Can't add Apple Music

  • 1 October 2021
  • 41 replies
  • 4056 views

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When I try to add Apple Music service in the S1 app (Android 11), I get a blank white screen at the point where it’s supposed to bring up the Apple login page. I tried on two different Android 11 devices. I tried adding other services as an experiment, and they all transfer correctly to the particular service login page at that same point. I asked Sonos support, and they tried some suggestions on Chat and looked at a diagnostic dump, but in the end they were stumped. I’ve successfully connected Apple Music to Sonos before, so it looks to me like a new bug between Sonos and Apple on Android 11.

Unfortunately Sonos doesn’t provide any options. The Windows app is not allowed to add Apple Music. Neither is my Amazon Fire tablet running FireOS 7.3 (Android 9). Neither is the S1 app running on Android 7 any more, the device I’ve always used before.  And my iOS devices are too old to run the latest S1 app. Update: I tried updating to S2 - didn’t help, same problem.

I’m out of ideas. Any suggestions?


41 replies

There’s not a lot to suggest, if you’re unable to update your devices to run the latest S1 software. Id be tempted to have a friend come over and try adding the Apple ecosystem, but would be worried that to be able to do so, then need to update the system on your Sonos to the current version, in which case your current devices wouldn’t likely be able to connect any more either.

I’m assuming that you’ve done the full ‘reboot’ process, of course, by unplugging all the Sonos devices from power, and while they’re unplugged, rebooting your router. There’s a slight possibility of forcing both the Sonos and the router to reload their respective OS, that you may be able to move forward….but I think it’s a low chance. 

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It is the latest Sonos S1 app on both the Android 11 devices. Latest Android release and latest Apple Music app as well.

And yes, full reboot of the Sonos devices was one of the things I tried with Sonos support, not that it should have anything to do with this,

Why does Sonos have to make the process of adding Apple Music service so restrictive?  It leaves Android 11 as the only option. I’m running it on a Moto G Power phone and Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.

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Why does Sonos have to make the process of adding Apple Music service so restrictive?  It leaves Android 11 as the only option. I’m running it on a Moto G Power phone and Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.

This is Apple’s decision, not Sonos’. Apple originally only supported their hardware when authorizing Apple Music, but eventually added Android support. They have never allowed PCs to auth for Sonos.

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I figured that might be the case with Apple, since the message on the Fire tablet is that you must authorize on a cell phone. That’s completely silly of course since the Apple Music app itself accepts a simple login authorization on Windows.

Be that as it may, it still looks like Sonos has to fix a bug on Android 11 here. I’ve found a number of other people with the same problem, e.g.:

What annoys me most with this type of problem is that Sonos plays dumb and wastes a lot of people’s time trying diagnostic measures when the problem has already been reported and they know it’s a bug. They either have the worst PR tracking system in the world, or their agents don’t have access or don’t bother to use it.

I have the same problem and have tried uninstalls/reinstalls of both the Sonos s1 app and Apple music app on multiple android devices.  No luck. This started when I updated my Apple password and had to do the same in Sonos - just got the white screen when trying to update the password.  I then removed the Apple service from Sonos and tried to re-add it but just get the white screen again.  Seems like a bug when Sonos tries to authenticate.  They could be forcing an upgrade to Sonos S2 app; however, it may fail with S2 as well - I don’t know!

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however, it may fail with S2 as well - I don’t know!

Yes, it fails with S2 app as well.

Sonos have admitted they are aware of the problem. It’s on their urgent “To Do (sometime, maybe, when we get around to it)” list.

I have the same problem.  I was recently gifted 12 months of Apple music and I can't even use it. It's unacceptable. 

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Same problem here too. Blank white screen. Sonos support have said in Live Chat (twice) it's an issue they're aware of and are working to sort it. But in the meantime to borrow an iOS device add it from there, as it's an Android issue…

 

(Edit: I see there are many threads on this now, confirming that adding Apple Music to Sonos via Android isn't working, so looks like I'll borrow an iPhone or wait.)

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I've tried using my husband's iPhone to add apple music, but his iPhone uses his apple music account so I still can't use my apple music service.... we have very different music taste, so if prefer to add my apple music account. Its there a way to do this or have I missed something?

Log out of his account on the Apple app on his phone, and log in to your account on his phone. Then use the Sonos controller to set up your account in Sonos. Once you’ve set it up, you can then log out of the Apple app on his phone, and allow him to sign back in. In the meantime, your Sonos should now have both accounts set up. 

I don’t have a spouse with which to test this, but it should work. 

I've got this same issue, when is the release for the fix expected. Pain in the backside 

I am having the same issue with blank screen trying to add Apple Music. Hoping it's fixed soon.

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Glad I found this. I have had this issue many times (on Android) and it has always been what browser was set as default (for me DuckDuckGo). Usually when I change the default browser to something else (say Edge) and reboot the phone it works (as all the app is doing is opening up a browser session).

That said, even this hack does not work for me this time (though worth someone else trying - I’m on a Xiaomi phone). Will try the log out of Apple Music app workaround and see if that works…...

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Hmm, that’s painful as you have to log out of ‘Media & Purchases’ on the iPhone, add the service in Sonos which then auto adds your account to the device you are using. So you then need to log back out of ‘Media & Purchases’ and then log back in with the original users account…. A real pain, but it did work

Hmm, that’s painful as you have to log out of ‘Media & Purchases’ on the iPhone, add the service in Sonos which then auto adds your account to the device you are using. So you then need to log back out of ‘Media & Purchases’ and then log back in with the original users account…. A real pain, but it did work

Thank you Marky. I am using a Pixel 5 phone. Not sure the equivalent of Media and Purchases. I did try to logout from Apple Music, then add to Sonos, but still get the blank screen. Thank you for the information.

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Yup, that workaround will only work with an Apple device if you have one in your household. Every Android device I have tried does not work, or I couldn't download the Sonos app to it....

Received an email that my Apple Icloud account was logged into and not by me forcing a password change.  Now I am unable to reauthorize Apple Music on Sonos on any Android product, ridiculous!  Seems this problem has been an issue for a while with no fix.  When will the issue be resolved Sonos?

The time has come to contact the CEO of Sonos, Patrick Spence.  Mr. Spence is listed on the support page for Sonos to be contacted with issues.  Just like everyone else who contacted Sonos support, I was told to add Apple Music via an IOS device.  Support is fully aware of the problem, however will not admit how long the issue has been known.

 

Contact Sonos CEO Patrick Spence at ceo@sonos.com on behalf of all Android users to fix adding or reauthorizing Apple Music on an Android device.

No matter how many threads you post this on, the CEO of Sonos can’t force Apple to fix the bug. If the issue had been on Sonos’ side of things, it likely would have been rectified long before now. 

No matter how many threads you post this on, the CEO of Sonos can’t force Apple to fix the bug. If the issue had been on Sonos’ side of things, it likely would have been rectified long before now. 

Bruce - you appear to know that Sonos is not the issue, how?  If not, why would Sonos not advise of such, rather than keep Android users out?

I don’t “know”, I’m making an educated guess. Sonos has been wrong in the past, since I’ve been a member of this forum, these last 10 years or so. They’ve always admitted when the issue was on their side, and promised that in an upcoming software release, they’d be fixing the problem. 

On the other hand, Sonos is a company that relies on its partners to provide content for their speakers to play. It would be unusual for a company to accuse one of their partners of malfeasance, essentially “throwing them under the bus”. It would likely sour the relationship and ultimately mess up any long term goals that they would hope to achieve as a partner. 

My educated guess is, given that there’s been several Sonos software updates since this issue has appeared, and there’s no official statement from Sonos that they’ve made an error, and will be fixing it “soon”, it leads me to believe that the issue is on the Apple side, where Sonos has little ability to force change, or indeed increase the level of concern at Apple to address this issue.

But, as you point out, I’m not 100% sure. It could still be a Sonos issue….but the length of time since it’s been discovered, with no admission of it being something they will be able to fix is telling to me. 

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Bruce is right, this appears to be an issue with the auth flow through the Apple app on Android. As every other service works, and the code on the Sonos side is identical for all of them, this looks like Apple’s problem to solve.

Bruce is right, this appears to be an issue with the auth flow through the Apple app on Android. As every other service works, and the code on the Sonos side is identical for all of them, this looks like Apple’s problem to solve.

I emailed the Sonos CEO, who passed it along to a supervisor who told me they don't have a time frame to correct this. He also suggested I contact Apple. The Apple contact was very nice, but couldn't correct the issue. This morning I added Apple Music to my Alexa and told Alexa to play Apple Music through my Sonos speakers which it did without issue. That's my workaround for now. Adding the Apple Music service to Alexa was seamless. Not sure why Sonos/Apple can't iron out this issue. Just one point, I am all android, no Apple devices involved, just a Pixel 5.

Bruce is right, this appears to be an issue with the auth flow through the Apple app on Android. As every other service works, and the code on the Sonos side is identical for all of them, this looks like Apple’s problem to solve.

I emailed the Sonos CEO, who passed it along to a supervisor who told me they don't have a time frame to correct this. He also suggested I contact Apple. The Apple contact was very nice, but couldn't correct the issue. This morning I added Apple Music to my Alexa and told Alexa to play Apple Music through my Sonos speakers which it did without issue. That's my workaround for now. Adding the Apple Music service to Alexa was seamless. Not sure why Sonos/Apple can't iron out this issue. Just one point, I am all android, no Apple devices involved, just a Pixel 5.

One addition to this. It seems to play all my music from my Apple Music library, without much control over what is playing, but better than nothing....

From experience I can say this is an Apple Music app issue. If you want to resolve make sure you have the latest app version installed, download the APK Mirror app from Google Play and install, then download 3.8.0 Apple Music apk package from APK Mirror and install from the APKMIrror app. This works for me and I now have Apple Music service on Sonos.

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