Retired Sonos Staff

'On this iPhone or iPad' No Longer Available

Related content:Software

353 replies
83101 views

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.

Show previous replies

jgatie

I’m new to Sonos and not ranting, but trying to understand why it lacks common functionality.

I’ve searched and searched and all I’ve found is ‘it doesn’t work’. (Yes there are workarounds that do not equal ‘just sending music from your phone to the speaker’)

I’d be happy to find the date mine was manufactured, and am sure it was years ago.

Please show me where a Play 1 can play music that is stored on an iPhone from that phone.

Lastly, you can easily search ‘play 1’ and find out ‘whatever that is’ but here you go: https://www.amazon.com/Sonos-Play-Compact-Wireless-Speaker/dp/B00EWCUK1Q?th=1

Your Play:1 hasn't been sold since 2017, before Airplay 2 even existed. How is it supposed to support something which didn't exist when it was designed?

melvimbe

I’ve done a bit of research and none of it explains why Sonos is the only speaker maker that doesn’t support AirPlay or Bluetooth. Nor does it explain how anyone would think this is reasonable.

There are many speakers the same age as the Play 1 that are still in use, what is the difference here?

I received it yesterday and am blown away by the fact that it’s missing core functionality included in every other speaker I encounter.

Have you even read any of the responses to your nonsense? Sonos has supported Airplay for years, and every currently sold Sonos device is Airplay capable. So unless your gifted “Play 1” (whatever that is) is 3 years old, your Sonos device supports Airplay and your ranting is all for naught.

I’m new to Sonos and not ranting, but trying to understand why it lacks common functionality.

You’ve sad a few things that are blatantly false and easily verify to be false. That mostly comes off as a rant rather than trying to understand.

Part of the issue is you seem to think that all Sonos speakers have the same functionality as the one you were gifted. There is no reason to think that’s the case for Sonos or any other brand of speaker.

I’ve searched and searched and all I’ve found is ‘it doesn’t work’. (Yes there are workarounds that do not equal ‘just sending music from your phone to the speaker’)

I’d be happy to find the date mine was manufactured, and am sure it was years ago.

Please show me where a Play 1 can play music that is stored on an iPhone from that phone.

Lastly, you can easily search ‘play 1’ and find out ‘whatever that is’ but here you go: https://www.amazon.com/Sonos-Play-Compact-Wireless-Speaker/dp/B00EWCUK1Q?th=1

Your link shows that the Play 1 was first available in 2013, long before airplay 2 existed. It also says that the play 1 is discontinued by manufacturer before saying that is not discontinued by manufacturer. Anyway, there is no reason to be surprised that a Play 1 isn’t compatible with airplay. And no one is saying that a Play 1 can play music stored on your iPhone.

Danny

J

John B

Whenever someone comes along and tries to resurrect this long-dead issue, I can’t help but suspect that it’s a deliberate provocation. That may be unfair in any particular case, but I think it’s likely to be true quite often. Nobody has come up with a new argument - either way - on this thread for at least a year. It is an absolutely pointless debate in every way.

@Duksauce can read the thread if he can be bothered. If the answers don’t convince him, so be it.

D

Duksauce

Lyricist III

Whenever someone comes along and tries to resurrect this long-dead issue, I can’t help but suspect that it’s a deliberate provocation. That may be unfair in any particular case, but I think it’s likely to be true quite often. Nobody has come up with a new argument - either way - on this thread for at least a year. It is an absolutely pointless debate in every way.

@Duksauce can read the thread if he can be bothered. If the answers don’t convince him, so be it.

I’m not in need of convincing.

My question is: Why is Sonos Play 1 the only speaker from its time period that doesn’t allow you to play music off an iPhone?

It’s very surprising that the majority of this thread doesn’t see this as an issue.

Normally when a product lacks everyday functionality consumers aren’t happy about it.

D

Duksauce

Lyricist III

I’ve done a bit of research and none of it explains why Sonos is the only speaker maker that doesn’t support AirPlay or Bluetooth. Nor does it explain how anyone would think this is reasonable.

The link I provided showed that Sonos supports airplay. You’re just trolling.

I’m only talking about the Sonos Play 1. Not trolling.

I would say anyone who is arguing that a fancy expensive speaker that is a useless brick without the internet is trolling.

My guess is that if Sonos stopped supporting Android you would all change your tune.

D

Duksauce

Lyricist III

I’ve done a bit of research and none of it explains why Sonos is the only speaker maker that doesn’t support AirPlay or Bluetooth. Nor does it explain how anyone would think this is reasonable.

There are many speakers the same age as the Play 1 that are still in use, what is the difference here?

I received it yesterday and am blown away by the fact that it’s missing core functionality included in every other speaker I encounter.

You perhaps should have undertaken your research before purchase, rather than after. Sonos stopped manufacturing the Play:1 speaker almost 5 years ago - The newer (replacement) product for that speaker is called ‘Sonos One, or Sonos One SL’, each have Airplay v2 compatibility. The Sonos One is now on its 2nd generation.

A Bluetooth connection is supplied to ALL Sonos products using either a device that has line-in, or you can use a Roam, which will ‘act’ similar to a line-in for Bluetooth audio in a grouped-room situation whilst on a WiFi network.

The Play 1 was a corporate gift from my work.

It has no line in or bluetooth. (insane!)

I’m not going to purchase another product from Sonos to get the first product to work the way it should have in the first place.

J

John B

Dead topic. Bye.

ratty

My question is: Why is Sonos Play 1 the only speaker from its time period that doesn’t allow you to play music off an iPhone?

Simple. It’s too old. Released October 14, 2013. Discontinued October 24, 2017

Play:5 (Gen 2) is the earliest model able to support Airplay.

J

John B

@Duksauce . In fact, I was mistaken. You have introduced a new question to this discussion. It is, “Did the colleagues who bought my Play:1 think they were buying me the first speaker in my networked, multiroom home audio system, or did they misunderstand the nature of Sonos as comprehensively as I do?”

ratty

Another, perhaps rhetorical, question: “given the pace of technology, how do I feel about a ‘gift’ from my colleagues of a product which was discontinued over 4 years ago?”

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community