Sonos doesn't accept Gemini

I’d agree Google has seriously let down people using Sonos devices. Even if you haven’t switched to Gemini, nice features like having the system access the news have just gone, without explanation or even a hint of transparency.

Great to see a post that doesn’t blame Sonos. However, it’s really not too surprising that Gemini doesn’t work on Sonos. That relationship with Google was rocky long before Gemini.

Yes you're absolutely right, that relationship started out with several bumps in the road 

“Please don’t blame poor Sonos!”

They didn’t only crash the new app they also crashed their reletaionchip with Google. Third party speakers gets Gemini but not Sonos! And NOT a sound from Sonos!

https://9to5google.com/2025/12/08/gemini-for-home-third-party-google-assistant-speakers/

https://9to5google.com/2025/10/03/gemini-for-home-questions-answers/#:~:text=Meanwhile%2C%20Google%20shared%20that%20it%20is%20%E2%80%9Cworking%20with%20third%2Dparty%20speaker%20companies%20to%20bring%20Gemini%20for%20Home%20to%20more%20devices.%E2%80%9D

These articles aren’t really supporting the idea that other speaker brands are implementing and supporting Gemini home whole Sonos is not.  

That said though, Sonos has not implemented Google voice on any new products for several years now.  There is no reason to think they would spend much effort in getting older devices up to date.

Sonos needs to realize they are going to lose customers if they don’t integrate with Google Gemini. The moment Google has a soundbar product, I’m out. Poor decision making on their end.

I think Sonos realizes that. Unfortunately, they require Google’s cooperation if Sonos can do anything. 

What’s makes you think so? Sonos hasn’t been integrated with Google for several years. Sonos can’t lose sales they never had assuming Google was the deciding factor.

Google is notorious for not supporting their hardware products long term.  They also are not known for high quality audio productions.  I also don’t think that soundbars are the best fit for voice assistant mics.  It makes more sense to have mics on a device closer to the seating area or in the TV itself.  Lastly, I don’t know that Google is going to maintain it’s market share on voice assistants with the AI change over.  There are a lot of new players involved and it’s entirely possible that Google just isn’t one of the top 3 when it all shakes out.

If I were Sonos, I would not commit (invest a lot of money) to any voice assistant other than their own at this point, and probably still rather minimal.

That’s basically the issue in a nutshell Sonos integration was built around the legacy Google Assistant framework, not Gemini’s newer standalone architecture. Until either Google exposes Gemini through the same assistant APIs or Sonos updates their integration layer, Sonos devices will likely continue treating Gemini as unsupported even if it replaces Assistant on the phone side.

"On the back of a ton of Gemini announcements at I/O 2026, Google is today announcing “Gemini built in” as a new solution that brings AI features to third-party devices including speakers, cameras, and more."

"New for 2026 – smart speakers: Our Speaker Reference Design allows you to build high-fidelity speakers that support the full Gemini voice experience, acting as the command center for the home."

https://9to5google.com/2026/05/21/gemini-built-in-will-bring-google-home-ai-to-more-third-party-speakers-this-year/

But it's still poor old Sonos... Buhuuu. 

Something is going on, it works for a couple of minuters through Google Home early access

https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/s/wdOTjNU7AU

So according to the article, Google is still working on a solution for putting Gemini into 3rd party speaker.  Gemini will require specific hardware that seems unlikely to match hardware requirements for Google voice.  The article does not mention any 3rd party  speakers that have Gemini already, but does link to an article about a rumored Onn (Walmart brand) speaker that has not been officially announced.

So, it seems it's up to Sonos when the 3rd part solutions is out. I mean my old Google Home 1st gen. is running Gemini now so why nit Sonos One? 

Why aren’t all the other speakers that has/had Google voice?

What do you mean? Old Goggle speakers that support Gemini completly

• Google Nest Hub (2:a generationen)
• Google Nest Audio
• Google Nest Mini (2:a generationen)
• Google Nest Hub Max
•  
•  
• Speaker that support Home but not Live
• Google Nest Wifi-åtkomstpunkt
• Google Nest Hub (1:a generationen)
• Google Home Max
• Google Home Mini (1:a generationen)
• Google Home
• Tredjepartshögtalare

 If you can’t see the difference between a list that contains “Google” as the first word in a name and speakers that say “Sonos” as the first word, then I don’t know what to say.  Except that I’m pretty sure ​@melvimbe is talking about 3rd party speakers when he is questioning a post that says “it seems it's up to Sonos when the 3rd part solutions is out.”

I answered the question from melvimbe and thought he meant why old Google speakers are not updated. But, you are obviosly Mr Wiseguy, so you answered the question in your own way. 

Still, if 3rd party speakers will be supported then it is up to Sonos to try to implement it when Google release the API. One other reason to bring up old Google speakers is that that are pretty old hardware and still can handel it. Atleast Sonos One gen. 2 and equal should be a le to do so. Obviosly the soundbar worked so no limitation in hardware, perhaps it's just the handshake with the server that is not authorized and it reverts to GA when no handshake is made. Hopefully Google and Sonos will work it out and then it will work. Just that the stubborness have to go from both partiets. 

But what do I know I don't know the difference between Google and Sonos, right? 

No.  The entire thread, is about Sonos, a 3rd party speaker as far as Gemini is concerned, works with Gemini.  Whether or not Google owned speakers worked with Gemini is irrelevant. Whether other 3rd party speakers work with Gemini would be relevant as comparison.

Not entirely.  Google will surely have to allow access.  Besides hardware and software requirements, there is surely a licensing fee. We do not know what all that is and whether it’s realistic.

Not all hardware is the same.  It’s entirely possible that old Google speakers have hardware that Sonos does not. It could be that Sonos devices have the hardware, but Sonos isn’t willing to dedicate the resources to Gemini since they have other features they need to support that Google would not care about.  It’s also possible that Google has a different interface with lower requirements for it’s own hardware, while a different interface is used for 3rd party devices.     

Comparing Sonos to Google speakers is an apples to oranges comparison.  Sonos to 3rd party speakers  makes a lot more sense.   I do recall some claims that some old Lenovo speakers worked with Gemini, but haven’t heard anything more about that.

As I stated earlier, I don’t think Sonos should rush into  AI voice assistants, whether Google or otherwise.  They surely don’t want to be late, as they were with voice assistants originally, but it also seems they overreacted to voice assistants.  I don’t think that being an early adopter is going to pay off this time around.  For one thing, the public seems to have rather mixed feelings about AI that goes well beyond concerns for privacy that voice assistants have.   But that’s all my opinion.

This conversation about Google Assistant/Google Gemini  being reinstated or upgraded for Sonos is IMO pointless. As of now “it ain’t gonna happen”. There’s still a patent infringement case pending before the courts between Google and Sonos.

In another thread an OP suggested that Sonos take a knee to Google and move on. News Flash…neither party is going to yield unconditionally when there’s upwards of $32 million on the table. I mean…get real people 🤷

Here’s an AI synopsis on the case. If AI turns your stomach there’s a link (below it) to another site that may be your “antacid” of choice.

https://courthousenews.com/google-sonos-patent-fight-continues/

I don’t think this is as relevant as people seem to think it is.  From Google’s point of view, I don’t think Google can refuse to license to Sonos, or offer a different price, than what they are offering to other companies.  Perhaps they could perhaps make a claim that working with Sonos would hurt the brand image or something like that, but they can’t refuse to work with Sonos as a means of controlling/preventing any litigation against them.

From Sonos point of view, refusing to work with Google isn’t going to have an impact on the patent infringement case.  Any choice to work with Google or not would be soley about whether working with Google or not.  Sonos chose not to implement GA on their latest products because (reportedly) Sonos did not like the increase in hardware requirements (and probably licensing costs).

That said, the patent infringelment is about Sonos working with Google to implement GA on Sonos devices, and letting Google employeessee their code in the process.  I don’t think Sonos would do that again.

At this point, I think Sonos probably just wants to recoup it’s losses and maybe get a PR boost.   I doubt Google cares that much about 32 million, and is solely interested in the PR impact.

I hope no one  who wants Gemini on Sonos speakers is against AI.