Retired Sonos Staff

'On this iPhone or iPad' No Longer Available

Related content:Software

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Starting today, the ‘On this iPhone or iPad’ feature will no longer be available in the Sonos app. There are still many ways to play your locally saved music library to Sonos and control it from your iOS device, including some good free options.

We first launched ‘On this iPhone or iPad’ in 2012 as an option to play locally saved content from your iOS device before Apple AirPlay was available on Sonos. The way this feature was originally designed has become unreliable with newer versions of iOS and Sonos.

The best way to play the music stored on your phone to Sonos is now by using Apple AirPlay 2 on compatible Sonos speakers (Sonos One, Amp, Beam, Play:5 (Gen 2), Playbase, and SYMFONISK WiFi Speakers). Using AirPlay 2, you can send the audio to one of these products and use the Sonos app to group it with any other Sonos rooms to have them all playing in sync. You can find more information about using AirPlay 2 with Sonos here.

For people who don’t have AirPlay 2 capable Sonos products, additional options to play tracks that are stored on your phone to Sonos include:

Uploading your tracks to a music service with a storage feature, such as Apple Music or Google Play Music. These services will store your library and allow you to stream it anywhere. This is a great option if you have songs that aren’t available on a subscription based streaming service. Also, Google Play Music has a free account option that allows you to upload 50,000 tracks and play them which works with Sonos.
Setting up a Music Library share on a Computer or Network Attached Storage drive. You’d need to have the computer or local drive available when you want to play music, but your library would be easy to transfer to these devices, if it isn’t already on them.
Streaming the catalog from a music service. There are more than 100 music services available on Sonos, many with several millions of songs.
Android mobile devices will continue to have access to the ‘On this device’ feature. If you have an Android phone or tablet, ‘Playing music stored on your Android device’ to Sonos is a great option.
If you have a Sonos Play:5, Connect, Connect:Amp, or Amp, you'll 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. You could even look into connecting a Bluetooth or AirPlay receiving device to that line in to use your mobile device without needing to wire it in to the line-in. See more about 'Using the Line-In on Sonos' here.

With the first three options, your phone doesn’t need to be turned on to listen to your music, and the music will keep on playing even if your phone is off or leaves the house. There are also alarm and Sonos playlist features that are available for most music sources that aren't available from 'On this iPhone'.

More about how to ‘Play music stored on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch’ is on our support pages.

We'll continue to support everyone through this change, and will help them set up the necessary workarounds to keep listening to their 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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corsasri

Contributor III

I have just noticed that I can’t play my iPhone content on my Sonos system anymore. Yes it’s something I do not use a lot but it’s a function I do use. Or would not be reading this thread. I don’t drive my car everyday but I would to expect the Manufacturer to come and take the steering wheel away.

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nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

I have just noticed that I can’t play my iPhone content on my Sonos system anymore. Yes it’s something I do not use a lot but it’s a function I do use. Or would not be reading this thread. I don’t drive my car everyday but I would to expect the Manufacturer to come and take the steering wheel away.

If you’ve read the thread you’ll see why the feature was terminated. Your analogy above should actually be “I would not expect the subcontracted manufacturer of the steering wheel to come and take it away”.

C

corsasri

Contributor III

I have just noticed that I can’t play my iPhone content on my Sonos system anymore. Yes it’s something I do not use a lot but it’s a function I do use. Or would not be reading this thread. I don’t drive my car everyday but I would to expect the Manufacturer to come and take the steering wheel away.

If you’ve read the thread you’ll see why the feature was terminated. Your analogy above should actually be “I would not expect the subcontracted manufacturer of the steering wheel to come and take it away”.

The joys of using apple devices and auto correct. Do you remember when Sony updated Firmware to remove Linx from there Playstation consone? people did lawsuits and wone..

jgatie

The joys of using apple devices and auto correct. Do you remember when Sony updated Firmware to remove Linx from there Playstation consone? people did lawsuits and wone..

Then I guess you are going to sue Apple? Because they are the ones who removed it.

Also, this thread is 8 months old. How often could you have been using this feature if it took 8 months to notice it’s gone?

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charliepaterson

Lyricist I

Never buying Sonos again … feeling a bit ripped off

jgatie

Never buying Sonos again … feeling a bit ripped off

By Apple? Because other companies who compete with Sonos lost this functionality too. Is Sonos removing this function from their competitors, or is it Apple? And if Sonos is removing it, why didn’t they remove it from Android devices?

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jmwalker04

Lyricist II

I too have just discovered this having not used the system since moving house.

Very disappointing

What’s the plan?

Do we as consumers just suck it up, or has anyone had any success with Sonos regards returning products etc?

I bought a product to perform a simple/single function - to play music from my phone - and it can no longer provide / perform that function.

moving my library to another provider (google) is the proverbial sticky-tape bodge fix on a very expensive play bar that is only a few years old.

It may not be Sonos’ fault, but it is very much their problem.

jgatie

I too have just discovered this having not used the system since moving house.

Very disappointing

What’s the plan?

Do we as consumers just suck it up, or has anyone had any success with Sonos regards returning products etc?

I bought a product to perform a simple/single function - to play music from my phone - and it can no longer provide / perform that function.

moving my library to another provider (google) is the proverbial sticky-tape bodge fix on a very expensive play bar that is only a few years old.

It may not be Sonos’ fault, but it is very much their problem.

A Playbar is first and foremost a soundbar for a television. If you bought one for the sole purpose of playing music from your phone, then you bought the wrong product.

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jmwalker04

Lyricist II

Jgatie

My purchasing decisions are irrelevant here?

If you need more detail…..

I bought the SONOS Playbar - over other soundbars - because of the additional feature (the subject of this topic).

Yes it still works as a playbar/soundbar.

Yes I can still stream music if I pay for a service or faff about uploading my library to google.

But you are missing the point. And so too is SONOS it seems.

For me and clearly many other customers, a major USP/feature has been removed.

And their response - a shrug of the shoulders like it’s no big deal.

Well it is to me and it clearly is to other customers.

I commented on the thread because I am interested to see if anyone has been able to get anything of value out of SONOS other than a few clunky work arounds.

Seems not...

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jmwalker04

Lyricist II

Never buying Sonos again … feeling a bit ripped off

By Apple? Because other companies who compete with Sonos lost this functionality too. Is Sonos removing this function from their competitors, or is it Apple? And if Sonos is removing it, why didn’t they remove it from Android devices?

No, by Sonos.

if you create and sell a product that relies on a third parties components, you ensure you have a contractual agreement for the supply of those components for the lifecycle of that product. The law should require this but it probably doesn’t.
Sonos have built their product and customer base on apple technology; now that tech has been removed they accept no responsibility.

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