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Ryan S
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
August 20, 2019

'On this iPhone or iPad' No Longer Available

Related content:Software
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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Streaming the catalog from a music service. There are more than 100 music services available on Sonos, many with several millions of songs.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
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      353 replies

      Show previous replies
      John B
      February 7, 2022

      Another new question, as you are ‘new to Sonos’ and this was ‘a corporate gift’, is why did they buy you a second-hand speaker off eBay that’s at least four years old?

      John B
      February 7, 2022

      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?”

      I swear I wrote my post independently of @ratty‘s

        Duksauce
        Lyricist III
        February 7, 2022

        @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?”


        Most of these responses were pretty good. This is the only one I disagree with. 

        I understand the nature of Sonos speakers, but don’t have an interest a networked audio system. 

        If I had been gifted pretty much any other speaker from 5+ years ago it would still be able to play music from an iPhone. I could have placed it in my kitchen and it would ‘just work’.

         

        melvimbe
        melvimbe
        February 7, 2022

        @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?”


        Most of these responses were pretty good. This is the only one I disagree with. 

        I understand the nature of Sonos speakers, but don’t have an interest a networked audio system. 

        If I had been gifted pretty much any other speaker from 5+ years ago it would still be able to play music from an iPhone. I could have placed it in my kitchen and it would ‘just work’.

         

         

        You should re gift the play:1 to someone who understands and appreciates what it is, rather than complain about it not being a typical bluetooth speaker.

        Danny
        John B
        February 7, 2022


        I understand the nature of Sonos speakers, but don’t have an interest a networked audio system. 

         

        As is your right,.  Nothing wrong with that.  Now you may struggle to grasp this, but I did want a multiroom networked audio system, and never play music from my phone.  And I wanted surround sound for my TV too.  So I was forced to settle for Sonos.

        What is your view on the automobile market?  Ferraris should be more like pick-up trucks so that everybody can go off-road?

        Blast! I’m treating this like it’s worth it again, having said it wasn’t.  I’m out now, however ludicrous your next contribution is.

          jgatie
          jgatie
          February 7, 2022


          Most of these responses were pretty good. This is the only one I disagree with. 

          I understand the nature of Sonos speakers, but don’t have an interest a networked audio system. 

          If I had been gifted pretty much any other speaker from 5+ years ago it would still be able to play music from an iPhone. I could have placed it in my kitchen and it would ‘just work’.

           

           

          Not necessarily.  Bluesound’s ability to play from an iPhone was also disabled by Apple’s changes. You had to buy a newer model to get Airplay 2 support.  See the pattern here? 

          pwt
          pwt
          Virtuoso
          February 8, 2022

          One option to add AirPlay to all older Sonos devices:

          1. Obtain a Raspberry Pi. Most models of Pi will do.
          2. Install https://github.com/pwt/docker-airconnect-arm
          3. Congratulations! You now have AirPlay support for every Sonos device.
          4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300
          Duksauce
          Lyricist III
          February 8, 2022


          I understand the nature of Sonos speakers, but don’t have an interest a networked audio system. 

           

          As is your right,.  Nothing wrong with that.  Now you may struggle to grasp this, but I did want a multiroom networked audio system, and never play music from my phone.  And I wanted surround sound for my TV too.  So I was forced to settle for Sonos.

          What is your view on the automobile market?  Ferraris should be more like pick-up trucks so that everybody can go off-road?

          Blast! I’m treating this like it’s worth it again, having said it wasn’t.  I’m out now, however ludicrous your next contribution is.

           

          This entire thread has felt like I asked a bunch of Magic Card playing Incels about Women.

          Most of you don’t comprehend the question, but yet still act as if you’re superior. 

          Good luck with that! I hope your Mom comes down to the basement with Hot Pockets soon!

          Duksauce
          Lyricist III
          February 8, 2022

          One option to add AirPlay to all older Sonos devices:

          1. Obtain a Raspberry Pi. Most models of Pi will do.
          2. Install https://github.com/pwt/docker-airconnect-arm
          3. Congratulations! You now have AirPlay support for every Sonos device.

           

          Doesn’t that seem like a lot of work, when Sonos could have just included bluetooth or line in? 

          jgatie
          jgatie
          February 8, 2022

           

          Doesn’t that seem like a lot of work, when Sonos could have just included bluetooth or line in? 

           

          They didn’t. Your employer gave you a 5 year old thoroughbred when you wanted a draft horse.  It’s called horses for courses.  Deal with it.

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