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Google Assistant Support


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When does Sonos expect to have support for Google Assistant?
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Best answer by Ryan S 14 May 2019, 21:10

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One question, and sorry if its been discussed, will the planned integration include chromecast support so that i can cast to a Sonos from my phone or from a google home? I would rather rely on the superior microphone in a google mini (and placement can be better), and just have it cast to a Sonos.
In that case I do not really see the use case of a Play One, if you plan to rely on your existing minis rather than on the embedded mic in the One, you will probably be better off with a Play:1 and save £50.

One question, and sorry if its been discussed, will the planned integration include chromecast support so that i can cast to a Sonos from my phone or from a google home? I would rather rely on the superior microphone in a google mini (and placement can be better), and just have it cast to a Sonos.
In that case I do not really see the use case of a Play One, if you plan to rely on your existing minis rather than on the embedded mic in the One, you will probably be better off with a Play:1 and save £50.


That's not 100% true. The Sonos One is the newer product and is thus more future proof than the Play:1. Airplay 2 works on Sonos One, but not on Play:1. It has a better look (IMO) and better manual controls on the device. If these things don't matter to you though, then yes, save your money. Personally, I used to feel the same way until I got a few Sonos Ones myself, but now feel it's worth the extra 50.

One question, and sorry if its been discussed, will the planned integration include chromecast support so that i can cast to a Sonos from my phone or from a google home? I would rather rely on the superior microphone in a google mini (and placement can be better), and just have it cast to a Sonos.


If this works like Alexa integration does, which I think is highly likely, then you will be able to make a music request to a google speaker and specify that you want it played on a Sonos speaker. For example "Hey google, play the gorillaz on family room", where family room is the name given to your sonos speaker(s) in the Sonos app. When you do this, you aren't really casting or streaming through your google home. The command goes to the google cloud, then to the sonos cloud, then passed to the sonos speaker which will then stream the music directly. It actually works the same way when you give voice commands to the Beam or Sonos One directly.

Chromecast may eventually become a feature Sonos supports, but I imagine it would be separate from the Google voice integration. Because Apple has airplay 2, and Amazon now has Alexa-cast, the casting market seems to be heating up and I wouldn't be too surprised to see chromecast come to Sonos as a side effect.

As far as speaker placement, I used to think that that I wouldn't want the mic and a music speaker placed in the same location as well. However, the Beam and Sonos One have changed my opinion on that. I can't speaked to whether the mics are better between Sonos and Google.


Thanks for the info. The reason i would like it to work like cast rather than just instructing to play on my (yet to be owned) Sonos, is with google i can ask it to "play music from x on y" where y can be a single speaker or a group of cast enabled speakers. These may be chromcasts, homes, home minis or any cast enabled speaker (hopefully Sonos). See screenshot of my set up in GH now....

Spence said today that Google Assistant integration is being targeted for the holiday shopping season. So, November, hopefully earlier. Not too much longer to wait.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644386/sonos-nasdaq-ipo-google-assistant-speakers-holiday-shopping
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Thanks Chicks, your press postings are always the first 🆒
This statement is interesting as well “You’ll see more products that address the home in a unique way, and going outside the home as well,” says Spence.
Speakers going outside the home..
I just bought the Player 5 because i read that this thread that there was going to be Google assistant for it. I to hope Sonos provides support for it soon. Cheers player 5 does not even has a micro, how should that be possible?
When oh When is this google assistant integration going to be upon us? I've got 2 One's and can't wait.........

In 2018.


i've got three - how does that work, do wait longer in the same time? 😃
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I just bought the Player 5 because i read that this thread that there was going to be Google assistant for it. I to hope Sonos provides support for it soon. Cheers player 5 does not even has a micro, how should that be possible?
You would need a device with a microphone on, either sonos or hopefully a google mini or home.
[quote=chicks]
Google has nothing comparable,


How am I video calling from Google Duo then?
Can't wait for November then. If we're sitting in the room with the play one now, it goes off with a false recognition all the freaking time. So maybe alexa is easier to say, but far less unique. And i agree with the earlier poster that Alexa is a useless cow. She never knows what i want, but if i holler over to the Google mini in the next room over, always success.
Not sure what the attraction is. I have two Google speakers, which I rarely use. Prefer Alexa. I suppose Alexa is just so much more natural and nicer to say than "OK, Google!", or "Hey Siri!". When Alexa can't answer something (getting rarer all the time) is about the only time I resort to asking Google. Siri is hopelessly dumb.

I have been using a One with Alexa since they were released and would have to disagree with you on the natural flow of Alexa. When you request she complete an action for you such as turn on a smart light all you get for confirmation of the action is "Ok". Google assistant say "Ok turning on the...". So if you have smart lights in the dinning room and the living room you know the correct command was heard and completed. Also the range of questions you can ask Google is much higher. Try asking your Alexa what wine goes best with an meal for instance. it knows nothing without you going through the painstaking process of searching though Alexa skills, finding one that is any good, and then adding the skill to your account. Google just knows what you want and speaks ot of has it show up on the screen of your paired device.

I have been using a One with Alexa since they were released and would have to disagree with you on the natural flow of Alexa. When you request she complete an action for you such as turn on a smart light all you get for confirmation of the action is "Ok". Google assistant say "Ok turning on the...". So if you have smart lights in the dinning room and the living room you know the correct command was heard and completed. Also the range of questions you can ask Google is much higher. Try asking your Alexa what wine goes best with an meal for instance. it knows nothing without you going through the painstaking process of searching though Alexa skills, finding one that is any good, and then adding the skill to your account. Google just knows what you want and speaks ot of has it show up on the screen of your paired device.


I think Chicks was referring to wake work more than the conversational skills and clarity differences. I agree with that point. I also adopted Alexa first and got used to it way before trying out a Google mini. When Sonos gets Google integration, I'll probably give it another test, but not motivated to do so right now.

I'd also say that I don't really use the voice assistant for much more than the basics, and rarely end up with questions beyond what Alexa can handle. That is partially because I don't think to ask and partially because I'm a pretty basic guy.
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When you request she complete an action for you such as turn on a smart light all you get for confirmation of the action is "Ok". Google assistant say "Ok turning on the...". So if you have smart lights in the dinning room and the living room you know the correct command was heard and completed.

I disagree. If I ask for lights on, then the confirmation it worked is that the lights come on! Once that happens, I want to return to my music or issue more instructions, not wait around while everything I said gets read back to me.

One question, and sorry if its been discussed, will the planned integration include chromecast support so that i can cast to a Sonos from my phone or from a google home? I would rather rely on the superior microphone in a google mini (and placement can be better), and just have it cast to a Sonos.


If this works like Alexa integration does, which I think is highly likely, then you will be able to make a music request to a google speaker and specify that you want it played on a Sonos speaker. For example "Hey google, play the gorillaz on family room", where family room is the name given to your sonos speaker(s) in the Sonos app. When you do this, you aren't really casting or streaming through your google home. The command goes to the google cloud, then to the sonos cloud, then passed to the sonos speaker which will then stream the music directly. It actually works the same way when you give voice commands to the Beam or Sonos One directly.

Chromecast may eventually become a feature Sonos supports, but I imagine it would be separate from the Google voice integration. Because Apple has airplay 2, and Amazon now has Alexa-cast, the casting market seems to be heating up and I wouldn't be too surprised to see chromecast come to Sonos as a side effect.

As far as speaker placement, I used to think that that I wouldn't want the mic and a music speaker placed in the same location as well. However, the Beam and Sonos One have changed my opinion on that. I can't speaked to whether the mics are better between Sonos and Google.


Thanks for the info. The reason i would like it to work like cast rather than just instructing to play on my (yet to be owned) Sonos, is with google i can ask it to "play music from x on y" where y can be a single speaker or a group of cast enabled speakers. These may be chromcasts, homes, home minis or any cast enabled speaker (hopefully Sonos). See screenshot of my set up in GH now....



You can already do this. I've had it set up like this for about 8 or 9 months now. I use Google Home minis, Chromecast Audios, and Sonos Connects. I tell the Google Assistant what I want it to play and where (including grouped rooms), and it plays. Not sure about the other Sonos products, but the connect has a line-in and auto detection - so when it detects a signal from the Chromecast Audio, it automatically switches to the line-in input and at a preset volume.

One question, and sorry if its been discussed, will the planned integration include chromecast support so that i can cast to a Sonos from my phone or from a google home? I would rather rely on the superior microphone in a google mini (and placement can be better), and just have it cast to a Sonos.


If this works like Alexa integration does, which I think is highly likely, then you will be able to make a music request to a google speaker and specify that you want it played on a Sonos speaker. For example "Hey google, play the gorillaz on family room", where family room is the name given to your sonos speaker(s) in the Sonos app. When you do this, you aren't really casting or streaming through your google home. The command goes to the google cloud, then to the sonos cloud, then passed to the sonos speaker which will then stream the music directly. It actually works the same way when you give voice commands to the Beam or Sonos One directly.

Chromecast may eventually become a feature Sonos supports, but I imagine it would be separate from the Google voice integration. Because Apple has airplay 2, and Amazon now has Alexa-cast, the casting market seems to be heating up and I wouldn't be too surprised to see chromecast come to Sonos as a side effect.

As far as speaker placement, I used to think that that I wouldn't want the mic and a music speaker placed in the same location as well. However, the Beam and Sonos One have changed my opinion on that. I can't speaked to whether the mics are better between Sonos and Google.


Thanks for the info. The reason i would like it to work like cast rather than just instructing to play on my (yet to be owned) Sonos, is with google i can ask it to "play music from x on y" where y can be a single speaker or a group of cast enabled speakers. These may be chromcasts, homes, home minis or any cast enabled speaker (hopefully Sonos). See screenshot of my set up in GH now....



You can already do this. I've had it set up like this for about 8 or 9 months now. I use Google Home minis, Chromecast Audios, and Sonos Connects. I tell the Google Assistant what I want it to play and where (including grouped rooms), and it plays. Not sure about the other Sonos products, but the connect has a line-in and auto detection - so when it detects a signal from the Chromecast Audio, it automatically switches to the line-in input and at a preset volume.


Yes i know you can with a chromecast audio. You can't with Sonos on its own. My question was, will the google integration include using a Sonos as a cast enabled speaker (not just as a smart self contained speaker). That way i can ask any of my Google homes to play on any sonos speaker (from anywhere in the world).
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Hi everyone, I posted an update to the status of Google Assistant coming to Sonos here which also links to our Blog. We'll make sure to keep you updated with any news we have to share. Thanks for your patience, and we are as excited to bring you Google Assistant as you are to get it. We're hard at work on building the integration and look forward to getting it in your hands as soon as it's ready.
Since this update is not coming as promised: is there a way to return my Sonos one that I bought last year assuming Google Assistant would actually arrive? This is really disappointing, probably the last Sonos product I bought...
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Since this update is not coming as promised: is there a way to return my Sonos one that I bought last year assuming Google Assistant would actually arrive? This is really disappointing, probably the last Sonos product I bought...

lol yeah, would be nice to swap for some Google Home Max's at this point.
I would also like to return the 2 units I bought because of no Google Assistant. How is that handled?
If you bought from Sonos directly and are still with the open return period, you can follow the instructions on this site. If you bought from another retail location, you'll have to follow their return policy. Sonos has not stated there is any sort of special return program related to this program.

To be honest, I can't imagine there would be any sort of legal argument you make. I don't think any court would accept that Sonos statement regarding Google integration represented some sort of contractual obligation between Sonos and anyone who purchased a Sonos product between then and now. You'd also have to show that you're deserving of a full refund, that you got no use out of the product for the time you owned it, and that the delay in providing the feature caused significant damage. And we're talking about a very small amount of money, so legal fees would surely be more costly than any money you'd be reimbursed. Maybe a class action lawsuit is the way to go, but again, I think you'd have a hard time proving there was some sort of breach of contract. Your case surely wouldn't be resolved before Sonos does implement Google integration, so that would further weaken your case. But I'm no lawyer.

Alternatively, you'd surely be a lot better off by selling your units on the secondary market, like ebay. I would be surprised if you couldn't get at least 50% of your money back, a much better option financially speaking.

Ultimately though, I think it's very wise for consumers to make purchases based on current features, not on promised or projected features, to avoid scenarios like this. You can always make your purchase later once the feature you're looking for has actually been delivered.
Is there any plan to allow old Play 1 (or any Play) speakers to be targets? They already have partial Chromecast support (it's Android only..). I already have Mini's everywhere, I just want to be able to tell them to target the Sonos for music.
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Sonos wont give any details of what exactly bringing "google assistant" to sonos will mean.......
Sonos wont give any details of what exactly bringing "google assistant" to sonos will mean.......

For that matter Sonos has not even provided details on what the production release of the Alexa integration will include assuming they ever do bring it out of open beta. Patrick has promised voice access to local libraries and it is assumed the ducking issue will get resolved but beyond that there is no definition of what Alexa integration will be. Based on that I don't think Sonos is going to make any hard commitments regarding Google.
Sonos wont give any details of what exactly bringing "google assistant" to sonos will mean.......

For that matter Sonos has not even provided details on what the production release of the Alexa integration will include assuming they ever do bring it out of open beta. Patrick has promised voice access to local libraries and it is assumed the ducking issue will get resolved but beyond that there is no definition of what Alexa integration will be. Based on that I don't think Sonos is going to make any hard commitments regarding Google.


No, he has not promised voice access to local libraries. He stated they are looking into implementing it.

upstate 'twist the truth" mike strikes again. :8
Sonos wont give any details of what exactly bringing "google assistant" to sonos will mean.......

For that matter Sonos has not even provided details on what the production release of the Alexa integration will include assuming they ever do bring it out of open beta. Patrick has promised voice access to local libraries and it is assumed the ducking issue will get resolved but beyond that there is no definition of what Alexa integration will be. Based on that I don't think Sonos is going to make any hard commitments regarding Google.


No, he has not promised voice access to local libraries. He stated they are looking into implementing it.

upstate 'twist the truth" mike strikes again. :8


OK then we know even less about what the first voice integration will include when it is finally released from beta so it makes even less sense to speculate on what might be included in the second one.