Skip to main content
Contributor I
November 17, 2017

Sonos app constantly running

  • November 17, 2017
  • 25 replies
  • 11224 views
Hi I've been using the Sonos app for a while now, with no bother, today it's started running all of the time in the background. I don't seem to be able to kill it, re-starting the phone has no effect. I have a Google Pixel 1 running the latest version of android.

I don't need or want it running all the time.

How do I switch it off???
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

25 replies

Lyricist I
November 21, 2017
I am having a similar problem on my new Pixel 2. Getting constant 'SONOS is using battery' notifications, even after rebooting and not restarting the SONOS app. Also, can't get rid of the notification unless I 'Force Stop' and even then, sometimes the notification won't go away. Can't slide right to delete it. Yours is the first post anywhere that is of recent vintage, so thanks for posting. Very frustrating, please help us out!
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
November 21, 2017
Try going into the Sonos settings and you can disable the notification, that'll turn off the background usage.

Settings > Advanced Settings > Show Notifications

You might want to turn off Lock Screen Controls as well.
Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
ukdbrAuthor
Contributor I
November 22, 2017
Hi Ryan, thanks for getting back to me. That's done the trick!! Cheers 😃
Lyricist III
December 30, 2017
Thanks Ryan, this helped me too. I found the notification at the top of my phone screen annoying, unnecessary and wondering if it was also using up battery.

I've disabled, as you suggested. However I see that it also disables the lock-screen controls, which I found useful.

Can we have the lock-screen controls and also stop the notifications, they are two separate things.
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
January 2, 2018
Glad that helped you too, Damian. I'll pass along the suggestion to separate them.
Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
Contributor I
March 7, 2018
I'm still a bit perplexed by this. Our household had the same issue (we own a pixel and a pixel 2) and we turned off notifications and that seems to work. BUT... why? Is it a bug? Presumably the "Notifications" referenced in that setting aren't supposed to be the "Using battery" notifications that we and other users were *constantly* seeing, right? Or if they were, then was the app constantly using battery? And would turning off notifications change that fact? Of course, none of my other apps have this behavior. Sure feels buggy. Would be nice to understand what's happening.

(Not to mention the fact that turning off notifications just to get rid of these annoying, constant battery warnings also means users can't take advantage of any of the features that are nested under notifications, as the previous poster also lamented)
Lyricist I
March 21, 2018
I'm experiencing this as well. It seems to have started with the most recent update.

I definitely agree with the above comment. There's no reason that I should need to opt out of notifications. This is very clearly a new problem with the app.

Please let me know if there is any information I can provide you guys that would help you troubleshoot this issue. I'm happy to help!
Lyricist I
April 24, 2018
This is a problem because of how android manages memory, and clearing closed/backgrounder apps.

Would be nice if Sonos stated this in their settings, but oh well.

Since Android 6.0 (IIRC), in order to ensure that the android system doesn't close an inactive app, and dump it from memory, it needs to create a notification, as a kind of "keep alive" signal.

Because of this change to android itself, without the notification being present, the Sonos app is unable to keep itself alive, and therefore can't insure that the lock screen controls, etc. will work. That's why the options get disabled when you turn off the notifications.

This sounds like a pain, and it kind of is. Sonos could have the notification active, but hide it so you'd get what you're after, but this would only work on rooted phones. However, this is a good feature, and you do want it! Your battery and performance levels will thank you!

https://developer.android.com/guide/components/services.html

For more info.
Lyricist I
April 28, 2018
This message started as part of the Android 8.1 release, its not limited to Sonos. In previous releases the message would state that "Application name" is running in the background. Now it just says its using battery.
Contributor I
July 4, 2018
I've tried everything above and it still can't be killed. So I uninstalled it again. (I keep adding it back to see if this problem is fixed and then deleting the app when it isn't. It is a pain to have to use an old phone just to control the speakers but it is better than having it running all the time, draining batter, probably spying on me...)