Answered

Impossible to connect my SONOS ROAM in Bluetooth

Show first post
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

114 replies

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? 

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?

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. 

L

It’s NOT running. That’s my point. 

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.

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.

1 Attachment
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

 

 

G
Userlevel 7

Have you set up the Roam in the Sonos app yet?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
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.

1 Attachment
S
Userlevel 2
Badge

Yes I did.

As I was waiting for a reply I have also done a factory reset on it and re-install it from scratch.

So the SONOS ROAM is well discovered by my system already in place and works fine with the other elements but the bluetooth connection is still not working

P

Update Roam and resolved bluetooth connection issue.

 

Thanks to shfawaz and ken_griffiths advice

Ken_Griffiths

It’s NOT running. That’s my point. 

The speaker is a mini computer and not just a Bluetooth speaker and in the same way as resetting your smartphone (also usually a last-resort option) you will need to setup the Roam again so you will need your S2 App on your mobile connected to a local accessible wireless router to provide LAN/WAN access for you to setup your ‘reset’ device again on your account. It won’t work until you have installed it.

The ‘reset’ of the device is most likely at the heart of your issue here. You can often be connected to any local WiFi to do the setup, but not one that requires access through a login page. HTH

G
Userlevel 7

After you power on the Roam, if you hold down the power button, do you ever hear a chime?

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
D

I’ve just had this exact same thing managed to connect by WiFi but couldn’t get a blue light at all. It took about 4 hours and a speaker restore for the update to come up in the s2 app. Now it seems to be ok. Wish I had just waited rather than wasting half the day faffing with it! Sonos might want to tell people this!!

B
Userlevel 2

We have been struggling with this for a few weeks, off and on. 

Husband stumbled on what might work for others…

We have the Roam added to Sonos and updated. It will play using Sonos app. Of course problem was Bluetooth. So the issue was, we would do as directed; get the flashing white light and when you had a steady white light, press and hold and the blue light would supposedly illuminate and a tone would sound initializing  pairing. But what actually happened was that when you hold the power button the speaker eventually makes two little sounds and powers off. Never a blue light. The solution is to let go of the power button when you hear the small tones BEFORE power shut off. 

We have three of these beasts and it worked on each one of them. 

Also - conflicting Bluetooth connectivity can be confusing so use one device to control. We were not able to achieve individual pairing of a speaker on his phone and a speaker on my phone. Maybe if we are out of range from one another. 

Thank you!!! This worked for me - I wasn't letting go of the power button quickly enough. Very helpful tip.

L

I’ve tried using the S2 app but it wants to find my current Sonos system before I can do anything with it. 

Like I said, I am living/working out of town for the summer and do not have any of my Sonos components with me. Therefore I can’t do anything beyond opening the app.

L

I should mention that I was going to buy a bluetooth speaker while on the road but saw the Roam and was already a longtime Sonos user. But was it wrong to do so (since as stated above, the Roam is ‘not just a bluetooth speaker’) and I won't be home until September to set it up? 

D

Actually, I never got the blue pairing led to flash, always stayed white. 

 

UPDATE: Found that my system had an update available, installed that, and I finally was able to pair my iPhone. 

Thanks!

Indeed the update fixes the problem.

Thanks

 
D

having the same issues here...i am able to connect my iPhone via BT settings, but initially, i’ve been trying to connect via the SONOS APP where it walks me through and it just times out each time...should i just factory reset and start over?

 

Also - unable to BT connect to my MacBook after many tries...any ideas?

BMF
Userlevel 5
Badge +13

Do we know how many Bluetooth connections roam can store?

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

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

Just got the roam and same issue here.  App was a mess, wouldn’t connect, didn’t like the wifi.  Uninstalled and reinstalled it.  Didn’t help.   I can turn it on but it goes from flashing white directly to flashing green.  I want to just connect via bluetooth but it won’t go into pairing mode.  Holding the power button at any point of the process just seems to turn it off with no sound whatsoever.  Really very frustrating and not very, well modern.  Feels like a decade ago in regard to ease of set-up.   


I’m having the exact same problem. I was impressed with the very positive reviews. I found a great deal. Bought it. Never in my wildest nightmares could I have imagined finding it impossible to pair an audio device with my PC via Bluetooth. Till now it’s been like falling off a log. I’ve spent hours trying to figure it out - unsuccessfully. The “instructions” that come with the Roam are a joke. Sonos’ website is a bundle of utter confusion. Reading the tech manual for the Mars Perseverance rover is more comprehensible. Go online and folks offer a hundred different suggestions - but none work in my case. Blinking green light - no blue. No pairing. I’ll try one more day - then will send the worthless thing back for a refund. Sonos: please get your act together. Why is it that every other audio device maker in the world makes their products easy to set up and all you offer is confusion and frustration?

A

I’m a journalist. I take time to write honest customer reviews. I posted the following on Amazon, Best Buy and Ebay today:

“Set-up's a Nightmare. Software's Buggy. Stay Away!

I purchased the Sonos Roam based on the highly positive reviews attesting to the speaker's superior sound qualities. Well, I never got to hear them. I found it impossible to set up a connection with my PC or iPhone, having wasted hours fultilely going through the designated steps and researching online for tips and guidance. What I did find in my research was scores of complaints attesting to the same issue, including on Sonos' own website - which, by the way, is an incomprehensible jumble of confusion. The "instructions" that come with the device are a joke. Connecting to Bluetooth these days is like falling off a log. 1-2-3. Done. But somehow Sonos has managed to invent a product that makes the Mars Perseverence rover seem like a grade school science project by comparison. I wish the tech reviewers delved into the horrific frustration of setting this audio device up. Do your own googling and you'll find many dissatisfied customers bitterly calling the Roam a useless paperweight. Sonos' software furthermore draws criticism for being excessively buggy.  I'm returning mine for a full refund after one day of frustration and anger. Caveat emptor.”

James L.
Badge +17

Just got the roam and same issue here.  App was a mess, wouldn’t connect, didn’t like the wifi.  Uninstalled and reinstalled it.  Didn’t help.   I can turn it on but it goes from flashing white directly to flashing green.  I want to just connect via bluetooth but it won’t go into pairing mode.  Holding the power button at any point of the process just seems to turn it off with no sound whatsoever.  Really very frustrating and not very, well modern.  Feels like a decade ago in regard to ease of set-up.   


I’m having the exact same problem. I was impressed with the very positive reviews. I found a great deal. Bought it. Never in my wildest nightmares could I have imagined finding it impossible to pair an audio device with my PC via Bluetooth. Till now it’s been like falling off a log. I’ve spent hours trying to figure it out - unsuccessfully. The “instructions” that come with the Roam are a joke. Sonos’ website is a bundle of utter confusion. Reading the tech manual for the Mars Perseverance rover is more comprehensible. Go online and folks offer a hundred different suggestions - but none work in my case. Blinking green light - no blue. No pairing. I’ll try one more day - then will send the worthless thing back for a refund. Sonos: please get your act together. Why is it that every other audio device maker in the world makes their products easy to set up and all you offer is confusion and frustration?

Angkor123 - if you still have your Roam and haven’t returned it quite yet, a flashing green light means the product hasn’t been set up via the Sonos app yet.

Please use the Sonos app to first set up Roam on your network, then you will be able to switch to Bluetooth by holding the power button down for 2 seconds.

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
Terms & ConditionsCookie settings