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Google home mini default speaker

S
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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.
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Best answer by melvimbe 2 July 2019, 18:45

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40 replies

X

Every other speaker I have that supports “Google Assistant” enables the ability to cast. I can’t name another device that doesn’t, and I have a lot of devices, from a lot of manufacturers. This is my first Sonos device and I’m learning quickly the entire platform is based around having to use the Sonos app, which is not the case for any other wifi connected systems I already have. So yeah, you’re going to have confused consumers who are buying a “Move” portable speaker for being a really good portable speaker and not realizing it’s not like other devices they have.

106rallye
Userlevel 7
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I’m sorry you are disappointed with your speaker.

But you don’t think you might be generalising your expectation? Do we agree expectations should be checked before buying?

S
Userlevel 3
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Why did you come to expect this?

Because it is the default expectation.  It is kind of odd that it doesn’t.  Of course it doesn’t and if you know the technical details and names of various services, it never says it does.  But the expectation is still the expectation.

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Sonos sells it’s speakers, at least the Beam, the Arc and the One and I believe te Move too, as smart speakers - meaning they connect to smart assistants, commanded by voice, either Google or Alexa. These speakers are also Airplay enabled. The ability to cast isn’t mentioned because and is not there. Why did you come to expect this?

 

The set up of these assistants should take minutes, so I‘m curious where it went wrong for you.

X

So I’ve now spent hours trying to get my Sonos Move to show up in Google Home, which it does, but not as a device I can do anything with. Which is INSANELY stupid. Based on this thread it looks like that won’t ever achieve my desired result of being able to integrate a Sonos into my whole house system that I cast from my music player for. Has anyone been able to add their Sonos into a speaker group in Google Home? Is that the current state still? I see this thread started a year ago - is there really no cast support yet?

106rallye
Userlevel 7
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I solved the reverting issue by not returning to the previous page but closing the Google Home app on my iPad after changing the default speaker to a Symfonisk. By doing this the change held.

R
Userlevel 4
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It works since right now: https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5google.com/2020/02/15/assistant-sonos-default-speaker/amp/

 

I tried it with my Google home mini and my playbase. It works!

I tried it with my mini and connect and the setting reverts back to default speaker home mini immediately. Hopefully will resolve itself. 

T

It works since right now: https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5google.com/2020/02/15/assistant-sonos-default-speaker/amp/

 

I tried it with my Google home mini and my playbase. It works!

K

While I agree this functionality would be nice, you can still connect your Google to your Xbox and Sonos, and you can also use the Sonos app to connect your music services and it is pretty similar to “casting”. I use it for my music playing. Just go to Sonos app and connect those services and it works good.

molis83
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It looks like we don't have to expect a better integration in de nearby future:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/technology/sonos-sues-google.html

N

I just moved my Google minis into fictitious rooms ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ so that there was no conflict with any rooms that physically had both a Google device and Sonos. Then Sonos is the only option in each real room. Seems like the simplest solution?

G

You guys are expecting something very complicated to “just work” because in your minds, it simply should.

From a technical perspective, it is not as simple to make sonos play the audio while the Google Mini does the thinking. All this thinking and answering is computer code. And it’s code that Sonos is unfamiliar with. Sending it to Sonos would fail, because the code is designed to work with a particular speaker (the google home) and because the sonos is not at all designed the same way, the software would not just work. This has always been a problem with AI assistants, and it was why Siri used to be the best assistant (only needed to work on iphones). 

Ask your phone’s assistant the same questions as you do the google mini - you will get the same answers for basic things, but you will get very different answers if your questions/commands are more complicated. They are not the same software. This is the case even though both are written by Google. The developers of the Google Assistant app on android are not the same as the developers of the google assistant on Home, or on anything else, for that matter. And they can’t just take the code from the app and plug it into the Home. Or into the Sonos speaker. It doesn’t work that way.

For the integration to be as smooth as you were expecting, either Google or Sonos needs to design both the speaker and the software. Google would never allow Sonos to do that, but it does allow Sonos or anyone to get a vanilla version of Google Assistant that they then have to make compatible with their Sonos speaker. This takes a lot of work and money, and it will never be a top priority for Sonos. Even with years they spent focused on Alexa, the Alexa integration is not that good either.

It’s not really anyone’s fault; we just have not yet figured out a better way to integrate software with hardware. 

There are apps that try to fill in and do what you want -- but they are essentially tools for you to write your own commands. 

B

 

Only solution I have found and works:

Add chromecast to your TV (living room TV) 

Add Play 5 / Soundbar to your TV

Connect Play ones ( if wanted ) and group them.

 …

Set Default music on google home app as TV (Living Room TV) Make sure your TV's default audio is sonos.

'Hey Google play Bob Marley' 

For me it turns my TV on and Plays through Sonos 👍

 

I have found no other way, I dont mind my tv being on as it shows what's playing. If you just have play ones, it's not possible so have to stick to 'hey google play Bob Marley on sonos' 

molis83
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Too bad, routines aren't available in my Language (Dutch) 

C

I got it to work :)

Step 1: in the Google home app, set your Sonos speaker location as a room that Google home mini is not in (e.g. toilet) hint: room can be fictional

Step 2: create a new routine with a voice command of your choice (e.g. play spotify) that will trigger assistant to: play "name_of_music_service" in the "room_name_from_step_1"

Step 3: enjoy

 *Attached screenshot of my set-up for your reference

 

J

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. 

S

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. 

tomythomson
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.

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. 

F

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


 

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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.

M
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?
B
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.
D
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.
P
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.
molis83
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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.
P
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.
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