Sonos is a wireless technology that allows you to enjoy music in your home. You can have as many Sonos speakers distributed in your house or just have one speaker positioned in a central place. Once you set them up, the speakers can work independently or as a group. The Sonos speakers are highly versatile and can be customized to do a whole load of different things, including playing different songs or the same song simultaneously.
For Sonos to work, you must have a Wi-Fi connection. If you want to enjoy hands-free customization, you should consider integrating Sonos with Alexa. This integration is not always perfect since you may experience a few problems from time to time. For instance. Alexa can sometimes refuse to take commands when you are trying to customize Sonos. If you are already experiencing such difficulties, the following actionable tips can help you fix the issue.
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Sonos Alexa Problems-How to fix
When it comes to Alexa and Sonos, fixing the issue can be as simple as unplugging the speakers and plugging them back. Once you do this, everything might go back to normal. If there is no change, try switching off the power at the socket and turn it back on after a few seconds. In other cases, you might have to uninstall the various applications and install them back afresh. Doing this can, at times, resolve the problem. The above solutions are normally used when Alexa refuses to respond to the voice commands.
If such solutions do not work, you should think of other possible options. If Alexa is not taking your voice commands on Sonos, it could be because the microphone is not on. All you need to do is confirm if the mic light is off. Tap the microphone icon to turn it on, and then voice your directions.
Your environment also plays a big part in determining whether Alexa will respond or not. If there is too much noise in the room, then Alexa will not be able to distinguish the command from the noise. This can lead to a lack of response. Initially, we indicated that you could place different Sonos speakers in different rooms around your home. You have to pay attention to the arrangement of the speakers since this can determine if they can work with Alexa efficiently.
You will need an account for each of the speakers. One Amazon account can only be used with one Sonos system at a particular time. This means that if you have another Sonos system and want to use Alexa on both systems, you have to create another account.
Possible solutions when Alexa fails to take commands
When it comes to Alexa responding to your command, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You will have to try out a couple of things until you find one that works. In some instances, Alexa will respond with an error message, indicating that it is having trouble understanding you. In such a case, you could try and move the speaker and ensure that it is positioned at a central place.
You could also re-enable the Sonos skill. To achieve this, you should open the Alexa application, navigate to the menu and click on skills and games. After this, move to your skills, then to Sonos, and select the disable skill option. You should then turn it on by selecting the enable skill feature.
If you get the prompt “link music services” from Alexa, you will have to do so through the Alexa application.
What can’t Alexa do with the Sonos Speakers?
Once you have your system all set up and ready for use, you must understand that you cannot throw any combination of keywords to Alexa and get a response. There are many things that Alexa cannot do that you could be confusing for a problem. For example, Alexa does not support podcasts so if you want to listen to podcasts you will have to go back and use the Sonos application.
Both Sonos and Alexa will not play either Spotify or Artist Radio. The Alexa music groups feature will also not integrate with the third-party speakers. Additionally, if you are planning to play music as you prepare to sleep, you must know that you won’t get the privilege of setting a sleep timer to turn your music off once you have drifted into a deep sleep.
Commands that Alexa can respond to
Alexa will not respond to anything that you say that it is not programmed to respond to. Anytime that you want to voice a playback command, remember to first start with Alexa and then the command. For example, you could say “Alex skip or next song,” then include the room name. If you want Alexa to play a particular song, just say, “Alexa play then the name of the artist.”
The format for the voice commands can be used when voicing the general voice commands or when you want to start a Spotify playback.
Conclusion
Using the Sonos speaker with Alexa as your voice assistant is easy if you understand the basics of configuring the speaker to work with the application. Troubleshooting procedures are also easy but knowing the format of issuing out the voice commands can be an uphill struggle, during the first days of use. Most importantly is that you should understand the commands that Alexa can take and the commands that Alexa is not designed to respond to or implement.
FAQ’s
What is the process of reconnecting the Sonos speaker?
Navigate to the Sonos application, select the settings feature then click on the System option and then network and wireless set up. After which you will be directed through the relevant steps. Once you input your new Wi-Fi password, you will get a prompt informing you that your Sonos speaker has been set up on the Wi-Fi network.
Why is my Sonos not updating?
It could be because it is experiencing problems applying the downloaded update. To correct the error, you can retry the update.
Robinson Wright
Robinson Wright is a home automation specialist and has helped many modern home developers pick the right gadgets for home automation. According to Wright, most people struggle with particular areas in their home, some would want improved security especially when away from home for a couple of days and others will want to improve power consumption. Homeowner's needs can be fulfilled by investing in smart home gadgets but most importantly is that one must know the functionality that they desire to achieve and then choose a product and technology that would fulfill the need. Robinson Wright runs an appliance enterprise and when not in the field working with his clients, he loves spending time in his workshop testing out the new technologies.