Hi everyone, mods please move if this belongs in another section.
I recently solved an issue that I think may help others who are using Harmony remotes with Sonos.
The problem is that when Sonos devices are included in a Harmony activity, the remote often hangs on “Connecting…” for 10–15 minutes, and sometimes doesn’t connect at all. This happens both on initial startup and when switching between activities. Harmony has to handshake with all devices each time, and since Sonos speakers don’t have power states and no longer respond properly, Harmony just keeps waiting for a reply that never comes.
As many of you know, Logitech no longer supports or updates Harmony, while Sonos software continues to evolve. Over time this has made the integration unreliable, to the point where it can prevent Harmony from starting up or switching activities smoothly.
Workaround:
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Remove Sonos devices from your Harmony activities.
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Create activities with just your other AV gear (TV, receiver, inputs, etc.).
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Use the Sonos app directly to control your speakers.
Once I made this change, Harmony startup was instant again, and switching between activities worked perfectly. Sonos still works great through its own app, and Harmony remains reliable for everything else.
I’m posting this because I know many people might assume their Harmony is failing or that they have a Wi-Fi issue, when in reality it’s just the Sonos integration causing the problem. Hopefully this helps others save time and frustration.
Many Harmony users (myself included) have been scratching their heads over that endless “Connecting…” screen, and it’s easy to blame the remote or Wi-Fi. Makes sense now that the Sonos side is evolving while Harmony is frozen in time.