Retired Sonos Staff

‘On this Device’ for Android controller no longer supported

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Starting May 23rd, 2023, the Sonos S1 and S2 controller for Android will no longer support the ‘On this Device’ feature for streaming locally saved audio files directly to Sonos devices.

As newer versions of mobile operating systems are released, it can sometimes change the way information is shared between devices, and this feature will no longer be compatible with newer versions of the Android operating system.

While this feature will no longer be available in the app, we know local audio files are important to our listeners and we’ll continue to offer other options to enjoy downloaded tracks on Sonos, including:

Streaming the catalog from a music service. There are more than 100 music services available on Sonos, many with several millions of songs.

See our article on 'Adding music services' to get started.

Some music services allow you to upload your own music files to a cloud storage service like YouTube Music for example, which allows for an upload of up to 100,000 files with a free account. Services that allow you to upload files to a cloud storage:

Streaming through music services or cloud storage allows you to access your music without your phone.

You can play music files from your Android device to a supported Sonos product using Bluetooth.

See more about 'Using Bluetooth on Sonos' here.

Setting up a Music Library share on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive. You’d need to have the drive available in your network when you want to play music, but your library would be easy to transfer to these devices, if it isn’t already on them.

See our article on 'Using a NAS drive with Sonos' to get started.

If you have a Sonos Play:5, Connect, Connect:Amp, Amp, Era 100 or Era 300 (with the Line-In dongle), you have a Sonos player with a Line-In connection. Using that Line-In, you can play music directly from any device connected to it, to any player around the house.

See more about 'Using the Line-In on Sonos' here.

We'll continue to support everyone through this change, and will help you through the necessary steps to keep listening to your favorite tracks on Sonos.

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3

3z13

Lyricist I

Oh the entire music collection is saved on two separate 2T devices, the 1T on the phone is just the essentials.

So you do have an actual storage device which houses all your tracks? Is it sharable? If so:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/add-your-music-library-to-sonos

Its two SSD cards with 2T each, so doesn't fit the bill. I wish...

jgatie

Its two SSD cards with 2T each, so doesn't fit the bill. I wish…

Of course it doesn’t. Because anyone who would spend $$$ on 2 TB SSD cars would never spend the few bucks it takes to make those cards actually useful on their network.

3

3z13

Lyricist I

Its two SSD cards with 2T each, so doesn't fit the bill. I wish…

Of course it doesn’t. Because anyone who would spend $$$ on 2 TB SSD cars would never spend the few bucks it takes to make those cards actually useful on their network.

SSD don't fail like the 4 dead drives I have in dresser drawers because there are no moving parts to fail. I learned my lesson previously.

3

3z13

Lyricist I

Is it me or is it weird a company would provide less functionality of their product over time rather than more function? Just when I had been eyeing the new Era 300 for my wife's birthday.

106rallye

@Deedee02 I do not use YTM ,but according to this you do not need premium to listen to your uploaded music: https://9to5google.com/2022/07/11/how-to-upload-your-own-music-to-youtube-music/

As I said iBroadcast is certainly free, with possibly a bit of a penalty in quality: https://www.ibroadcast.com/premium/

@3z13 Again, it is not Sonos that’s doing this. It’s Google.

jgatie

SSD don't fail like the 4 dead drives I have in dresser drawers because there are no moving parts to fail. I learned my lesson previously.

My statement wasn’t about using SSD, my statement was about spending the money for SSD and then not making them available on your network, especially when most routers can easily share a USB drive as an NAS.

jgatie

Is it me or is it weird a company would provide less functionality of their product over time rather than more function? Just when I had been eyeing the new Era 300 for my wife's birthday.

You are correct, it is weird. I could say it actually may be powers beyond their control which forced them to do it, but that’s the romantic in me. But I’m sure it’s the general maliciousness and disdain Sonos holds towards their customers which is actually at work here. That makes far more sense.

melvimbe

Is it me or is it weird a company would provide less functionality of their product over time rather than more function? Just when I had been eyeing the new Era 300 for my wife's birthday.

It’s not just you that has this perception, but is it an accurate reflection of what’s happening? Sonos is removing the feature, but as stated, it’s because android is changing in future versions that won’t support this anymore. And Sonos has added feature to existing products before. Things like voice control, airplay, hi res audio, DTS. Heck, control via the android and iOS apps, including playback from android files, was a feature that was added to existing products.

Perhaps it’s a matter of “what have you done for me lately?”, or prioritizing certain features over others for some customers.

And FYI, the value of Era 300s is in atmos audio, which could not be played from local files. If playing local files is your primary use of Sonos, I wouldn’t recommend the Era 300s. Then again, maybe the wife is fine with streaming sources?

Danny

T

TarHeel

Avid Contributor I

What’s done is done. I bought a $700.00 Android Hifi music player, and a $160.00 microsd card to play my music from my Android HiFi music device on my Sonos speakers. Had I known Sonos was going to do this I would not have bought those items. However, I obviously need a new solution. I don’t want to use my computer as my music source, and my router does not have a usb port (which I wouldn’t want to use anyway). I am unfamiliar with NAS. From what I am reading on this thread, I need to buy a NAS, add my music, connect the NAS to my Wifi, then add the NAS to Sonos through the Sonos app. I would like a NAS with an SSD (if such a thing exists). Can anyone please suggest a NAS (not over $500.00 please). I do want it to be futureproof as possible. I also want a NAS with the SSD already built into the NAS (if such a thing exists). If I am misunderstanding the NAS option, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

I

iggyf

Lyricist III

Is it me or is it weird a company would provide less functionality of their product over time rather than more function? Just when I had been eyeing the new Era 300 for my wife's birthday.

You are correct, it is weird. I could say it actually may be powers beyond their control which forced them to do it, but that’s the romantic in me. But I’m sure it’s the general maliciousness and disdain Sonos holds towards their customers which is actually at work here. That makes far more sense.

Just run-of-the-mill garden-variety tone-deaf arrogance that afflicts so many great minds. Only that could explain not announcing the change in the app, not explaining the technical reasons, and not offering refunds.

Andy Grove of Intel fame grandly proclaimed “The PC is it” and we know how that went. Now Sonos grandly proclaims “NAS is it”.

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

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