Retired Sonos Staff

‘On this Device’ for Android controller no longer supported

Related content:Software

297 replies
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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.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

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106rallye

Can you substantiate this? How is allowing access for Sonos to files on an Android phone, something Google would have to pay Sonos for? And how is asserting their right (they largely won the case against Google) a Sonos fault?

P

prisha

Lyricist I

At this point I have nothing to add to my statement.

melvimbe

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.

Let's be clear that it's not Goodel's fault that the "On this Device" function was removed!

The real reason is that Sonos won the patent dispute against Google. As a result, Google would have had to pay you the sum X or Google had to remove the affected patent disputes (functions) from their OS. So the whole thing is once again a question of the Sonos ecosystem.

Your comment of the patent issue is sort of correct. Google did remove some of their multiroom audio functionality rather than rewrite their code so that it does not conflict with Sonos. That had to do with an earlier situation where Google wouldn’t be able to import their products that had Sonos patented coding in them. The recent court case though resulted in a financial award to Sonos, and I don’t recall there being any option to remove something to avoid paying fees to Sonos with that case. Could be wrong on that.

Regardless, I’m not following what that has to do with Google changing their OS functionality regarding file sharing. Are you saying Google changed the OS in retaliation to break Sonos functionality? Doubt that, but that would be Google’s fault, not Sonos. Are you saying Sonos is just turning off the functionality to damage Google somehow? Or is it more of a case where Google and Sonos have issues between them, so whenever there is a new issue between them, we should just assume it’s all tied together and Sonos is at fault?

Danny

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nelno

Lyricist I

I am sick and tired of Sonos incomprehensible policies concerning software updates. I don't use my Sonos all that much so pretty much every time I go to use it a software update is required.

This time, my ability to play content from my phone was revoked, with the pitiful excuse that newer versions of Android won't allow this. I have been writing system software for Android devices for a decade and while Android continues to tighten its security with every release, this does not equate to completely revoking useful Android features. Usually such features just end up behind new user permissions. I find your claims highly suspect and would like to hear a technical explanation of this that satisfies an engineer. Until then I call BS on this.

But this has little to do with my situation, as I simply do not update my phone's OS. You have revoked a capability that, despite what you say, is still available on my phone.

I do not have a media server. I do not care to create one just becauss Sonos has now decided to drop my use case on the floor, nor do I want to bother managing it, making sure it's always on when I need it, etc. You have rendered my $1000+ of Sonos equipment essentially useless when it comes to my predominant use case, which was PLAYING FROM MY PHONE.

I bought Sonos originally because of its acclaimed ease of use, but it has turned into nightmare of forced updates, incompatibilities, frequent anomalies and revoked functionality.

I will never buy a piece of your hardware again and this sort of major functionality revocation deserves a class action lawsuit. Let me have the functionality I paid for. I did not pay for a system that would later decide my use case wasn't valid and if Sonos thinks this sort of feature revocation is OK because they buried the right to do so in some user agreement, all the more reason to never use their product again. I will purchase and set up all my own equipment before I ever spend another dime on this sort of crap again, because there is no guarantee you won't, and a near certainty you will, revoke some other feature in the future.

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Ralpfocus

Prodigy III

@nelno Your 1000+usd is not essentially useless. There are are apps that will enable you to still play music from your phone without creating or using a media server, some are mentioned in this thread.

As for updates why don't you turn off auto updates in both the app and speakers.

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nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

I did not pay for a system that would later decide my use case wasn't valid and if Sonos thinks this sort of feature revocation is OK because they buried the right to do so in some user agreement, all the more reason to never use their product again. I will purchase and set up all my own equipment before I ever spend another dime on this sort of crap again, because there is no guarantee you won't, and a near certainty you will, revoke some other feature in the future.

At the risk of antagonising you even more than Sonos has already done: can you honestly say that no manufacturer other than Sonos might revoke some feature or other at some time for whatever reason? I don’t want to sound unsympathetic, but what manufacturer can guarantee to maintain capabilities forever?

buzz

Grand Maestro

... Let me have the functionality I paid for. I did not pay for a system that would later decide my use case wasn't valid and if Sonos thinks this sort of feature revocation is OK because they buried the right to do so in some user agreement, all the more reason to never use their product again. I will purchase and set up all my own equipment before I ever spend another dime on this sort of crap again, because there is no guarantee you won't, and a near certainty you will, revoke some other feature in the future.

I read user agreements before clicking “agree”. If I disagree with a condition, I will not purchase or install the product.

M

Mjf27

Lyricist I

It gets harder and harder and harder to use the Sonos. Now that I can’t play music from my own phone anymore without going through a third party, my reasons for being a Sonos user are dwindling away.

jgatie

It gets harder and harder and harder to use the Sonos. Now that I can’t play music from my own phone anymore without going through a third party, my reasons for being a Sonos user are dwindling away.

If that feature was your main use case for Sonos, I agree you should probably move on.

S

SonotUsingThisAnymore

Lyricist I

My entire library is stored on an external SD card on my phone so this decision effectively turns my Sonos Play speaker into a glossy paperweight. There's no way this needed to be done because of changes to the Android OS. Sonos are just increasingly locking down their products to a proprietary ecosystem and squeezing more money from their user base.

Not that they will care remotely about the loss of one user but my experience with their products from day one has been awful. This just concretes my decision to never buy a Sonos product again.

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