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Impossible to connect my SONOS ROAM in Bluetooth

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C

Hi - I know this is an older thread….quick update on my end...I went through Sonos chat to figure out how to connect my Roam to my mobile via Bluetooth.  Couple of learnings…

 

  1.  you have to connect your Roam to wifi and the Sonos app before you can connect to Bluetooth. 
  2. If you have S1 app, you have to unplug all the S1 devices on your system and launch the S2 app.   Once you do that, the S2 app will start the connection process to the Roam device.  
  3. Once you have the Roam connected to through the S2 app, you can connect via Bluetooth to your device.  
  4. Plug back in the S1 devices and good to go…

 

Would be a lot easier if Sonos would publish this and also make the transition from S1 to S2 a little more gradual but the individual via chat was ver helpful. 

Ken_Griffiths

Same here. No solution. I also have a Move.  Looks like it going back. Terrible biz model to prevent Legacy users from growing their systems.  

It seems you perhaps may have a fault then on both your devices, which is really unusual… I’ve just tested both the Move and Roam here and each connect/pair to Bluetooth with no issues at all. I just paired them both and took the attached photo to show that is the case.

Perhaps submit a diagnostic report and then contact Support Staff via this LINK. 

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L
Userlevel 2

Followed every suggestion in this thread. Still no joy. I’m a long time legacy Sonos user who know the product inside and out, and I also have a move. Can’t get the BT blue light to come on no matter what dance I do. Very frustrating Sonos!

 

By the way, I do hear the button-press chime, followed by the bluetooth pairing chime, still no joy. If I keep holding, I get the triple-chime power-off tone.

Same here. No solution. I also have a Move.  Looks like it going back. Terrible biz model to prevent Legacy users from growing their systems.  

Ken_Griffiths

@southern gal, 

Yes, as Bruce says, it sounds like you may have a fault. I have two Roans and both switch and work on Bluetooth away from home off their charger. So I would submit a diagnostic and call/chat to the Sonos Support Staff.

Airgetlam

You may want to submit a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of experiencing this problem, and call Sonos Support to discuss it. It definitely is supposed to work the way that Ken explained, I’m wondering if there’s a hardware issue with yours.

There may be information included in the diagnostic that will help Sonos pinpoint the issue and help you find a solution.

When you speak directly to the phone folks, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and network.

Bruce
S
Userlevel 3
Badge +7

Well that didnt work for me. 

I tried about 15 times.  it kept powering off and yes the power was marked as 100% in the Sonos app. 

As soon as I put the power cable in … i could pair. 

your mileage may vary but this is the only thing that worked. 

Southern Gal
Ken_Griffiths

Reread 

FOR PAIRING you need to be connected to power otherwise pushing the power button turns off the speaker. 
At least MINE woUldnot pair until I connected to power 

Nope, I don’t need to have the Roam connected to power/charger to do that - it pairs just fine when I’m away from home and have taken it outdoors/camping, just like every other Bluetooth device… if it’s been paired with your phone once before, there’s no need to pair it a second time either, just select to reconnect/disconnect from your mobile BT device list. No need to keep pressing the rear power button unless you’re pairing with a ‘different’ device and you shouldn’t need to connect the Roam to power to do that either, just cycle through the pairing options.

S
Userlevel 3
Badge +7

Reread 

FOR PAIRING you need to be connected to power otherwise pushing the power button turns off the speaker. 
At least MINE woUldnot pair until I connected to power 

Southern Gal
Ken_Griffiths

so i was trying to connect ROAM for the first time to bluetooth to my iPhone 

i had it unplugged from power and nothing would work - it kept powering off. 

the MINUTE i plugged it in, then i could get the bluetooth flashing blue light and then pair it with my iPhone

i will try pairing it with my chromebook later.  

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the directions on the SONOS website include 

FIRST CONNECT TO POWER

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/4989?language=en_US

The Roam doesn’t need to be connected to external power to operate in either Bluetooth or WiFi mode - it sounds like your Roam isn’t quite charging correctly, perhaps? …what is the power-output stated on the charger in terms of volts/amps?

S
Userlevel 3
Badge +7

so i was trying to connect ROAM for the first time to bluetooth to my iPhone 

i had it unplugged from power and nothing would work - it kept powering off. 

the MINUTE i plugged it in, then i could get the bluetooth flashing blue light and then pair it with my iPhone

i will try pairing it with my chromebook later.  

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the directions on the SONOS website include 

FIRST CONNECT TO POWER

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/4989?language=en_US

Southern Gal
Ken_Griffiths

The weirdest problem I experienced with Roam's bluetooth was after I took the speaker on holiday and charged it in my hotel room.

After that I could not get my phone (a samsung) or my partners phone (an iphone) to pair with the Roam. 

The only solution I could find was to set up my Sonos app and my Roam on the hotel's free WiFi. Once I did that the bluetooth connection worked fine again. 

I can only assume the Roam automatically connected itself to the Hotel WiFi when I turned it back on, and that triggered some kind of security features. 

It could be a problem if the Roam resets itself every time it comes in contact with a new WiFi environment. Bluetooth should work regardless of any WiFi signal

The easiest way I find, is that once the Roam Is Bluetooth ’paired’ to a phone/tablet, to activate/deactivate the Bluetooth link from the mobiles own Bluetooth list - don’t need to have any WiFi connection at all and the only time I touch the speaker is to wake it up, if it’s asleep, or powered off.

D
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

The weirdest problem I experienced with Roam's bluetooth was after I took the speaker on holiday and charged it in my hotel room.

After that I could not get my phone (a samsung) or my partners phone (an iphone) to pair with the Roam. 

The only solution I could find was to set up my Sonos app and my Roam on the hotel's free WiFi. Once I did that the bluetooth connection worked fine again. 

I can only assume the Roam automatically connected itself to the Hotel WiFi when I turned it back on, and that triggered some kind of security features. 

It could be a problem if the Roam resets itself every time it comes in contact with a new WiFi environment. Bluetooth should work regardless of any WiFi signal

 

 

Ken_Griffiths

Same here. Not happy at all with the Roam.

 

Unable to connect it on my WiFi, apparently it does not work well with network extension, which makes little sense for a nomad device.

I swallowed this excuse from support but when I tried to configure it sitting next to the router it did not work either… I managed to listen 3-5 sons over the past month…

 

Also, the - expensive - charger does not work properly, I have to use the cable instead + for some reason Sonos decided the color of the charger is different to the device (white vs grey).

 

Today I have tried to connect it via Bluetooth as a fallback option now but the music disconnects after 20sec.. (I took the device to the countryside where there is no wifi). Extremely frustrating.

 

@Sonos team, please don’t ship products before they are ready. I was very happy with my other products but this very negative experience is harming seriously my trust in the brand.

Perhaps try it on a different band of your router. So if it’s on the 5Ghz band move it to the 2.4Ghz and set the channel width to 20Mhz.

If using SonosNet for your ‘other’ Sonos products then ensure the SonosNet and 2.4Ghz WiFi channels do not overlap.

Hope that assists to improve your Roam playback and overall experience.

 

M

Same here. Not happy at all with the Roam.

 

Unable to connect it on my WiFi, apparently it does not work well with network extension, which makes little sense for a nomad device.

I swallowed this excuse from support but when I tried to configure it sitting next to the router it did not work either… I managed to listen 3-5 sons over the past month…

 

Also, the - expensive - charger does not work properly, I have to use the cable instead + for some reason Sonos decided the color of the charger is different to the device (white vs grey).

 

Today I have tried to connect it via Bluetooth as a fallback option now but the music disconnects after 20sec.. (I took the device to the countryside where there is no wifi). Extremely frustrating.

 

@Sonos team, please don’t ship products before they are ready. I was very happy with my other products but this very negative experience is harming seriously my trust in the brand.

M

@MaS84

On pressing/holding the rear button for a couple of seconds and then letting go the device status LED should switch from white to blue and it flashes until it pairs or is paired with a device. I’m not sure what’s happening in your case but maybe speak/chat to Sonos Support Staff via this LINK, that’s if you still cannot get it to pair. The Staff may take you through a factory reset of the device or they may run some tests with you and if necessary replace it, if it is faulty. Hope you get it sorted soon.

Thanks for your help I will take this issue though customer support.

Ken_Griffiths

@MaS84

On pressing/holding the rear button for a couple of seconds and then letting go the device status LED should switch from white to blue and it flashes until it pairs or is paired with a device. I’m not sure what’s happening in your case but maybe speak/chat to Sonos Support Staff via this LINK, that’s if you still cannot get it to pair. The Staff may take you through a factory reset of the device or they may run some tests with you and if necessary replace it, if it is faulty. Hope you get it sorted soon.

M

I have gone though this process a couple of times, and still no luck.  I have never once hear a chime or have seen a blue light.  The Roam will just oscillate between blinking white and blinking orange, unless plugged in to which a white light stays on.  No matter how long I hold the power button 2 secs to as long as I can hold it down, I have never seen my phone find Sonos or Roam on my BT pairing.

It sounds like you are in ‘diagnostic dump’ mode. Fully power off the speaker by long-pressing the rear power button until all lights switch off. (About 5-10 seconds press should be long enough). Wait 30 seconds and power on again and when the device had settled and is showing in the S2 App, then try the steps mentioned again.

I had to leave it over a long weekend and am now able to come back to working on this connection issue.  The Roam was off the entire time of my trip, I restarted it, and was able to connect via wifi and start playing music through the S2 app.  At this point I go to my BT settings on my Pixel 3 and there is nothing to remove as I have never once identified the roam as a BT signal.  I click pair new BT device and then hold the power button on the Sonos for 2 seconds.  No flashing lights still solid white, no sonos to pair to in my menu.  The only activation that I can get via the power button is on or off and that happens after 12 seconds of holding down the power button.

A
Userlevel 2

Awesome, I live on the edge of the Peak District, it’s a lovely part of the World

Have a great staycation 

Ken_Griffiths

Do you work for Sonos?

It is working now so I will persevere and see if the problem persists.

Enjoy the sunshine Ken

No I’m from the U.K. same as you, from the Midlands area and currently Glamping by the sea in Weston-S-Mare  and visiting relatives here too. Wife and I are retired and have just escaped for a few days whilst the Sun is shining.

A
Userlevel 2

I also did all that before traveling but somehow it became disconnected and subsequently would not connect.

Do you work for Sonos?

It is working now so I will persevere and see if the problem persists.

Enjoy the sunshine Ken

Ken_Griffiths

@Ken_Griffiths Good to hear your Roam is working 

mine is also working now but from all the trail of problem mails it is fairly obvious that there is a problem it should not be a complicated procedure to connect a BT speaker. 
I am concerned about taking this speaker on a trip in case the same thing happens to me again. It was not “user error” I researched and tried every possible solution none of which worked without the unit being connected to a Sonos system which was not available while traveling.

All Sonos products require online registration to a user-account over WiFi as part of the setup process, as per the system requirements - but it’s often possible when travelling to do that with a mobile WiFi hotspot. I did however register the Roam before travelling on this occasion.

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A
Userlevel 2

@Ken_Griffiths Good to hear your Roam is working 

mine is also working now but from all the trail of problem mails it is fairly obvious that there is a problem it should not be a complicated procedure to connect a BT speaker. 
I am concerned about taking this speaker on a trip in case the same thing happens to me again. It was not “user error” I researched and tried every possible solution none of which worked without the unit being connected to a Sonos system which was not available while traveling.

Ken_Griffiths

Yes deleted from BT and Re-paired.  Blue light stays blinking but it shows up in airplay and works….until I lose the WiFi network. Maybe it actually doesn’t connect via Bluetooth and just keeps playing over WiFi. As if I turn WiFi off it stops working. 
 

So I guess this means the Bluetooth connection is not actually working. iPhone can connect to other Bluetooth, like wireless headphones. iPhone 11 with 14.6 software version. 

My Roam status LED doesn’t flash, but shows a constant blue light when it’s paired and the iPhone shows this (see attached). Roam is called ‘Walkabout’.

Note in the screenshot that my WiFi is not connected, but it still plays okay.

I just use the iPhone BT list as shown in the screenshot to both connect and disconnect the Roam to my iPhone.

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B

All,  have scoured this thread. Reset Roam to factory settings. “Forget this device” on all iPhones. Went through set up a d set up new system with just the roam on WiFi. Works. Paused via Roam. Pressed Roam button for 2 seconds. Blue light flashing. Add to iPhone Bluetooth. Blue light never stops flashing. But I can connect and play via Apple music. 
 

Problem…as soon as I get out of WiFi range I loose connection to the Roam and it quits functioning on Bluetooth. It also disappears out of apple music airplay list. 
 

what am I missing/doing wrong? 

It sounds like it hasn’t connected to the iPhone if the blue light is still flashing - what is it’s status in the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings? Have you tried removing it from its BT pairing and deleting it on the phone and setting up the pairing again?

Yes deleted from BT and Re-paired.  Blue light stays blinking but it shows up in airplay and works….until I lose the WiFi network. Maybe it actually doesn’t connect via Bluetooth and just keeps playing over WiFi. As if I turn WiFi off it stops working. 
 

So I guess this means the Bluetooth connection is not actually working. iPhone can connect to other Bluetooth, like wireless headphones. iPhone 11 with 14.6 software version. 

Ken_Griffiths

All,  have scoured this thread. Reset Roam to factory settings. “Forget this device” on all iPhones. Went through set up a d set up new system with just the roam on WiFi. Works. Paused via Roam. Pressed Roam button for 2 seconds. Blue light flashing. Add to iPhone Bluetooth. Blue light never stops flashing. But I can connect and play via Apple music. 
 

Problem…as soon as I get out of WiFi range I loose connection to the Roam and it quits functioning on Bluetooth. It also disappears out of apple music airplay list. 
 

what am I missing/doing wrong? 

It sounds like it hasn’t connected to the iPhone if the blue light is still flashing - what is it’s status in the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings? Have you tried removing it from its BT pairing and deleting it on the phone and setting up the pairing again?

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