Question

App Volume Malfunction


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This has only happened 3 or 4 times since setting up my system 4 months ago. But it seems to be getting worse.

My master volume on the phone app has just slowly increased to max volume by itself! Once this turned up my Playbar, Sub and 2 Play 5s to MAX VOLUME downstairs as I was walking upstairs and connecting to my Play 1 in the bathroom. Needless to say my wife (and 6 weeks old daughter) were not overly impressed with this new feature.

I've also found on occasion that it just turns everything down and if it try to turn it back up it just goes back down.

And I've also once had it smash up to max volume and then the app gives me the buffer load wheel and i cant turn it down. It feels like SkyNet is getting in there and trying to destroy my families ears.

This is a very annoying issue for a $5000 home HIFI rig.

Any advice on how to stop this happening?

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22 replies

No direct advice here, but if I can recommend to you, then next time it occurs, within 10 minutes you should submit a system diagnostic and post the number here. That would give the techs at Sonos an opportunity to look at the log files from your system to see if there's something odd going on. It might be helpful to let them know which particular phone you're using (iPhone? Android?)

The other option would be if you have a pet who might be sitting on a speaker, and pressing the volume button for you. I've heard of that happening, never experienced it myself, my cat's too old to get up on top of a speaker. 🙂
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Thanks Bruce,

I was trying to find how to run the system diagnostic this morning but I couldn't find it. I'm sure theres info here to point me in the right direction. Its definitely not the cat :o)

Thanks again for the reply
See this link:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/142/~/submit-system-diagnostics
It would be interesting to know more once you do; I have never heard of this fault till now. I do have to wait at times for it to move from a previously set level, but this is something else.
You're most welcome, Nick. Hope they can find something out. Since it's not the cat... :)

But I share Kumar's hope that you come back and let us know, once it's figured out. It's a real mystery for us right now.
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Thanks everyone. I'll be sure to submit a diagnostic the next time it happens... hopefully that is never 😃
Userlevel 5
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I was refelting the shed roof a while ago with my phone in my pocket. At the time, the volume buttons on my phone could control the Sonos volume even with the screen off and the phone locked. The four grouped zones at the time all went to max volume and I didn't realise until it happened for the third time that it was every time I leaned to the left to hammer another nail in!
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Thanks for the reply. This definitely isn't that either. I've been looking directly at the volume as it slides itself down to zero, I've then moved it back up with my finger to a normal level and as soon as I let go it slowly moved back down to zero. I've repeated this multiple time in a row. It's like a ghost in the machine.
It's like a ghost in the machine.
Indeed. Perhaps it is a phone glitch. Power that off once and when you are on again, delete/reinstall the controller app and see if that exorcises it! After sending the diagnostic.
Userlevel 5
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I envision a cat in the corner playing with an ipad.... :D


I have read a number of posts with similar experience which appeared to derive from a variety of different reasons...

I recall one that was linked to a PlayBar that had an IR device fault that was sending a signal to the playbar... (solved it originally by covering the ir receiver on the PlayBar to discern that was the problem)

Another where a volume on a player was depressed... or where it appeared the volume button was stuck (no confirmation on that as I recall)

Another where someone asked if perhaps the volume button on the controller (ipad or iphone or whatever it was) was stuck or depressed

Another somewhat related, and hilarious, thread that suggested someone could actually have been logged into the router and be controlling the system if they download the Sonos app...

Hope some of these help troubleshoot....
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I have the same problem. The volume mostly goes down and can't be turned up, but on occasion it goes up.

This happens on my iPhone 6. I does not happen (or hasn't yet) on my old iPhone 5.

Definitely not another instance of the app, as I don't have any other devices with the Sonos controller.
My comment from above remains. As soon as it happens, submit a system diagnostic, and the folks at Sonos will get the chance to look at the logs of your system, and potentially figure out what's going on.
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Just did it again.

I was downstairs, went upstairs with my phone and when I got to the bathroom the volume for all players leapt up heaps, then went back down and is now normal. So not exactly the same issue but it seems to be part of the general problem. I submitted a diagnostic..

7257233
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Going pretty spaz again. Keeps leaping up in volume then back down.

7257359
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Ok so I've just bought a Playbase to replace my Playbar. Hooked it all up and now my system is VERY unstable. I've just had to turn it off because the volume is all over the place. I filmed a little with my partners phone.

https://youtu.be/bqcpJCxoRbc

Diagnostic. 7257510
Yes, that is weird. Over to Sonos Support!
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After the last glitch I deleted the app. Restarted my phone and reinstalled the app. Everything seemed to be working ok, but today (4 days later) it's going real nuts. Just leaping around, down to nothing, up to half way, sporadically all over the place.

Here's another diagnostic. Can anyone from Sonos chime in with some ideas?

7276080
Userlevel 5
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Hey Nick Russell, we'll be happy to help.

When this is occurring do you possibly have both the Sonos app and the Spotify app running at the same time? As a test, navigate from the home screen of the iPhone to Settings > Sonos and then disable the App Settings for Hardware Volume Control and Lock Screen Controls. Leave these settings disabled for a few days and let us know if the issue persists or if it seems to have gone away.
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We have been having the same sort of issue off and on. I can identify that it only happens when starting a session from the Spotify app. In our case it's happened on 3 separate phones using the system. For us the volume goes up in small increments until it maxes out the volume.
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Ahh ok. Good to know. Although it's a pity that the intergration with the two apps is unstable. Hopefully a future update can fix the issue. Thanks for the info guys, I'll try those adjustments and see how it goes.
Userlevel 5
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Ahh ok. Good to know. Although it's a pity that the intergration with the two apps is unstable. Hopefully a future update can fix the issue. Thanks for the info guys, I'll try those adjustments and see how it goes.

This problem is something we're currently working with Spotify to resolve. Once the fix has been confirmed for an upcoming release, I'll update this thread.

Until then, you'll just want to keep the two hardware controls for the Sonos App disabled. You'll still be able to use those controls when using the Spotify Connect feature.
For us the volume goes up in small increments until it maxes out the volume. I am having the same issue as you. Submitted diagnostics 8317639. No issues with other music apps open during the same time. Controller apps downloaded on iPad, iPhone, and Kindle Fire. No one using any of the devises and the sound will incrementally increase until maxed out. Following thread for help.