Question

Google assistant responds on both phone and Sonos one


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I have 2 Sonos ones and a Sonos beam all in different rooms. In general they all work beautifully. I was really looking forward to google assistant since I use this with various other devices. However I've run into a problem which is if my phone (Galaxy S8) in the same room as one of my Sonos devices, both the Sonos and my phone will respond to a hey Google command. I've searched all the various support forums and, surprisingly, I've yet to see this specific issue discussed. My devices are all up to date software - wise and I use the same email address for all my devices and phone. The devices are all found on google home as well. They do respond correctly to commands. The only issue is that both my phone and a device will respond if near to each other, which happens frequently since I tend to keep my phone nearby. How do I fix this? Thanks.

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27 replies

Hi Matt, I am having the EXACT same problem.
I know this does NOT happen with Google speakers (Google says your phone should go back to sleep, giving priority to the Home speaker you've enabled with the Assistant).
HOWEVER, this seems to be a BUG with the Sonos smart speakers.
I've tried everything, as far as ensuring the ACCOUNTS for Google Assistant, Google Home, and Sonos are THE SAME. The problem persists.
I really hope the Sonos dev teams reads this thread, because it is a HUGE problem!
Sonos, please fix this.
Best I've come up with is configuring Google assistant on my phone to only respond with voice for hands-free searches. You can find that in the assistant settings.
Userlevel 1
Thanks. That is a limited way to fix the problem since it would preclude using Assistant through my phone. In my mind, Google and Sonos need to get together and make the same type of behaviour with Google Home available to third -party smart speakers such as Sonos.
I have exactly the same problem!!

It used to work flawlessly until a few weeks ago when both my phone and Sonos started to respond to the Assistant commands/queries simultaneously. Really annoying.
I've had this issue from the every start. Any word from Sonos yet? I don't want to go back to Alexa on my sonos.
Userlevel 5
Badge +8
Same issue with my Google Home Mini units. They are far enough away from my Sonos One in other rooms that they don't normally respond when I speak to GA on the Sonos, but occasionally if I speak too loudly or speak from the doorway, the GH Mini in another room responds first, and then the Sonos One in duplication. Same issue if I move my Sonos One to the same room as a GH Mini to listen to music - I can speak to the Sonos One close up, and the GH Mini across the room responds first. I don't think this happens consistently, and maybe it's an issue of the GH Mini having much better microphones. But the real issue is that it shouldn't happen at all, as Google is supposed to be coordinating a single response.

And BTW, the slow response of GA on the Sonos One compared to the GH Mini units is frequently annoying, but it's especially noticeable in this case where there is a duplicate response, with the Sonos being several seconds behind the GH Mini.
I contacted Google and Sonos about this problem. Both told me it's the first they've ever heard of it and both blame the other. Sigh.
I just got a Pixel 3 and set up both of these and turning the phone upside down stops this. Of course then you won't get notifications if you're leaving it like that.
I had just set up Google Assistant on a Sonos One a couple of weeks ago. It seemed to work as it was supposed to at first, but now both my phone and the Sonos always respond, and it is just too annoying. I took the GA off and put Alexa back on.
Userlevel 5
Badge +13
I turned off Google Assistant on my phone, rarely used it anyway and when I do - it's always initiated by tapping on the mic icon in the search field.
Also started happening after I did a software update few weeks ago.
Interestingly mine has started to work properly for the last week or two. Didn't have to do anything to fix it. I guess there must have been an update that fixed the issue for me. :-S
+1. Suddenly fixed itself a day or two ago.
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I get this occasionally too between my Sonos One pair in one room and my Google Home in a nearby room. Sometimes I give a command to the Sonos One, there's a long response delay (very common with Sonos), and in the meantime my Google Home in the other room responds first, followed by the Sonos One several seconds later. Usually they give the same response, but sometimes not! (presumably one or the other heard it differently)

This never happens between my two Google Homes, even though they are close enough to each other to both hear commands. I suspect the fault with Sonos is that it is just too slow getting through to Google for the duplicate response to be recognized and prevented. Why it often has a such a slow response is another matter! Maybe Google de-prioritizes third-party Google Assistant requests compared to their own Google Home devices when they are busy.

Any update on the home and Sonos both responding? It really annoys me when they all respond

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+1


I have the same issue and this is not resolved yet. The issue I have is that the Sonos One and Android phone (S8) responds to the “ok Google” command and carries out different actions (all because in Google Home app, I have assigned the Sonos One and light to a particular room, but my phone is roaming and not assigned to a room).


Let’s take case 1 (working case – no Sonos One in room):


1.    Google home mini (GHM) and Android phone (S8) and Philips Hue light in Living room.
2.    “Ok Google” command is activated and both GHM and S8 responds.
3.    “Turn light on” command is heard:
   a.    GHM carried out actions successfully (living room light turns on only).
   b.    My phone S8 is ignored/put to sleep.
4.    Great example of Google integration working.


Let’s take case 2 (non-working case – Sonos One device in room):


1.    Sonos One and Android phone (S8) and Philips hue light in Kitchen.
2.    “Ok Google” command is activated and both Sonos One and S8 responds.
3.    “Turn light on” command is heard:
    a.    Sonos one carried out actions successfully (kitchen light turns on only).
    b.    My phone S8 carries out a different action in error (all lights are turned on in house) – this command on phone should be ignored/put to sleep!
4.    Bad example of Sonos and Google Assistant not working in the way it should.

 

Can someone from Sonos respond to provide a response if this bug will be resolved?


Thanks.
Sunny

+1


I have the same issue and this is not resolved yet. The issue I have is that the Sonos One and Android phone (S8) responds to the “ok Google” command and carries out different actions (all because in Google Home app, I have assigned the Sonos One and light to a particular room, but my phone is roaming and not assigned to a room).


Let’s take case 1 (working case – no Sonos One in room):


1.    Google home mini (GHM) and Android phone (S8) and Philips Hue light in Living room.
2.    “Ok Google” command is activated and both GHM and S8 responds.
3.    “Turn light on” command is heard:
   a.    GHM carried out actions successfully (living room light turns on only).
   b.    My phone S8 is ignored/put to sleep.
4.    Great example of Google integration working.


Let’s take case 2 (non-working case – Sonos One device in room):


1.    Sonos One and Android phone (S8) and Philips hue light in Kitchen.
2.    “Ok Google” command is activated and both Sonos One and S8 responds.
3.    “Turn light on” command is heard:
    a.    Sonos one carried out actions successfully (kitchen light turns on only).
    b.    My phone S8 carries out a different action in error (all lights are turned on in house) – this command on phone should be ignored/put to sleep!
4.    Bad example of Sonos and Google Assistant not working in the way it should.

 

Can someone from Sonos respond to provide a response if this bug will be resolved?


Thanks.
Sunny

Would be great if you can also demonstrate the error while using the G.Home and the Sonos One in one room.

I’m also having this issue. I use a Samsung S10 and both phone and speaker respond which is more than annoying. Much prefer GA but have had to switch back to Alexa. 

Grateful if someone from Sonos could advise of a solution? 

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Same issue here. Since my android phone only responds when the screen is on though, the workaround I use is turning the screen off (by hitting the power button) before giving a command.

Still, one thing I’ve noticed is the the Google Assistant on my phone is far better than the one on my speaker for some reason. It seems to recognise more commands

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Happening to me too. Pretty ridiculous..

I'm not even certain how they would fix this if I'm talking to my daughter's Sonos which is connected to her Google account.. Inevitably my phone and her speaker would both pick-up the wake word

Seems like Google *have* to allow a different wake word on at least one of the devices

Has anyone raised a problem ticket on this yet?

Same issue here. Both my S9 and Sonos One respond. I had actually deactivated my GA on my phone but it still responds! Maybe its a Samsung phone issue? 

 

 

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Does anyone find themselves whispering into their phones so their Sonos doesn’t pick up the voice command?

I have Sonos speakers all over the house...so if I just want to open an app on my phone, that’s what I end up doing...otherwise the Sonos picks up and gives me the ‘I can’t help with that yet’ response.

If anyone saw me, they’d think I’m a hostage or something. I really wish I could set a different wake word for my phone!

Exactly same problem here.

Galaxy S10+ and Sonos One.

So is switching to other device (e.g. Google Home) is the only remedy here?

Any chances Sonos pushes Google to fix that?

Dito here. Galaxy S7 and Sonos One.

Very Annoying!