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Removal of lock screen and volume control iOS 2023

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
July 27, 2023
41 replies
9910 views

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

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.

Show previous replies

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

craigski

Local Superstar

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?

Perhaps the preferred method of Sonos control is to use the native App for the music source? If you use say Apple Music, Spotify, etc, you get a widget on lock screen and hard volume buttons will control volume of the streaming music, ie the features that are missing in the Sonos App.

Is using the native Apps a better solution? Especially if you have guests who want to play music, using the native Apps that they are familiar with, and you don’t want to give them access to your phone to control volume etc?

The phone can still be the primary way you control the music.

melvimbe

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. 😀

I don’t know that it would really help that much in this case, since the problem is adjusting the volume when a phone call comes in. Unless you have the phone and the separate handhold controller right at hand, you are having to walk over to a different device before answer your phone. It’s really not any better than the ikea/lutron remote options or the hard buttons on the speakers themselves.

And yes, I know there was jest here, 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.

But...I do think there is room for a handheld device that isn’t a phone/tablet for controlling smarthome. Not dedicated to Sonos, but for lights, and other things as well. Just don’t think we are at the point where such a solution can be practical and affordable just yet.

Danny

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.

Phone (or FaceTime) rings
“Hey Sonos, stop!”
Answer call

Simple.

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.

Phone (or FaceTime) rings
“Hey Sonos, stop!”
Answer call

Simple.

OP said voice control wasn’t an option. And yes, the automation answer has it flaws too, since it does not know which specific Sonos room needs to be paused or if you opted to just step outside to take the call in this instance.

Danny

buzz

Grand Maestro

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.

C

craigski

Local Superstar

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

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

C

craigski

Local Superstar

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.

Phone (or FaceTime) rings
“Hey Sonos, stop!”
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

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