If you think back, did you, or another person, ‘perhaps’ accidentally just go through the factory reset process, as mentioned here in this link:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/reset-your-sonos-product

@Ken_Griffiths Thanks for your reply.

I checked the factory reset process earlier and even though I considered the option, I am pretty sure that I didn’t do it by mistake. 

Since I am, for now, the only living soul that manipulates the concerned Sonos Roam, I don’t really understand how it could factory reset on its own.

I can only suggest @An0n if it does ever happen again (particularly if you’re sure nothing was done to reset it), then it maybe best to contact Sonos Support Staff direct via this LINK  and see what the Staff can suggest to resolve the issue.

This has happened to me at least 3-4 times and it’s absolutely infuriating. 

Here’s what I think happens:

• I’m playing music on the sonos setup in my home
• Turn on Roam
• It’s on!
• Hold play/pause for a few seconds, hoping it will magically join the group, which works 98% of the itme
• Instead of joining the group, the orange light starts flashing. What does an orange light mean? Who knows! Obviously something went wrong. Let’s turn it off.
• Hold power button
• Now the green light is flashing
• What does the green light mean?
• *google*
• Oh, it reset itself? Now it needs to be completely rejoined to my network? Oh, awesome.
• Stop playing music in my house
• Go through the annoying setup process
• Get told it’ll play an audio pin, okay
• Sonos complains that I have airplay active (even though I’m not playing anything) so I ahve to switch to my audio player and tell it to play through the phone, not through airplay
• Go back to Sonos app
• Finish setup
• Hey, you need a software update!
• Wait

I have NEVER held play/pause and power at the same time when this happens (as the manual says you have to) but somehow the roam decides to reset itself. 

It would be really, really, really nice if it wasn’t so easy accidentally reset a product with such confusing UX. I’m going to have to print out a how-to guide to tape to the Roam like I’m 90 years old, to remember how many seconds you ahve to hold which button for bluetooth pairing vs turn on vs turn off vs automagically join the group. I’ve had the roam for a few years and it’s a fantastic speaker, but man it’s a pain to remember how to use beyond the very very basics.

@rconti - perhaps see this Sonos support document link, it may help explain where you’re going wrong at the 4th bullet point in your list…

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/reset-your-sonos-product

Compare that bullet point to the steps mentioned under the heading “Sonos Roam and Roam SL”.

Maybe next time, simply let your speaker boot-up first and connect to the local network, before pressing the play/pause button.

Hope that assists.

This is why I'm here. Several times I have tried to hold the play/pause on my Roam SL to join a group (that it will join just fine through the app), not touching the power button, and end up with a reset process. Alternating white orange, then pulsing green. It is getting frustrating. These silly speakers require a lot of coddling to get them to work as described.

Maybe my power button is sticking? But then it would randomly turn off and on I assume?

The Wife and I each use a Roam and we group/ungroup the speakers all the time using their play/pause buttons and have never had an issue. If it’s not a hardware fault, then you are perhaps doing something wrong if you’re hardware factory resetting the device - if anything, there is more chance of holding the play/pause button for too long and activating the SoundSwap feature.

There is no need to even touch the rear power button for the ‘room grouping’ process. 
If you still think you may have a hardware issue with your Roam and its buttons etc. then it maybe best to submit a Sonos system diagnostic report from within the Sonos App, note it’s reference and then contact/chat with Sonos Support via this LINK to discuss the matter in detail and see what the Staff can perhaps then suggest to resolve the matter.