Sonos Roam - Stuck In Sleep Mode

I’ve found the root cause of the problem and solution in another forum discussion. It seems there is a communication problem with the WiFi network when you have this problem.

Solution: you need to reset your WiFi network (switch off and on). 

Please note that resetting the Sonos Roam SL to factory settings didn’t solve the problem. The device was not visible anymore in the system. So when you have this problem, reset your WiFi network.

Thanks, that solved it for me.   

Same problem here, no resolution from the above (no white light comes back on after holding button). No option to factory reset the roam on the app from what I can tell. 

This worked.  

…and yet my two Roams here are both absolutely fine on v14.20.1 (build70436090) of the software/firmware, so don’t think it’s going to be a software bug.

@dougelder,

I think around May-time this year (2023), the Roams here will be approaching two years old IIRC - and with the amount of use I’ve had from each of them (every day), they have probably paid for themselves already.

In real terms, these days, each one is less than the cost of a 1-month  (modest 3 bedroom house) Electricity or Gas bill, here in the UK, so if either/both fail, I don’t think I will worry too much about it ..and will just save up my pennies and buy another… or they might actually be covered by our ‘small gadget’ insurance (not sure 🤔? - I would need to check that). Perhaps not, as it’s probably normal wear and tear.

Anyway I’ll start saving just in case. but maybe check back here with me in another two years time and I’ll let you know just how everything went and if they’re still going strong - as I say they both seem fine at the moment.

Forgot to mention it's on 2 separate roam devices, and we're posting this 3 days apart so it stands to reason the problem is on Sonos software end

Alternatively the Roam may be, to all intents and purposes, dead.

I have two Roams.  In the early days I had problems with battery life.  If left off the charger (and why buy a battery speaker if you have to keep it on the charger all the time), they would run down in a matter of 3-4 days even if just on standby/sleep.  Then I think Sonos did a software update to improve sleep mode.  One Roam improved hugely.  The other didn’t. It always seemed to need a charge whenever I needed to use it.    After almost 2 years the problematic Roam exhibited the problems as described here.  The wireless charger did not seem to do anything.  I could, but not always, get the charge light to glow solid orange on a wired charger.  But solid orange is not a recognised LED state.  The charge LED is supposed to glow orange and then go out after 10 seconds.  And as soon as the charger was unplugged the light went out and it was totally unresponsive.  Nothing from the status LED.  No tones.  No response to holding the power button for any amount of time.  No difference if I left the Roam on charge for a day.  

The eventual conclusion was that the Roam was faulty. 

Best open a support case unless one of the suggested ways of coaxing it back to life works.  The support desk will suggest much the same so you need to have tried that first.  That said the suggestions also included things that were clearly not going to work  (like power the Roam off by holding the power button until you hear the tone) but I guess they have to try the simple things first.  

I am inclined to believe that there was a design flaw lurking in there somewhere which means the Roam did not cope well with its battery being completely discharged.  Or there was a problem with a batch of batteries or charging circuits or something.  Or maybe, like all rechargeable batteries, they don’t last more than a certain period.  Perhaps because the problematic Roam was always being re-charged then it ‘wore down’ the battery.  That said even charging it every 4 days for 2 years should be seen as reasonable usage.  If I actually used it for 8 hours to play music on battery power then I would be charging it up even more often.  But I am sure Sonos knows exactly. 

Mine are two years old now.  My gut instinct is that if I bought a Roam today then I would not get the same battery issues.  

Equally if you have an older Roam and you still experience problems with battery life then beware.  You may well find it does not live as long as you would expect.  

So, here is the conclusion to my story.  My Roam was seen as faulty and fortunately just within warranty.  It was replaced under warranty once I had sent back the faulty product.  Annoyingly the returns process in the UK involves sending it to Poland and since UK is now out of the EU then it has to pass through customs.  My return got stuck in customs for 2 weeks and it was hugely frustrating emailed various people in the UK and Poland.  No one could tell me if there was a problem.  The returns process includes a pro-forma invoice to aid the customs process.  But as a failed product it really had minimal commercial value.  Then as if by magic the return left the customs warehouse and made its way to Sonos.  Within a day the replacement had been shipped and 2 days later I had my new Roam.  Setting it up was a breeze.  No issues with me calling it what the old one was which had of course inexplicably to the app become permanently offline.  This work has worked faultlessly.  It goes to sleep and so preserves the battery power.  That said my experience will mean I am not going to allow it to run fault and be left flat for any extended period.

Did not work for me.

That makes me wonder if the issue you’re experiencing, while looking the same, actually has a different cause. What did Sonos support say when you submitted a diagnostic and called them?

I bought a total of 5 Sonos Roam from Costco with wireless battery charger for 2 houses I have as I liked to sound quality and the compact size and want to have a change move away from my Bose.  reading all above It is clear that Sonos Roams develop a problem as battery ages, or maybe there was a software update and caused the issue recently. 

My First Roam failed as described above. Nothing happens, you cannot reset, on its magnetic charger it does not charge, and no light, When you connect to USBC cable and no matter how strong the charger is you only see solid orange light come on and never turns off. I called Sonos support , first the Chat robot is useless and this option with Solid orange light does not exist and I finaly chat to an operator which is a challenge also to by pass the  robot they asked me to do  all the above what you mention, reset it, use big charger, leave it for 30 min and call us back  etc etc/ same result,  22 seconds etc etc  then they offered a 30% discount on another product if I return it. While I first agreed to return it I still do not ant to pay 70% of something that should have never failed in 18 months. And bang, a second Sonos Roam had the same problem this week. 2 in a row is not bad luck it is a bad product. 

Then I thought over it and both Sonos Roams were in my garage when I was listening music on batteries without being charged and basically failed when battery was drained overnight. Is it batteries or the software that cannot restart ut I do not know but SONOS should know right? . I am trying different combinations and now will try this charge-disconnect-reset-charge-disconnect-reset  options (Sonos never said to reboot without USBC cable connected by the way, I learned it here) 

So rule number 1 do not buy another SONOS Roam there is a product issue. 

Rule number 2 do not get your Old Sonos’roams drain fully. I had this when they were younger and was not a problem to recharge and restart, should be either poor  batter lifespan  or a new software. Sonos should know they have a problem and giving you a 30% discount is very poor acceptance of a product fault. My Bose speakers and batteries  have been working for 7 years to date and still working… 

Rule number 3 buy Bose. 

To be honest, all they see to do is quote the ‘help’ available on website(s).