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Sonos Employee
Jan 13, 2014 8:10 PM UTC

Control Sonos Volume from OS X Menu Bar

We received a request for a new feature that would allow you to control the Sonos volume via the menu bar in OS X.

Let us know your thoughts on this and add a +1 if you'd like to see this feature on Sonos.
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    82 replies

    Lyricist I
    Nov 4, 2016 9:24 AM UTC
    +1. My use cases are:
    1. Needing to mute music quickly when a call comes in
    2. Playing a long playlist and be nice to know what the current song is but don't want stop what I'm doing and find the Sonos app, be great to just check the menu bar or click once on the menu bar to see the current song.

    Obviously with multi-rooms and differnet groups this is slightly more complicated that a menu bar control for spotify or iTunes but I think it would be ok to have the menu bar app focus on one selected room/group. Then make it easy to switch between groups/rooms.
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    Contributor I
    Nov 14, 2016 8:32 AM UTC
    Wow I see this post is from 2 years ago... crazy it is still not implemented as a standard function.
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    ivovic
    Trending Lyricist I
    Nov 17, 2016 6:06 PM UTC
    As a new user, I can definitely say this would be an appreciated feature -- it seems like an obvious omission, which is why I went looking for a way to do it so quickly after getting my first Sonos gear.

    All it would take is a small and separate menu bar applet with a volume slider, and 3 items on the menu -- Play/Pause, Next Track, Previous Track. Please consider this, as well as an official Apple Watch applet. The sonos app is fantastic, and it seems to me like the overlap between Sonos users and Apple Watch owners might be significant, considering the watch is an always-available remote control. I really loved using my Apple Watch to control my previous AirPlay speakers, and it's one of the more painful aspects of the transition.
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    Lyricist I
    Nov 25, 2016 7:52 PM UTC
    I'm on the latest iOS on an iPad Air 2 and only the forward and back buttons work – play/pause, mute and volume up and down do not work.

    Is there a reason why only these two buttons work? Having control over the volume (mute being the most important) is critical without having to find your way back to the app to do this.

    I understand that this thread was created to discuss this, but I can't find any SONOS moderators chirping in with comments since the thread started.
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    Lyricist I
    Nov 25, 2016 7:54 PM UTC
    I'm on the latest iOS on an iPad Air 2 and only the forward and back buttons work – play/pause, mute and volume up and down do not work.

    Is there a reason why only these two buttons work? Having control over the volume (mute being the most important) is critical without having to find your way back to the app to do this.

    I understand that this thread was created to discuss this, but I can't find any SONOS moderators chirping in with comments since the thread started.


    Wait... volume buttons (but not mute) work when the Sonos app is OPEN, however that function is eliminated the moment you step out of the app. Forward and back definitely work when not in the app.
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    Airgetlam
    Nov 26, 2016 12:21 AM UTC
    Dak

    Can I suggest you reboot your iPad Air2? It sounds like there's something odd going on. I use 2 different iPad Air 2s to control my various speakers, and have not experienced this issue you're talking about at all. All buttons work both in the app, and on the lock screen.

    If that doesn't clear up the issue, I'd recommend deleting the app completely, doing the hard reboot again, and then reinstalling it.
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    Bruce
    Lyricist I
    Jan 3, 2017 12:28 AM UTC
    Well, this is a two year old thread but nevertheless, +1 on menu bar controls. And while we're at it, please add MacBook Pro Touch Bar controls too.
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    Lyricist I
    Jan 14, 2017 11:32 AM UTC
    Very much +1.

    The ability to control Sonos via the Spotify app is what finally made me buy Sonos speakers. Now, for Spotify, I am used to using the Mac's physical volume buttons. I do this easily 10+ times a day (at work, at home). But now when connected to Sonos, that doesn't work. The inconvenience really adds up quickly.
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    Lyricist I
    Jan 28, 2017 1:21 AM UTC
    Yes, please. +1
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    Lyricist I
    Jan 31, 2017 11:30 AM UTC
    Yes +1 😳
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