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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Sjoop1985

I am astonished that you are lashing out at Sonos for something they are not responsible for, since it is well established by now that Apple changed iOS in such a way that this feature no longer works. Not only on Sonos, but also on competing products.

Sonos did not build anything “on Apple technology”. Sonos was around for years before the first iPhone was released. There's even a good chance that Apple is infringing Sonos patents. Please don't pretend like Apple is the be all and end all of technology, they aren't. They are copycats with a very good marketing department, at best.

You are willing to forgive Apple for this, a company that is famous for selling overpriced, badly designed hardware (look at some Youtube clips from Louis Rossman), and famous for saying “You're holding/using it wrong” when something fails due to their bad design work. You are willing to accept all that at insane price points, and then blame Sonos because they were more or less forced to remove a feature, by that same company?

Meanwhile, I can still stream music from my Android phone to Sonos.. I wonder why Sonos decided to just spite Apple users… Oh no, it's Apple who continues to spite Apple users. And they willingly take the abuse. Talk about bad purchasing decisions.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (John Lennon) --- Living room: Arc, Sub, 2x One - Kitchen: One - Bedroom: Play 3 - Office: Beam - Bathroom: Play 1

J

jmwalker04

Lyricist II

I am astonished that you are lashing out at Sonos for something they are not responsible for, since it is well established by now that Apple changed iOS in such a way that this feature no longer works. Not only on Sonos, but also on competing products.

Sonos did not build anything “on Apple technology”. Sonos was around for years before the first iPhone was released. There's even a good chance that Apple is infringing Sonos patents. Please don't pretend like Apple is the be all and end all of technology, they aren't. They are copycats with a very good marketing department, at best.

You are willing to forgive Apple for this, a company that is famous for selling overpriced, badly designed hardware (look at some Youtube clips from Louis Rossman), and famous for saying “You're holding/using it wrong” when something fails due to their bad design work. You are willing to accept all that at insane price points, and then blame Sonos because they were more or less forced to remove a feature, by that same company?

Meanwhile, I can still stream music from my Android phone to Sonos.. I wonder why Sonos decided to just spite Apple users… Oh no, it's Apple who continues to spite Apple users. And they willingly take the abuse. Talk about bad purchasing decisions.

I don’t have a “contractual” agreement with Apple on this topic. I didn’t buy an Apple phone on the basis it would work with Sonos. I bought Sonos on the basis it would work with Apple. If they couldn’t guarantee the service, don’t sell the product on the availability of that feature. Simple no?

J

jmwalker04

Lyricist II

As per my other post, this may not be Sonos fault, but it’s their problem.

C

charliepaterson

Lyricist I

Being able to select tracks from my music collection to play on my play 1 from my phone was so convenient… having to go to my pc or keep a laptop open is not convenient — until yesterday I had assumed that I was doing something wrong and out of laziness just used Spotify - ...now it seems that without Spotify or an equivalent service my Sonos is redundant….

106rallye

@charliepaterson Did you look at the Google Music Free option? Maybe not completely what you were used to, but since you’re a Spotify user, you will probably get used to it! No need for a laptop after the upload is done.

J

John B

As per my other post, this may not be Sonos fault, but it’s their problem.

So what do you want Sonos to do? Apple have make it impossible to play music stored on an iDevice over a LAN other than by using Airplay 2. There are numerous practical alternatives, including free ones.

In the absence of a magic wand, what do you propose Sonos should do to make things exactly like they were?

And it really isn't Sonos' problem. If you refuse to consider alternatives, it is your problem. Everybody else has moved on.

J

jmwalker04

Lyricist II

@charliepaterson Did you look at the Google Music Free option? Maybe not completely what you were used to, but since you’re a Spotify user, you will probably get used to it! No need for a laptop after the upload is done.

i’m playing with this this morning.

I’ve just accepted Google draconian terms of business with a shudder (anything that states “I waive all rights” sends a shiver down my spine)..

Now to see how to get my purchases from my iphone, onto my Mac, and then back into Google Play.

This will work fine Im sure, until Google change their terms next :joy:

N

nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

This will work fine Im sure, until Google change their terms next :joy:

Time for an NAS when that happens? Perhaps not until Sonos support a more secure SMB than v1… but that’s a whole different thread of discussion…

J

jmwalker04

Lyricist II

As per my other post, this may not be Sonos fault, but it’s their problem.

So what do you want Sonos to do? Apple have make it impossible to play music stored on an iDevice over a LAN other than by using Airplay 2. There are numerous practical alternatives, including free ones.

In the absence of a magic wand, what do you propose Sonos should do to make things exactly like they were?

And it really isn't Sonos' problem. If you refuse to consider alternatives, it is your problem. Everybody else has moved on.

Hey John,

Hmm good question.

Hows this for a plan.

1/ Acknowledge the inconvenience this is causing my customers, recognise that I have sold them a product that includes a piece of functionality that may have likely swayed their purchasing decisions toward my product which I can no longer offer.

2/ Accept this is my issue to solve and that its probably going to cost my company some money, but you know what, these customers got me to the multi billion dollar business I have today so maybe I should show them a little more respect & empathy?

3/ Proactively contact my customers to let them know this has happened. Don’t leave them 8 months in the hope they dont find out, and if they do, leave them to figure out this has happened via an out of date community thread. :astonished:

3/ Go above and beyond THE ONLY free work around (that will work for me) relying on the availability of yet another providers service (Jeez when will they learn! What happens when that service becomes unavailable??? ).

4/ Offer my customers a proper solution.

Personally, I would be happy with any of the following

a full refund on the items I have purchased
an upgrade path that is calculated on the age of the product I own
a subscription to a music stream like Deezer / spotify (I personally don’t listen to enough music to warrant a music subscription hence I dont have one but I am sure this would appease a lot of people)

Im glad you’ve “moved on” John - I suspect lots of Sonos customers will too if they havent already……!!

J

jmwalker04

Lyricist II

This will work fine Im sure, until Google change their terms next :joy:

Time for an NAS when that happens? Perhaps not until Sonos support a more secure SMB than v1… but that’s a whole different thread of discussion…

Yeah maybe they should stick that in their trendy adverts.

A clip of some stressed out dude with a server rack UPS & cooling taking over his house.

“Look how convenient this is ! “

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