add to the system.  The settings will then be behind a password. 


Thx for reply jg. I’m seeing something different tho. Try this on your system:

  1. If you have a device with Sonos app on it, log out,
  2. Then in the un-signed-in Sonos app, go to Settings,
  3. Go to System and in the Products area select a room/zone and drill into it “>”,
  4. In the Name area select “>” and drill into it,
  5. In the “Room Name” tap on the existing name you have and append a space and “XX” or something similar at the end of the existing name,
  6. Then, before you select “Done” erase the appended text (bc this is just an example of what happens - you don’t really want yo save the edit),
  7. Thus, without being signed in, or an “owner” or “administrator” you have just edited the system in a major and what could be catastrophic way.
  8. Now, imagine you have a VRBO rental with a 10 zone Sonos system. Guests come and can enjoy Sonos music while there. The guests do not sign in to the Sonos system (they have not been provided the credentials). They operate their app on the local system as an un-signed “user”.  And then either by accident or maliciously, they do steps 3 to 5+ and change the room names. No joke, this has happened on a project I manage. This is unacceptable. The app should not allow any editing whatsoever from a controller if not a signed-in owner. 🤓

Hi @JP Kelly 

Thank you - I've marked this thread as a feature request and it will be seen by the relevant teams for consideration. Keep the ideas coming!


@JP Kelly Sonos is meant for use private non commercial surroundings; it is a consumer product. It is simply not meant to be used as you describe. And even if this would be implemented, you'd need people to be able to choose their own music providers - if not Sonos is just a fancy radio system that cannot be used for what it's good at.


@JP Kelly Sonos is meant for use private non commercial surroundings; it is a consumer product. It is simply not meant to be used as you describe. And even if this would be implemented, you'd need people to be able to choose their own music providers - if not Sonos is just a fancy radio system that cannot be used for what it's good at.

 

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/sonos-pro

Sonos now has a program for commercial settings, although VRBO and any other hotel/motel like operations don’t seem to be the target market, there could very well be enough desirable features in the program to make it worth considering.

I mean, if a customer hasn’t checked out on time, you could automatically play “Closing time.  You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here”


Thx for reply jg. I’m seeing something different tho. Try this on your system:

  1. If you have a device with Sonos app on it, log out,
  2. Then in the un-signed-in Sonos app, go to Settings,
  3. Go to System and in the Products area select a room/zone and drill into it “>”,
  4. In the Name area select “>” and drill into it,
  5. In the “Room Name” tap on the existing name you have and append a space and “XX” or something similar at the end of the existing name,
  6. Then, before you select “Done” erase the appended text (bc this is just an example of what happens - you don’t really want yo save the edit),
  7. Thus, without being signed in, or an “owner” or “administrator” you have just edited the system in a major and what could be catastrophic way.
  8. Now, imagine you have a VRBO rental with a 10 zone Sonos system. Guests come and can enjoy Sonos music while there. The guests do not sign in to the Sonos system (they have not been provided the credentials). They operate their app on the local system as an un-signed “user”.  And then either by accident or maliciously, they do steps 3 to 5+ and change the room names. No joke, this has happened on a project I manage. This is unacceptable. The app should not allow any editing whatsoever from a controller if not a signed-in owner. 🤓

10,000% agree. This is precisely the problem I'm running into with one of my clients. He has an Airbnb where guests sign into the system and for some reason they always want to rename rooms. It should be a simple PIN code to be permitted to rename rooms. With the massive proliferation of Airbnbs how is this not solved already?


Because the primary use for Sonos hasn't changed? I would count an AirBNB as a commercial setting, not a consumer setting.

Remember that if this was implemented, Sonos would also have to provide and maintain an online environment for resetting pincodes etc. And that for clients using the system in a diffferent setting than it was intended for.

If you do not want this to happen you should not allow visitors on the same network the Sonos devices are on. Maybe a locked down iPad, an IKEA Dirigera, Rithum Switch (Smart Home Touch Panel | Rithum Switch (rithumhome.com)) or voice control only would solve let guests command the system. Or you could look at Sonos Pro.


Yeah that would be great if we could… but this is the situation, and it just can’t be that hard for Sonos to add a PIN to the settings to allow only the owner of the account to make changes. Or… The owner already has a username/password, just change the requirements on “Change Room Name” to hide behind that. Stop trying to make the solution harder than the problem.


Yeah that would be great if we could… 

Why would this not be possible?


I am reading through all the remarks about a “commercial setting” etc. What about children, friends, and accidental screw-ups. 

Simple: SONOS, just extend the password lock to protect name changes, volume settings, and favorites changes too.

It should be SIMPLE, no? 


I am reading through all the remarks about a “commercial setting” etc. What about children, friends, and accidental screw-ups. 

Simple: SONOS, just extend the password lock to protect name changes, volume settings, and favorites changes too.

It should be SIMPLE, no? 

And then what is the process when the Admin user forgets the PIN? A PIN reset procedure? Which itself has to be locked down, else anyone can do that. SIMPLE? On devices that lack a screen and keyboard? Hmm.


Nowhere in AlexanderPana’s reply does he mention a PIN (although that was my first idea). He says extend the password lock… (which already has an “I forgot my password” procedure.) Much better than instituting a PIN with its associated difficulties.

Why are the experts here making this sound much harder than it needs to be???. Just cover more things under password protection, particularly room name changes. Sheesh.

Thank you, AlexanderPana for “getting it.”


@JP Kelly Sonos is meant for use private non commercial surroundings; it is a consumer product. It is simply not meant to be used as you describe. And even if this would be implemented, you'd need people to be able to choose their own music providers - if not Sonos is just a fancy radio system that cannot be used for what it's good at.

I have four kids who do the same thing mostly nudt to annoy me by changing names to something they think is funny..  this is not a commercial application iisue...it is a user experience security issue!


It needs anything "infrastructure-like" such as room naming, group creation, add product, app / service download etc all pin or password protected with only admin / account owner able to access. Changing tracks, volume etc within permitted apps open to all. Surely this is a pretty straightforward and pretty basic ask.