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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andrejoubert

Lyricist III

Legalized or not, theft assumes that you own the software. You don’t. You own the hardware, you license the software. Says so right in the EULA you agreed to when you signed up..

I bought the functionality to listen to my music on my device. If that is not the case then the whole point of buying it is flawed. The hardware is useless without the software functionality.

You didn’t buy any functionality at all. You bought hardware. You licensed the software, and that license doesn’t guarantee any continuing functionality, especially the functionality that can’t be continued due to the actions of an OS manufacturer.

A software license provides you legal access to use the functionality, it cannot be taken away. Taking your point that i don't own the software and hence neither the functionality, makes a mockery of buying the speaker. According to your argument and their EULA, they can remove all functionality if they so choose and all Sonos Users will be left with stunning white elephants. Your argument makes no sense.

It makes 100% senser. Ask a lawyer if you don’t believe it.

What I have learnt is never again to fall for the same trap again. I will read the smallprint and avoid companies that work on the same unethical principles as Sonos.

You will be avoiding every piece of software ever produced, because they all have a EULA attached.

You Can spin it any way you like, with or without lawyers, Sonos will be losing customers.The nr if complaints on this thread is enough proof.

Not all Eula's are the same

jgatie

Not all Eula's are the same

The vast majority have a contingency for continued functionality and features. They have to, since some functionality and features are out of the manufacturer’s hands, such as 3rd party operating system changes (as this one was).

melvimbe

And that is my point, you buy the speaker with the functionality you want and then it is taken away and "Sonos is not for you anymore". That makes no sense

You made the claim that the speaker no longer has any functionality, which is patently untrue. And you claimed that it was unethical and illegal, also not true. I would agree with the ethiical claim if Sonos intended to only support for a time to lure people in without maintaining the feature long term. But that’s not remotely what happened.

And yes, Sonos will lose some customer over this. No one is pretending otherwise.

Danny

V

Vitalius

Lyricist III

“You’re also ignoring the catalyst for this change, which was android changing how files can be accessed externally.”

I am software developer with experience developing applications for Android devices. I know that it is very easy to detect OS version of the device in the code. Why Sonos didn’t do an easy algorithm - check OS version and if it is below 12 add the menu to access local files? So all older devices will continue to work as usual.

Instead Sonos disabled that functionality for all devices and made forceful update. I see here not much care about customers.

melvimbe

“You’re also ignoring the catalyst for this change, which was android changing how files can be accessed externally.”

I am software developer with experience developing applications for Android devices. I know that it is very easy to detect OS version of the device in the code. Why Sonos didn’t do an easy algorithm - check OS version and if it is below 12 add the menu to access local files? So all older devices will continue to work as usual.

Instead Sonos disabled that functionality for all devices and made forceful update. I see here not much care about customers.

I’m not Sonos, so can’t say with a 100% certainty, but my guess would be that they did not want to add complications to the code, for development and support, of what features work under what conditions. It seems like a minor condition right now, but that can get even more complex over time other features and conditional program gets added. Having some experience in software support, I’ve it happen several times.

On the customer side of things, while some will understand the situation and appreciate Sonos trying to get it to work, others will not. Similar issue happened with iOS a few years back, and many complained that Sonos was showing favortism for keeping a feature on android, but no iOS. And of course, people don’t like that trueplay is supported on iOS and not on android...until recently.

Danny

R

Ralpfocus

Prodigy III

@andrejoubert

Putting the eula aside, if you have read the thread then you should have seen it is still possible, using a third party app, to continue to play music stored on your phone on your sonos speaker.

J

jaredstyles

Lyricist I

Give us back this feature Sonos!

Stop taking features away!

I'm not buying anymore Sonos products in the foreseeable future.

This was a pretty basic and important feature for me. You guys lost customers for sure.

jgatie

Give us back this feature Sonos!

Stop taking features away!

I'm not buying anymore Sonos products in the foreseeable future.

This was a pretty basic and important feature for me. You guys lost customers for sure.

Complain to Google. The feature was made impossible via an Android change, not a Sonos change.

D

DemoDave

Lyricist I

Absolutely disgusting! Not being able to play MY music through MY speakers is ridiculous! If you cant make this an option then the product is not fit for purpose and we all deserve a refund. What is the point of having speakers that only play music through online services or having wireless speakers that can only play my music though a wired connection. A true failure from sonos.

jgatie

Absolutely disgusting! Not being able to play MY music through MY speakers is ridiculous! If you cant make this an option then the product is not fit for purpose and we all deserve a refund. What is the point of having speakers that only play music through online services or having wireless speakers that can only play my music though a wired connection. A true failure from sonos.

Read your EULA.

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