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Connecting Sonos to Android tablet (media not music)


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Hi everyone

Don't know if you can help. I watch a lot of you tube and tv (itv, netflix, prime etc) through my samsung tablet. 

How do i watch this on my tablet but get the audio out of my new sonos one 2nd gen? 

Via samsung "smart things' on my tablet i can choose the audio output to play through my google speakers and various blue tooth connected devices (headphones etc) but ill be blown if i can get it out my sonos??

 

Please help xx 

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Best answer by 106rallye 20 May 2020, 22:17

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Userlevel 7
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As I understand it you don’t. There’s no Airplay-like function for Android.

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Surely there must be a way....or I've just wasted £340 on a set of 2 sonos ones 😠

I can connect to a £20 portable blue tooth speaker or my Google home a piece of cake but not top of the range sonos? 

Think I'll cry lol x

Userlevel 7
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Others agree with you: https://en.community.sonos.com/google-assistant-and-sonos-229109/chromecast-functionality-6825890

Surely there must be a way....or I've just wasted £340 on a set of 2 sonos ones 😠

I can connect to a £20 portable blue tooth speaker or my Google home a piece of cake but not top of the range sonos? 

Think I'll cry lol x

But how does that £20 portable speaker sound?  Can it be stereo paired?  Can it be part of a whole home audio system that syncs perfectly, or can play differrent music in every room?  Are there HT units that can be integrated with that system?  Can it be controlled by Google or Alexa voice assistants, as you choose?  Does it have Airplay 2 capability?  Can you set alarms to play your favourite music at set times…?  I could go on.  Maybe the sound quality takes a fair bit of money to achieve?

Didn’t want that? Then you should have bought that cheap Bluetooth speaker.  Sonos has always been a maker of great sounding whole home HiFi systems that play music files, not all device audio to a single speaker.

 

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Oooh yeah i want all of that. That's why i bought them 👌😊

But good sound quality is only there if the sound actually comes out?🤔 lol. 

I wanted to wander around the flat watching visual on phone or tablet with sound coming out the sonos rather than carrying the crappy blue tooth speaker i have. I thought i was upgrading. 

I think there might be a way through smart things app, but reading through the lines i think i need a smart things hub for it to find the sonos speaker before connecting the device.  If that works awesome....its just a £30 gamble 🤷🏽‍♀️

 

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Others agree with you: https://en.community.sonos.com/google-assistant-and-sonos-229109/chromecast-functionality-6825890

I watched so many reviews videos / read loads of articles before plumping for the sonos one and not one of them mentioned this rather large stumbling block. Really sad now 😠. Thanks for sharing this....at least i know to give up on researching how to connect it.

Userlevel 7
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I'm sorry I had to disappoint you. I can understand you missed this, though it isn't exactly a hidden fact. Your case shows the importance of checking if your use case and expectations fit with things you are planning to buy. A good retailer can help you with this.

I hope you find a solution (please let us know if you do). Switching to Apple is also an option.

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I'm sorry I had to disappoint you. I can understand you missed this, though it isn't exactly a hidden fact. Your case shows the importance of checking if your use case and expectations fit with things you are planning to buy. A good retailer can help you with this.

I hope you find a solution (please let us know if you do). Switching to Apple is also an option.

Yeah i totally agree with you.... before spending this amount id have normally gone into a store to look, listen and ask questions.... but that wasn't an option at the moment . But honestly i must've watched about 10 review videos and nada. I heard there were some gripes about them being wifi not bluetooth but assumed they're was a way to still connect your devices....chromecast or no chromecast.

Ive only unboxed one of the two so i might try the hub for Smart things (samsung equivalent to air thingy for apple), then rethink. I was all set the buy the full caboodle.....woofer, soundbar etc. But not if i can't make this simple pleasure work. 

I just checked bose, and don't think they do chromcast either 🤔....but they do have bluetooth so am thinking its much easier to connect to them. 

 

Wish me luck lol. X

Userlevel 7
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If you’d buy a Sonos soundbar (the Beam for example) and you’d own a Chromecast or an Android TV, that would give you an opportunity to bring the sound from your tablet into the Sonos environment: cast to the TV and group your One with the Beam.

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If you’d buy a Sonos soundbar (the Beam for example) and you’d own a Chromecast or an Android TV, that would give you an opportunity to bring the sound from your tablet into the Sonos environment: cast to the TV and group your One with the Beam.

Yeah i think that would work to connect it youre right.  But then i have to have the tv on to do it right? Kinda defeats the object of watching my tablet which i like to be able to move around.

 

I was wondering if to get the portable sonos (is it move?) Which has bluetooth.  Could use it as a perm speaker in a room but also move it to any room where i choose to watch my tablet. I'm assuming android devices connect to the sonos bluetooth element in this speaker? Just a bit pricey 🤷🏽‍♀️🙈

Hi Suziehardy77,

I am curious to know how you got on. Did a smartthings hub solve the problem?

I have just invested in Sonos and now encountered an issue where I can't play audio from a certain app from the national radio station. Used to play via bluetooth. It is a previous show so not live radio. Live radio works fine.

As it is basically a stream from the internet I thought it would cast from my android phone but I can't  do this it seems.

Like you I did allot of research and did see people casting to Sonos speakers but it seems I cant do this. I always knew there was no bluetooth but thought Casting would work.

The solutions I have found are to either get an iPhone or some android hacking.

My conclusion is Sonos is a predominantly Apple user product and I have made an expensive mistake.

The sound and quality of the product but this block in how I use it will probably mean switching to something more open.

 

I look forward to hearing anything you may have learned.