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Group/ungroup rooms using Google Assistant


Has anyone got a method for grouping and ungrouping Sonos rooms using Google Assistant? I've tried IFTTT etc but can't find a way.
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Best answer by John B 4 June 2019, 15:25

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Does anyone know if Sonos is working to bring this feature to google assistant? It’s extremely frustrating to need to pull up the app if i want to change the speaker groups!

Userlevel 7
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There have been a lot of requests for the ability to group Sonos devices via voice command to Google Assistant. Whilst this isn't supported yet by Sonos, there is a way of doing this if you have a Logitech Harmony Hub type remote.

Here are the steps I've tested:
1/ Open the Harmony Hub App>Harmony Setup;
2/ Add your Sonos players as devices;
2/ Next create an Activity - As an example, let's call this 'Group Sonos';
3/ Click on Sonos Speakers and then using the link select the specific Sonos devices that you want to group. You can also set the default volume at this stage;
4/ Please link your GA and your Harmony Remote accounts under Add Device>Works with Google>Harmony. If already linked then please Remove the link in the Google Home App and relink. During this process, you have the ability to define 'Friendly Names' - there doesn't seem to be a way of doing this any other way. I created 'Group Sonos' and 'Sonos Everywhere' as friendly names;
5/ Save the Activity in the Harmony Hub App;
6/ On a mobile device sync your Remote with your Harmony Account.

Now the command 'Hey Google, Turn on Group Sonos' or 'Hey Google, Turn on Sonos Everywhere' groups all of my Sonos speakers and displays the new grouping in the Sonos App. You just need to repeat for any other named Sonos groups you require and you can switch between them by turning on the required Activity.

 

It should also possible to do this via IFTTT using the trigger Play Favorite and outputting to ‘include all rooms.’

Userlevel 7
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Yup.  Google responds "turning on the group 1" but nothing happens.  

 

To be clear I'm trying to play the Sonos and Google home together, was that to be accomplished with the steps provided using the harmony?  


Ahh, sorry but it’s not possible to group Sonos and non-Sonos devices within the same Group.

That's kind of what I thought. What does this method solve? If you have Google devices it seems like you can control Sonos without the Harmony although you could use the Harmony if you wanted.

Userlevel 7
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It’s not yet possible to group Sonos rooms via voice control and GA, this provides a solution.

WORKAROUND FOR ADDING SONOS BEAM TO GOOGLE ASSISTANT SPEAKER GROUP

  1. Buy a Chromecast and connect to your TV https://store.google.com/product/chromecast
  2. Add the Chromecast device to your speaker group in the Google Home app
  3. Play music to the group. You will likely notice a lag between your Google Home devices and your Sonos Beam (powered through your Chromecast)
  4. Open Google Home app and go to the settings for the Chromecast device
  5. Move the slider to the left or right to help correct the speaker’s delay
Enjoy 🙂
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WORKAROUND FOR ADDING SONOS BEAM TO GOOGLE ASSISTANT SPEAKER GROUP

  1. Buy a Chromecast and connect to your TV https://store.google.com/product/chromecast
  2. Add the Chromecast device to your speaker group in the Google Home app
  3. Play music to the group. You will likely notice a lag between your Google Home devices and your Sonos Beam (powered through your Chromecast)
  4. Open Google Home app and go to the settings for the Chromecast device
  5. Move the slider to the left or right to help correct the speaker’s delay
Enjoy :)


Hello,
I cannot come further than point number 2. Unfortunately, my Sonos one cannot be chosen when creating a group. However, in the main menu of Google home, the Sonos one is displayed as a speaker. Does somebody know the issue?

Thanks!

Honestly I'm not following then, is this a solution?  Does it in fact allow to play Sonos and GA cast devices together?  If so I followed the steps not nothing happened. 

I also desire a solution to this issue. It is very frustrating !

Userlevel 3
Badge +4
Nope, sonos seem to be holding onto only grouping through the sonos app. You set your house up in sonos app, and then send music to it, what limited choices you have to send via GA.....
Nope, sonos seem to be holding onto only grouping through the sonos app.
.

It isn't a case of Sonos 'holding on' to using the app. I'm sure that they would like to make this possible. Voice control is a work-in-progress on Sonos and this one clearly hasn't yet come to the top of the priority list.

With Alexa it is now possible to group certain speakers at the point of starting to play music, using Alexa groups. This wasn't available at launch.

I've followed the above steps.  I have linked my harmony, I can see the Sonos on Google home, but when I tell Google to "play test room" or "group 1" nothing happens.  I think I'm close, but no cigar.  Anyone point me in the right direction so I can get my Sonos and Google home to play at the same time?  

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Hi 

 

I’m assuming that your Harmony Activity is called ‘Group 1’?  Have you tried the command ‘Hey Google, Turn Group 1 On’?

Yup.  Google responds "turning on the group 1" but nothing happens.  

 

To be clear I'm trying to play the Sonos and Google home together, was that to be accomplished with the steps provided using the harmony?