Answered

Google home mini default speaker


Userlevel 2
Badge
I have a Google mini and a Sonos play:3 in the same room. Since the play:3 does not have voice, I have to ask the Google mini to play the music.

If I just say: "hey google, play some music" the music plays on the mini which is definitely not what anyone wants... I have to say the room where the speaker is but not only that, if I setup both speaker in the same room the mini still gets the job. You can set default media playback device for the Google mini but no Sonos speakers can be selected.

Is that it? Is that what we waiting so long for? Cause if that's so, I'm getting rid of all of this and just getting Chromecast enabled speakers.

Please let me know I did something stupid and this can be fixed.
icon

Best answer by melvimbe 2 July 2019, 18:45

View original

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.

40 replies

That's a highly desired feature that has not been implemented yet. There's no doubt that Sonos and Google are aware, so I can't imagine this is very low on the priority list. Sonos has stated officially that it will happen, or when that might be though. Then again, they rarely give out that kind of information.
Badge
Oh, that sucks. This is what I've been waiting nearly two years for and I thought today would be the day. We have a Home Mini and a Play:1 side-by-side, but my family always play music on the Mini because the Sonos is just too much more work to get started. Guess I will have to train them to add "in the dining room" to the end of the command.
I haven't had chance to test this, but in the settings for assistant on my Android phone I found an assistant devices section. Office is my Sonos One with GA. In this menu is a default media input option, and in there is the ability to select all my Sonos devices and cast devices. O don't have a standalone GA, bit can try with the other options when I get home

Userlevel 3
Badge +4
You could rename your sonos devices to make it more logical for the family, like "Kitchen sonos".
Then they can just tag the target sonos name onto the end of their voice command.
I haven't had chance to test this, but in the settings for assistant on my Android phone I found an assistant devices section. Office is my Sonos One with GA. In this menu is a default media input option, and in there is the ability to select all my Sonos devices and cast devices. O don't have a standalone GA, bit can try with the other options when I get home


I'm thinking that might only work with Sonos ONE or BEAM... I've added my Sonos to Assistant and I don't see my devices at all.
I have a Google mini and a Sonos play:3 in the same room. Since the play:3 does not have voice, I have to ask the Google mini to play the music.

If I just say: "hey google, play some music" the music plays on the mini which is definitely not what anyone wants... I have to say the room where the speaker is but not only that, if I setup both speaker in the same room the mini still gets the job. You can set default media playback device for the Google mini but no Sonos speakers can be selected.

Is that it? Is that what we waiting so long for? Cause if that's so, I'm getting rid of all of this and just getting Chromecast enabled speakers.

Please let me know I did something stupid and this can be fixed.

I get the same problem with the Sonos Home Hub. Looking at another reply to this, Sonos 1 and beam can be accessed.
If you make a music request on a Sonos One or Sonos Beam, without a target, it will play on the One or Beam. If the One or Beam is currently grouped with other Sonos speakers, it will play on the current group.

The ability to automatically target a different speaker than what you're talking to is going to be announced, though perhaps slightly after it's implemented.
The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way



The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way




How do you even get to that menu? I can find nothing like it!

How have you added your Sonos devices? Once I linked the service I'm kinda done with options.
Userlevel 2
Badge
So it looks like the Sonos integration with Google assistant is worse that I originally thought. Not only Sonos speakers cannot be set as a default target, then don't seem to use the same backend search then Google assistant. When I request something to be played on the Sonos system by Google home, the answer I get it not the same voice and the search result for songs are not the same. Also, it is a lot slower to request something to be played on Sonos.

This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system 😞
This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system :-(

Could you list the other whole home audio system that supports setting a default target speaker in Google Assistant?
Userlevel 2
Badge

This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system :-(Could you list the other whole home audio system that supports setting a default target speaker in Google Assistant?


Anything that support cast. I can set my Chromecast as a default target. I can set my Android TV as a default target. It just sucks because right now I never use my Sonos because everyone in the house use the Google minis to start music and the link with Sonos is just so bad that they don't use it.

This really sucks because we've been waiting ages for this and is a very bad experience. Looks like I'll have to change my whole home system :-(Could you list the other whole home audio system that supports setting a default target speaker in Google Assistant?


Any chromecast enabled speaker, and any BLUETOOTH speaker as well. Even a cheap 20€ one. Also, there is a long list of smart speakers that support chromecast: https://www.google.com/chromecast/built-in/audio/

Raumfeld, Grundig, LG, ...
Userlevel 2
Badge
The google assistant implementation is so bad that even using it the intended way is inconsistent and produce the non desired behavior.

For instance, yesterday I start playing music on Sonos by using 'ok google, play my thumbs up playlist in the kitchen'. Since all my speakers where previously grouped, the whole house started playing. That's not what I asked for... Then ask google: set the volume to 80%. Well only the kitchen was set to 80%. Seriously!? How is that acceptable?

I ended up having to get to my phone to control the sound system defeating the whole purpose of Sonos integration.
I have a Google mini and a Sonos play:3 in the same room. Since the play:3 does not have voice, I have to ask the Google mini to play the music.

If I just say: "hey google, play some music" the music plays on the mini which is definitely not what anyone wants... I have to say the room where the speaker is but not only that, if I setup both speaker in the same room the mini still gets the job. You can set default media playback device for the Google mini but no Sonos speakers can be selected.

Is that it? Is that what we waiting so long for? Cause if that's so, I'm getting rid of all of this and just getting Chromecast enabled speakers.

Please let me know I did something stupid and this can be

@Steve Garon I have the same predicament. In my living room I have a playbar, sub and two play 3’s - none of which supports GA.
So I thought okay I can move a Sonos One from another room to the living room to act as GA hub there - no sir, it is a full 5.1 setup so it is not allowed.
Okay then - I go out and buy a Google Home mini to do the GA job as hub for the living room. No no, it will not recognize the Sonos 5.1 group as default speaker.
So now I’m left with a Sonos GA setup that works perfectly in all rooms apart from the living room where I’m left with a puny home mini to player my Spotify music via GA leaving the $$$$Sonos 5.1 on the bench. Dear Sonos and Google - please prioritize to implement Sonos as default speaker in Google Home (mini).
https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3486?language=en_US

I found this article which seems new or recently updated. Looks like it should be possible. But I don’t get it to work with a home mini and my Port. My One is already connected with assistant and I can’t add the assistant again. If I remove the One’s assistant first I still can only select the One speaker.
Badge
https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3486?language=en_US
I found this article which seems new or recently updated. Looks like it should be possible.


I don't see anything on there about the default playback device or speaker.
I read this “This article will help you set up a Google Assistant-enabled device, like a Google Home or Google Home Mini, to control Sonos. Once set up, you can use the Google Assistant to play music to Sonos, skip songs, pause playback, adjust the volume, and more.” as that after linking it will be the default speaker.
I read this “This article will help you set up a Google Assistant-enabled device, like a Google Home or Google Home Mini, to control Sonos. Once set up, you can use the Google Assistant to play music to Sonos, skip songs, pause playback, adjust the volume, and more.” as that after linking it will be the default speaker.
That is unfortunately not how it works. You still have to say: hey google play Coldplay on kitchen Sonos, like described above. If not, it plays from the GA device.
It also takes a very long time - much longer than if playback is from the GA device, and the results seems less accurate... go figure.
Userlevel 1
Badge +2
Related question but has anyone been able to turn up the volume on the Sonos device from the Google Home Mini device? I've worked around the issue originally mentioned using some of the techniques above. In fact, I just put the home mini in its own room so as not to confuse it with the Play:5 in my actual Dining Room. But when I tell the home mini: "Turn up the volume in the Dining Room" it still insists on increasing the volume on the Home Mini and not on the Sonos component. 🤷🏽‍♂️.

A way to tell the home mini to _always_ use the Sonos for all audio output seems ideal.
That's a highly desired feature that has not been implemented yet. There's no doubt that Sonos and Google are aware, so I can't imagine this is very low on the priority list. Sonos has stated officially that it will happen, or when that might be though. Then again, they rarely give out that kind of information.

Can you provide a link showing Sonos stating it will happen please?

The only GA I have is a Sonos One, but it will allow me to default the music any other Sonos, or cast enabled speaker (bedroom is a Sonos One without GA, Kitchen is stereo pair of Play:1s, Lounge is a cast enabled soundbar, and conservatory TV is Chromecast. I see no reason you couldn't set up any GA device in the same way


 

b8a40e3f-7d9a-4e3e-bfc4-a836c849acec.png


How do you even get to that menu? I can find nothing like it!

How have you added your Sonos devices? Once I linked the service I'm kinda done with options.

You get to that menu when you select a Beam or Sonos One from the list of "Assistant devices" in the Google assistant app settings.

With a One or a Beam you can pick any other sonos speaker as the default sound output. However, if you go into the same menu from a google home mini it only lists google home speakers. You're still unable to select a Sonos speaker as the default output for a google home. I had hoped that would be changed by now. I'm starting to suspect it won't ever be possible.

Badge

.

t.However, if you go into the same menu from a google home mini it only lists google home speakers. You're still unable to select a Sonos speaker as the default output for a google home. I had hoped that would be changed by now. I'm starting to suspect it won't ever be possible.

Yeah this is what I’m waiting for. I find both GA and Alexa on my new One severely lacking in features/functions compared to a native Google Home or Amazon Echo device. Kind of a bummer because I bought the One last week because I wanted a smart speaker that also sounds great. I currently have no assistant enabled on my One and was planning to try and have a Google mini control my One...until I found this thread. Here’s hoping Google will allow its Home speakers to set a Sonos as the default audio output. 

Sadly, I arrived to the same conclusion. Sonos play 5/ Google Assistant integration is basically rubbish, an alpha product mvp. All it can do is to play something on the Sonos, after adding a long, convoluted “play xx on Family Room”.

 

i have my google mini located in the same room close to Sonos, and the play 5’s loudness blocks any further voice commands towards Google mini. 
 

I still hear Mini’s voice in Mini, instead of the Play 5s!

 

not to mention it was a nightmare to setup the two. I literally wasted 2hrs linking Play 5 stereo pair to Google assistant - it took endless renamings,  unlinkings, etc. 

Hello all. New to Sonos as I installed a “5.1” system just over a week ago. I’m also experiencing numerous problems. My google home hub, of which I’ve had several prior to purchasing Sonos, is named Living Room as is the Sonos system. I found If I say “Hey Google play Christmas music in the living room” it plays on the hub but if I say “Hey Google play Christmas music in MY living room” it plays thru my Sonos speakers. I absolutely cannot get it to change the volume. Regardless of how I issue my command, the volume changes of the hub changes. On a side note, I also can’t seem to use voice commands with my GA and Harmony hub-based remote to turn anything off or on as it says “power controls are not yet supported”. The Sonos system doesn’t need powered off or on so I removed Sonos from my activity and now the remote doesn’t control the volume of the Sonos system. All very frustrating.