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Verbal response in Google Assistant routines

  • August 13, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 73 views
D
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As anyone who uses Google Assistant routines on Sonos knows, it was quite a while ago that Google started saying “Sorry, I don’t understand” to any action in a routine that attempts to speak a verbal output on a Sonos speaker. The bug came and went a few times, and then settled in permanently with no acknowledgement from Sonos or Google.

I experimented a bit to see if there was any workaround, such as playing a standard sound effect (unfortunately Google doesn’t have any built in sound effects) or playing a pre-recorded audio file with the response (that works, but media volume is muted as long as the routine is running, so the audio isn’t very audible).

If all you want is a simple verbal acknowledgement to know that the routine ran, you can add actions in the routine to increase volume and then decrease volume by the same amount. That results in Google saying “Ok” or “Got it”, and it does work on Sonos speakers.

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4 replies

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • August 14, 2025

Not sure what your initial problem was. If I ask GA to turn off my lights it does acknowledge the action when it is completed verbally (though I personally would rather have just tone as on the Nest Mini). “Hey Google lights on” turns on the lights in the room. GA will acknowledge “I turn on seven lights”.

Airgetlam
Sotiris C.
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  • Sotiris C.
  • Sonos Staff
  • August 14, 2025

Hello ​@Doug Ames, welcome back!

I’m sorry to hear about the issues you are experiencing when targeting Sonos speakers with the Google Assistant routines feature via the Google Home App.

I am glad you were able to find a workaround and thank you for sharing it with the members of our Community.

Leaving a like and marking Best Answer might make someone's day. Who knows, that someone might be you.
Airgetlam
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  • Doug Ames
  • Author
  • Headliner I
  • August 14, 2025

Not sure what your initial problem was. If I ask GA to turn of my light is does acknowledge the action when it is completed verbally (though I personally would rather have just tone as on the Nest Mini). “Hey Google lights on” turns on the lights in the room. GA will acknowledge “I turn on seven lights”.

That still works for simple actions, but the problem is that Google Assistant does not produce such responses for many actions in automation routines. Without including your own confirmation like “Hey Google, say “action complete”” in the routine, there would be no response - which would leave you wondering if Google understood you and ran the routine, or just didn’t hear you. Including your own response works fine on Google Home speakers and on other Google Assistant speakers - except Sonos, which says “Sorry, I didn’t understand”. That could mean that Google didn’t understand the name of the routine, also leaving you uncertain. Hence the need for some way to produce a more certain audible confirmation. A cheery “ding” tone like Alexa would be fine, but as far as I can tell there is no way to produce one at audible volume in a Google routine running on Sonos.

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • August 14, 2025

Ah, right. I do not use routines on GA very much. You found a very nice work around!

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