Question

Will Sonos work with google home?


Userlevel 1
I am thinking about purchasing the new Google home voice recognition product, I understand that Sonos will work with Amazons echo in the near future. Does Sonos have any information regarding google home integration?

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112 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Unknown at this time. I certainly think we will see Echo support first. A lot of unknowns right now regarding Google Home.
Userlevel 4
Badge +3
Hi sdraizin, welcome to the Sonos community. We have nothing to announce at this time regarding Google Home. We'll be sure to keep everyone informed if this changes.
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
One thing is for sure, Alexa they have announced and it will be here 1st quarter 2017, so google home is good year way at best, my guess......
You could always sell Alexa in a years time ;O)
Looks like I just may have to purchase both. ;)
Although I do hope for Google Home support soon.
I know you are asking about direct support but a Chromecast Audio is only $30-35 and can be used as an input on Play 5 today (I use this already). Therefore, Google Home control is easy to add, assuming your setup includes a Play 5 . Plus, Sonos already supports casting directly from Android devices. It seems like Google Home might be able to exploit this capability as an avenue to provide support pretty soon, if not immediately.

I ordered Google Home because I believe their device will be much smarter than the Amazon version. I also use the Google applications already, so that is a big plus too.
I know you are asking about direct support but a Chromecast Audio is only $30-35 and can be used as an input on Play 5 today (I use this already). Therefore, Google Home control is easy to add, assuming your setup includes a Play 5 . Plus, Sonos already supports casting directly from Android devices. It seems like Google Home might be able to exploit this capability as an avenue to provide support pretty soon, if not immediately.

I ordered Google Home because I believe their device will be much smarter than the Amazon version. I also use the Google applications already, so that is a big plus too.


Ahh, great idea. Thank you.
I already have two PC's going into Play 5's line in. Good idea to add a Chromecast Audio.
One thing is for sure, Alexa they have announced and it will be here 1st quarter 2017, so google home is good year way at best, my guess......
You could always sell Alexa in a years time ;O)


Should be much sooner. First, according to the Verge Google says Sonos integration with Google Home is "supposedly coming soon", which suggests 1st quarter 2017. [http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/4/13097164/google-home-assistant-speaker-device-announced-vs-amazon-echo] Secondly, Google is more experienced with third party integration (historically open platforms) and I would expect them to integrate much quicker than Amazon has with Sonos.

The real question is the level of voice support - simple pause/play functionality on one end of the spectrum, and full Sonos control on the other. Whichever is more robust with the better user voice interface (UVI?) will be the more compelling choice. At the moment, the Google Assistant software is a much deeper, conversational algorithm and might offer more control. Alexa is mostly a one-trick-at-a-time girl at the moment.

FWIW, I have one Echo and four Echo Dots, so I'm not rooting for Google here, just projecting ahead a bit based on the Amazon/Google platforms and histories. As applied specifically to Sonos integration, Amazon may be first but I'd be surprised if Google isn't the better choice soon.
It all depends on real world performance. Google has struggled a bit lately with the Nest/Dropcam unit so it will be interesting to see how Google Home fares once it gets out of the lab and into the peoples homes.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
I was debating canceling my order for more dots but decided they would work well for me and to stick with echo.
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
That verge article is the only reference i'vs seen to google home & sonos, so either they know something no one does, and have let it out the bag, or they have taken a big flyer.....
For whatever it's worth -- I have 3 Play 5s and 3 play 1s and would likely buy more for the house throughout 2017 but instead I'm selling all of them on Craigslist and moving to Chromecast audio and a bunch of active bookshelf speakers. This is literally because Sonos are not being public and definitive about their commitment to Google Home. I shouldn't have to wait around guessing for this integration: either they are committed to it or they aren't, and if they aren't I don't want to be using a closed proprietary system anyway. If they are, I would expect this as a software update when Google Home starts shipping in Nov.

Yes, I know I can use Chromecast audio with my Play 5 but I'm just moving on past Sonos as this point and I know many of my friends are saying similar things.
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
That's a shame, I know how you feel, I use both.
Sonos is way slicker, less power leads for GCA, always on and waiting for that button press on top.
With GCA i have to power the amp on, power GCA on, power tablet up (if the battery hasn't run out). Get iplayer playing radio, then press cast button and hope it works. It usually does.
Chromecast is being renamed google home next few days, with renamed apps.
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
Bye. Good luck with your informed decision buying with you new choices, which don't actually exist yet.
Userlevel 1
Please please, sonos, support integration with Google Home. This will help me remove my finger from the pause button from buying additional Sonos products. I cannot stand Alexa. I want choices.
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
Not sure this will ever happen.
Sonos would just become another casting speaker like sony, LG, etc, loose their ecosystem status, loose sales of connect & connect amp.
Google may well release other speakers themselves later on as Home develops.
So far Alexa is only partnering with sonos and denon Heos, that I know of. This will drive sales for all partners, sonos users will buy Alexa, and Alexa users might want better speakers.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Sonos seems to be the speaker of choice right now when it comes to whole home integration. Devices like Smartthings have had Sonos integration before even Samsung speakers.
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
Chris, what are you guesses on google home & sonos? boy I want it, but will it happen?
I guess the other way of looking at it, is that it would bring the two together and extend sonos into google homes, large apple hater market as well.....
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
My guess is they will want to work with home but that integration with home will have to come later.... we don't know a lot yet about how developers are going to be able to work with home.

I would assume a lot of what they learn with echo integration will work the same with home integration so future home integration won't be a long way behind echo. I would say if we expect echo by first quarter next year maybe home by 3rd quarter. I guess depends on size of their team if they have ability to work on both simultaneously. Then what about Apple HomeKit. I would think if your doing the voice thing you would want to work with alexa, Google, and Siri.

I debated canceling my order for addition dots because home seems to be more fluid in its ability to recognize speech. But decided alexa was already doing all I need from it, will be first with Sonos support, and the dots are cheaper then the others (as with Sonos I don't need the speaker part).

With my smartthings I can already play and pause my Sonos speakers so I'm sure home will do that out the gate with my Smartthings hub in middle. with home I would have been able control my play:5 in kitchen that has chrimecast dongle I would assume
Userlevel 1
The problem with Smartthings and sonos integration (and thus the ability to work seamlessly with Home) is that the integration is subpar at best. If the integration had been polished -- in such a way that I could access my Sonos preset in the Smarthing hub, then yes, A Smartthings user would not be needing direct integration between Sonos and Home.
One thing is for sure, Alexa they have announced and it will be here 1st quarter 2017, so google home is good year way at best, my guess......
You could always sell Alexa in a years time ;O)


Pre-Order customers get theirs Nov 4 - I know, because that's when I'm getting mine.
Userlevel 1
I had Alexa and I promptly returned it. I got frustrated that it was not smart enough for many routine request that were so finely implemented with "google Now" on my phone. So, I decided that I would wait for Google Home.
Userlevel 1
I imagine, for example, Google Home being able to alert me via my Sonos speakres that my 8:00 appointment is approaching, the traffic conditions -- and my ability to say "reschedule," or "push it for 30 minutes," etc. Alexa doesn't have the smartness to handle something like that. And, as a consumer, Sonos has to be proactive at making it possible for me to decide which products I want to use with my speakres otherwise my mind will always be looking for the competitor that provides or will provide similar experiences. I am only loyal to a company if I see an effort to satisfy customers, not just boastful about being market dominant. I have left several companies that provided me with their services because they never create the conditions for me to become loyal to them -- so it became for me, which one will do X Y and Z.

I am with Sonos now, but I will not be purchasing additional speakrs for at least the next two three years to see what disruption will occur in the industry. And, I am grateful for Ebay in case I will need to make that switch.
Why would you say Alexa cannot do things like that? It has access to both your schedule and traffic conditions. As to the "smartness" of Alexa, Alexa's "smarts" are in the cloud, not the device, so its "smartness" is not limited to the device, only to the ability of the cloud.
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I think Sonos need to get a move on and make some announcements. As someone else said above; I'm very much Sonos at the moment, but I am starting to wonder why and am certainly not investing in extra kit in the immediate future. I could just make the leap now and go google home throughout my home and sell my Sonos kit on ebay to pay for it and pretty much get what I want i.e. the ability to play music in every room via voice control - and of course have extra benefits.

If Sonos are not quick and give us some proper feedback of their intentions and timescales in this area then they're going to lose out on market here as Google and Amazon steal the home audio sector.
I think Sonos need to get a move on and make some announcements. As someone else said above; I'm very much Sonos at the moment, but I am starting to wonder why and am certainly not investing in extra kit in the immediate future. I could just make the leap now and go google home throughout my home and sell my Sonos kit on ebay to pay for it and pretty much get what I want i.e. the ability to play music in every room via voice control - and of course have extra benefits.

If Sonos are not quick and give us some proper feedback of their intentions and timescales in this area then they're going to lose out on market here as Google and Amazon steal the home audio sector.


Announcement? Intentions? Timescales? Amazon? Ask and you shall receive:

http://press-us.sonos.com/134980-sonos-with-partners-and-industry-leaders-ushers-in-new-era-of-connected-home-listening