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Multiroom control of Sonos in Apple HomeKIt

  • 6 February 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 699 views

I don’t think what I want to do is unreasonable in 2021.

I want one easy screen to turn on and off rooms and show/change what music is playing and control volume.  Preferably in Homekit.

I don’t want to have to open the sonos app just to turn on and off music, in a smart home trying to open and close multiple apps is just annoying and clumsy.

In Apple HomeKit right now I can see my rooms except for one which has a Playbar.  However if I start a group in sonos then if I click any one room in HomeKit it turns ALL the rooms off/on together.

I have Alexa, hubitat, and homekit/apple in my home.  There HAS to be a way but I don’t see why it should be so hard to do.

 

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Best answer by Corry P 9 February 2021, 16:16

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3 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Ppriorfl
Welcome to the Sonos Community!

The Sonos app itself comes close to what you describe for your wish for Apple HomeKit - the Rooms tab shows what speakers are grouped, and allows you to change groups, and all the while displays a Now Playing card at the bottom.

A third party app could work using the Sonos API, but someone would have to write it first. Maybe someone else in the community knows of something similar that you could use?

As you have Alexa, you can set up groups with names in Alexa and ask her to play to a named group - she will group speakers together and play to them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201749250

Please note, Apple HomeKit may interfere with this however - I know it renames Sonos room names when we try to change them in the Sonos app.

Thanks, @Corry P 

I’ve been using the app, and the S2 app is much nicer to add and remove rooms.  But my goal is a kiosk on the wall that is interactive and runs most of my smart home and constantly opening my phone to change things is annoying (first world problems, I know….). 

Each ecosystem has their own app (my smart blinds, my sonos, my radiant towel warmer…. on and on) and app fatigue is real.

 

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Perhaps a tablet that can split-screen between two apps? I know Samsung was playing with that a few years ago (Galaxy S4), but my newer Samsung phone doesn’t do it (Galaxy S8+). Judging by https://www.google.com/search?q=android+split+screen+2021 Android 10+ does it again.