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Matty72
Avid Contributor III
August 27, 2023
Answered

Disable volume control on Android via physical buttons

When playing Spotify to Sonos via Wi-Fi on an Android device, sometimes I need to change the volume of another application (such as the Clock application) using the device's physical buttons so that I can hear an alarm sounding. However, this simultaneously and unwantedly increases the volume of the Sonos speakers. Is there a way to disable controlling the volume of Sonos speakers via the device's physical buttons and limit control of the speakers' volume to the Sonos application only?

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Matty72Answer
Avid Contributor III
August 30, 2023

@Corry P 

It appears to be behaving correctly after disabling “Home Screen Volume Control” and “Show Lock Screen Controls”.

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12 replies

GuitarSuperstar
Lead Maestro
August 27, 2023

In the Sonos app, go to Settings > App Preferences and disable Hardware Volume Control.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
Matty72Author
Avid Contributor III
August 27, 2023

@GuitarSuperstar

I have version 15.7 of the Sonos application installed and under "App Preferences", there is no "Hardware Volume Control" menu item available.

GuitarSuperstar
Lead Maestro
August 27, 2023

According to this article, that setting should be there:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/control-sonos-volume-with-a-mobile-device-s-hardware-buttons

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
Matty72Author
Avid Contributor III
August 27, 2023

@GuitarSuperstar 

That menu item is definitely absent on my app. I wonder whether it is a Samsung specific issue.

Matty72Author
Avid Contributor III
August 30, 2023

This question is marked as answered yet it remains unresolved. The offered “solution” relies on the presence of a particular menu item which is absent from the contributor’s settings interface

Corry P
Corry P
Sonos Staff
August 30, 2023

Hi @Matty72 

Thanks for your post!

Could you please share a screenshot of the Sonos app not having the shown controls under Settings » App Preferences? Thanks

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
    Matty72Author
    Avid Contributor III
    August 30, 2023

    Hi @Corry P

    The highlighted menu items “Show Lock Screen Controls” and “Home Screen Volume Control” are present under App Preferences. However, the menu item “Hardware Volume Control” indicated in the following knowledge base article is absent:

    https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/control-sonos-volume-with-a-mobile-device-s-hardware-buttons

     

     

    Corry P
    Corry P
    Sonos Staff
    August 30, 2023

    Hi @Matty72 

    Ah! I think it might have been renamed in the app at some point and we didn’t update our help pages. Apologies, and thanks for bringing it to our attention. I’ll see if we can get that page updated.

    The option you want to disable is the “Home Screen Volume Control”.

    I hope this helps.

    "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
    Matty72Author
    Avid Contributor III
    August 30, 2023

    Hi @Corry P 

    I disabled “Home Screen Volume Control”.but the volume of the Sonos speakers still changes when the hardware buttons are pressed.

     

     

    Corry P
    Corry P
    Sonos Staff
    August 30, 2023

    Hi @Matty72 

    Just to be clear, that option being off should only disable the volume control on Sonos when the Sonos app is not open and on-screen. I just tested on my own Android phone and as soon as I disabled that option, the volume buttons stopped controlling Sonos while I did not have the Sonos app on-screen. Could you please confirm that you are still able to control the volume with the phone’s hardware buttons even when the Sonos app is closed? Thanks.

    If you are able to confirm that, please submit a support diagnostic from that phone and let me know the number you are given. Thanks.

    You could also try disabling the Show Lock Screen Controls option. Please let me know if that changes anything.

    It may also help to reboot your Android device.

    I hope this helps.

    "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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