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Impossible to connect my SONOS ROAM in Bluetooth


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Hello,

 

as I just received my SONOS ROAM I have tried many times today to get it connected in Bluetooth by following the procedure as described in that link.

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

So I kept pressing the button at the back but the blue light never went on and as a consequence the product had been left undiscovered for my mobile phone.

Is there anyone who encountered the same issue & what should I do to get it solve.

Thanks for your help

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Best answer by shfawaz 22 April 2021, 23:07

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114 replies

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Disclaimer, I am an IT Consultant. Which means I am very technically savvy. The Roam is NOT easy to use. Maybe I have a lemon, but I attempted to set up the Roam while on vacation and it timed out when connecting to the wifi I was on. Unfortunately, this was after I had completed the initial setup of the speaker. I tried a factory reset, hold down the play/pause button, press the power button, and continue to hold the play/pause button. This did absolutely nothing the light never changes. No factory reset. I tried to just then connect via Bluetooth since the speaker was “set up,” it would not go to a discoverable mode. Back on my home wifi and the speaker will still not factory reset and is not discoverable when I search. 

I had no problems connecting my Play 5 or One Sl. Why is the Roam such an issue? 

Userlevel 1

I have many sonos products , pre ordered  ROAM , have an android , and this product simply is TOOO hard to work. Basic   cheapo speakers connect to bluetooth with my phone  easy as pie.

My wife has a brand new apple phone , same problem , it should NOT need to be part of any system ,  blue tooth should be  simple and the precedent to connecting to my greater SONOS system .

 

 

This thing  , clearly based on my experience and those above , is  just too hard . 

I will be asking for a refund. 

 

SONOS   if you ever read these  threads  , I would be in contact with me very fast  ……...before I review the product on other sites 

I do, but the only chime I hear is the one that you can hear when the ROAM is turning off.

Perhaps see if the following steps helps to sort it for you.

  1. Play some music to the Roam via the Sonos App, this is just to ensure it’s currently connected via WiFi. Pause the music playback with its Play/Pause button.
  2. Next check your mobile Bluetooth device-list that you plan to connect to. If the Roam is in the list already, then remove that device, just in case it is the old connection that was in use before you factory-reset the speaker.
  3. Now press and hold the rear power button on the Roam for two seconds and let go.
  4. Check the Roam then appears in your mobile Bluetooth device-list and select it in order to pair the speaker to the mobile.
  5. All being well, you should now be able to play audio to the Roam via the Bluetooth-connected mobile.
Userlevel 1

I’ve received a lot of criticism from my friends for the amount I’ve spent on Sonos.  I always tell them it’s worth the cost because of how smart and amazing the speakers sound.  Also, how easy it is to use and for others to use at our place.  However, when trying to show off my new Roam I run into constant issues and have to take an “I told you so” beating when it completely flakes out and won’t work. This has happened multiple times and the other day on a walk with my partner I tried for 10 minutes to connect to bluetooth with my phone and I gave up.  Really disappointed in these hiccups and hope Sonos gets a fix real quick.  This speaker should be so easy to use a baby could connect their baby iPhone.    

Just got the roam today. Been over 35mins trying to set it up. Read  all the replies here.

 

Couple of extra questions b

Does roam need an update first for bluetooth to work? No WiFi where I am at the moment so can't setup the app first or update it.

To enable Bluetooth pairing mode do you have the speaker powered off first?  

 

Is the flashing blue light more white than blue?

 

Does everyone always get a chime when ok Bluetooth mode? The only time I've heard one is when I hit the volume up button.

 

This seems overly complicated . I remember being very drunk at a party and pairing my phone to a Bose Bluetooth speaker immediately with no instructions, just common sense. That is my benchmark of how easy a Bluetooth device should be to setup!

 

So I’ve been able to connect my Roam to bluetooth but there is a weird hiccup in the audio when playing music over bluetooth? Does anyone know how to fix this? Over wifi pairing it is fine but when listening over bluetooth it is unbearable.

Userlevel 3
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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!

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.   

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Hi @patdude 

The problem is that your system is on S1, and the Roam is only compatible with S2, as mentioned on our Set up your Sonos Roam help page.

You’ll need to reset the S2 app and when reopening it select to setup a new system, not to connect to an existing one. It may also help to turn the S1 units off while setting up S2. Once setup, however, the S1 and S2 systems/apps will operate properly side-by-side (though separately).

If your Roam isn’t ready to be setup (flashing green) you’ll need to factory reset it first.

In answer to your direct questions:

  1. Units are manufactured in advance, to build up stock and we cannot update Roams while they are in boxes in a warehouse. Software development is an on-going process and doesn’t always go as smoothly as marketing plans/executives would like. Therefore, few products (of any brand) that run software are ever sold with up-to-date software installed at the factory.
  2. A Sonos system requires all units on it to be operating on the same software to operate and configure correctly. A new unit, therefore, is not allowed to be added until the app and system are operating on the same software - if they were not, many strange things could happen making you (and many others) even less satisfied with the products. In addition, S1 is vastly different from S2, despite their common look.
  3. If you’d like a refund, arrange for one - just visit https://support.sonos.com/s/money-back-guarantee or return it to the store from which it was bought (though in this case you will be subject to their refund policy, not ours).

I hope this helps.

I appreciate your getting back to me, but hey, these are really pretty lame excuses.

The reality is this - selling a Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t pair because of buggy firmware doesn’t come down to manufacturing logistics, it comes down to an abysmal testing regime. This bug should have been picked up well before the units even made it from the factory to the warehouse. 

As for your reply that "Sonos requires all units to be operating on the same software"???? That excuse might have washed back in the 1980’s but nowadays, regardless of what software is running on Sonos firmware, the gear and its network protocols should be based on agreed industry standards, and these should should work seamlessly via a remote controller app regardless of any software issues.

Putting it simply, this is why I can plug a western digital NAS into a Dlink Router and retrieve files on my Microsoft Surface PC or Mac. If it works with all those brands, why cant Sonos just get it right??? Is this really such a difficulty?

How about you just admit that Sonos went ahead with the S1/S2 debacle to push people into upgrading in order to bolster their revenues. 

I’m definitely getting a refund, but also as a reviewer I am going to actively tell my readership to avoid Sonos until this mess is sorted out or Sonos grows a conscience. Sadly I doubt either is going to happen any time soon.   

Userlevel 2

Hi @patdude 

The problem is that your system is on S1, and the Roam is only compatible with S2, as mentioned on our Set up your Sonos Roam help page.

You’ll need to reset the S2 app and when reopening it select to setup a new system, not to connect to an existing one. It may also help to turn the S1 units off while setting up S2. Once setup, however, the S1 and S2 systems/apps will operate properly side-by-side (though separately).

If your Roam isn’t ready to be setup (flashing green) you’ll need to factory reset it first.

In answer to your direct questions:

  1. Units are manufactured in advance, to build up stock and we cannot update Roams while they are in boxes in a warehouse. Software development is an on-going process and doesn’t always go as smoothly as marketing plans/executives would like. Therefore, few products (of any brand) that run software are ever sold with up-to-date software installed at the factory.
  2. A Sonos system requires all units on it to be operating on the same software to operate and configure correctly. A new unit, therefore, is not allowed to be added until the app and system are operating on the same software - if they were not, many strange things could happen making you (and many others) even less satisfied with the products. In addition, S1 is vastly different from S2, despite their common look.
  3. If you’d like a refund, arrange for one - just visit https://support.sonos.com/s/money-back-guarantee or return it to the store from which it was bought (though in this case you will be subject to their refund policy, not ours).

I hope this helps.

I appreciate your getting back to me, but hey, these are really pretty lame excuses.

The reality is this - selling a Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t pair because of buggy firmware doesn’t come down to manufacturing logistics, it comes down to an abysmal testing regime. This bug should have been picked up well before the units even made it from the factory to the warehouse. 

As for your reply that "Sonos requires all units to be operating on the same software"???? That excuse might have washed back in the 1980’s but nowadays, regardless of what software is running on Sonos firmware, the gear and its network protocols should be based on agreed industry standards, and these should should work seamlessly via a remote controller app regardless of any software issues.

Putting it simply, this is why I can plug a western digital NAS into a Dlink Router and retrieve files on my Microsoft Surface PC or Mac. If it works with all those brands, why cant Sonos just get it right??? Is this really such a difficulty?

How about you just admit that Sonos went ahead with the S1/S2 debacle to push people into upgrading in order to bolster their revenues. 

I’m definitely getting a refund, but also as a reviewer I am going to actively tell my readership to avoid Sonos until this mess is sorted out or Sonos grows a conscience. Sadly I doubt either is going to happen any time soon.   

Well said sir

I completely agree with you SONOS has lost the plot and is now run by corporate crooks it seems.

 

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Thanks for your replies.

After infinite number of tries I eventually get the bluetooth connection working properly !

I went through the steps described by @Ken_Griffiths and maybe the fact that I turned the music on before pressing and holding the back button helped in the process...honnestly I don’t know but it works fine now.

Let juts hope that the next connection won’t get that complicated.

Thanks all for your help and your time.

Userlevel 2

Lovely 

sounds great

but

it DOES NOT WORK

i have tried and tried and tried. And followed all of the above nine of which works

I have a Bose.  I turn it on. It connects. Every time. Period. Do better Sonos. The volume of issues and frustrations here clearly point out the flaws with this product. 

Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hello,

 

as I just received my SONOS ROAM I have tried many times today to get it connected in Bluetooth by following the procedure as described in that link.

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

So I kept pressing the button at the back but the blue light never went on and as a consequence the product had been left undiscovered for my mobile phone.

Is there anyone who encountered the same issue & what should I do to get it solve.

Thanks for your help

Same here, and as the S2 app has detected older S1 gear, it wont let me set up the Roam so I cant install the update to fix this issue.

Two questions. 

  1. Why is a bluetooth speaker leaving the factory for the retail channel when it has buggy firmware that prevents it from pairing?
  2. Why does the S2 app refuse to set up the roam when it detects older S1 gear???? 

Actually make it three questions

  1. why hasnt someones head rolled at Sonos and refunds been offered???? I’m off to buy a speaker brand that actually works. Bye Bye Sonos

I just got mine today, and I’m having a horrible time setting it up. It goes straight from flashing white to flashing green, and it’s not connecting to the WiFi of the place I’m at. Hopefully it will connect to the WiFi back at my dorm. If this doesn’t work, I just payed $169 for nothing.

Userlevel 3
Badge +4

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.

Can’t get the damn thing to flash the blue light.I tried everything proposed here. Tried for two hours. Resetting. Updating software. Factory resetting. Pressing when it’s on. Pressing when it’s off. Playing music and pressing. Praying. This is extra annoying. I’m going to return this piece of useless c@&$.

Can’t connect via Bluetooth. How about this: NO chime sounds at all, not even during power down. Did the reset. Can’t update because I’m out of town for the summer; my Sonos system is back home. No blue and white lights, no pairing tone.

Have been wasting hours of my time.

 

 

I do, but the only chime I hear is the one that you can hear when the ROAM is turning off.

Perhaps see if the following steps helps to sort it for you.

  1. Play some music to the Roam via the Sonos App, this is just to ensure it’s currently connected via WiFi. Pause the music playback with its Play/Pause button.
  2. Next check your mobile Bluetooth device-list that you plan to connect to. If the Roam is in the list already, then remove that device, just in case it is the old connection that was in use before you factory-reset the speaker.
  3. Now press and hold the rear power button on the Roam for two seconds and let go.
  4. Check the Roam then appears in your mobile Bluetooth device-list and select it in order to pair the speaker to the mobile.
  5. All being well, you should now be able to play audio to the Roam via the Bluetooth-connected mobile.

This will fix the issue if anyone has experienced this problem.  Chat support could not even fix this.  Follow these steps and your Bluetooth will work.  Thanks everyone!

Badge +17

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? 

If you have more than one mobile device and one of them can provide a WiFi hotspot, you can temporarily set up Roam on that hotspot. get it updated and then switch it over to Bluetooth mode. Once you’re back home you’ll need to reset it and add it to the rest of your Sonos household, but doing the hotspot method will allow you to use it out on the road :slight_smile:

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.

As a quick temporary measure to help get your Roam back up and running, just reset the S2 App for now, “Settings/App Preferences" it will not affect your Home setup, but you will need to reset the App again when you return Home in September and connect it back to your ‘existing system’ when back on your Home WiFi.

After you reset the App, setup your (reset) Roam on your now-accessible WiFi, as a new system. It can be created using your current Sonos Account, but will use a different HouseholdID, so just create a separated system for temporary use. That will get you back up and running hopefully, but note you may need to first ensure that you have the local WiFi credentials and that the WiFi access does not use a login page. HTH.

(edit: James beat me to it.👍)

THANK YOU gentlemen. It was the reset of the app (!) that was really the key. Funny I didn’t find anything in the literature re: syncing to system, set up with app, updating, even the weird but cool NFC registering… hm.

Anyway, all is working, even using the Roam for better Zoom meeting audio. A million thanks.

 

 

 

Userlevel 5
Badge +13

I had this issue too, I think the roam needs to have just been powered on or at least active and not in any sleep or power save state.

 

once I had powered the roam on, I immediately pressed the button for 2 seconds and finally got the blue LED

Sonos Staff:

I tried that too. No success either. Sonos also plainly states one cannot use their app with a computer. Huh?! I was also unable to load it into my iPhone from the Apple store. And I find this whole app & Bluetooth relationship utterly puzzling. No audio device today should be this complicated to hook up. Life is too short. It goes in the mail today!

 

Took me 2 minutes to set mine up and it has been running flawlessly ever since.  No “journalist” who is this inept at setting up electronics should be giving reviews. 

As for your reply that "Sonos requires all units to be operating on the same software"???? That excuse might have washed back in the 1980’s but nowadays, regardless of what software is running on Sonos firmware, the gear and its network protocols should be based on agreed industry standards, and these should should work seamlessly via a remote controller app regardless of any software issues.

 

 

There isn’t any industry standards for wireless mutiroom audio.  Each brand runs their own system (often stealing tech from Sonos) with their own protocols and such.  There is bluetooth and airplay, but they have limitations that Sonos does not.    As well, it’s not at all uncommon for modern devices to require a firmware update after sitting in a warehouse for awhile.  Some devices may not push it right away, because they are stand alone devices.  Sonos is different in the sense that your existing devices are likely already on a version higher than your new device, and thus it needs to catch up.

 

Putting it simply, this is why I can plug a western digital NAS into a Dlink Router and retrieve files on my Microsoft Surface PC or Mac. If it works with all those brands, why cant Sonos just get it right??? Is this really such a difficulty?

 

 

Like I said, you’re assuming their on industry standards for all of this that simply don’t exist.  Yes, Sonos, and other systems do use some industry standards, but they have specific protocols that they use, possibly have patents for.  

 

How about you just admit that Sonos went ahead with the S1/S2 debacle to push people into upgrading in order to bolster their revenues. 

I’m definitely getting a refund, but also as a reviewer I am going to actively tell my readership to avoid Sonos until this mess is sorted out or Sonos grows a conscience. Sadly I doubt either is going to happen any time soon.   

 

You would have a point if your assumption about multiroom audio following an industry standard was accurate.