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Sonos redesigned its app in early May, and while there are a couple of missing features and some teething issues that may give you pause before updating, if you’ve updated you’ll notice a completely new look.
That new look comes with a bit of a learning curve, as several core features have been moved. There’s now only one home screen instead of the five tabs at the bottom of the screen, so if you’re wondering how to move around the home screen so that what’s most important to you is at the top, or create a pre-arranged group of speakers (our personal favorite), here are 15 tips to help you.
How to set an alarm in the new Sonos app
It was one of the features that Sonos left out of the new app in the first instance, although fortunately it has now added the ability to set alarms again.
Tap the settings gear at the top right, followed by “Manage” next to System Settings. Then you’ll want to tap “Alarms” and “Add alarm.”
You can then choose the time, the speaker you want the alarm to sound on, what you want to play in terms of music, how often you want to repeat the alarm, and the alarm volume. You can also choose the duration, which is useful if you want to set an alarm to play music for a pet when you’re not home, for example.
How to add to queue in the new Sonos app
Another feature that was not initially available in the new Sonos app is now possible and joining the queue. You can add it to the end of the queue or replace the entire queue.
To add a song, album, playlist, or whatever you want to your Sonos queue, find it in the Sonos app by searching in the bar, using your Favorites, Recently Played, or by going to individual music services.
Tap the playlist, track, album, etc. to open the track/album art and track information. Tap the three dots next to the play and shuffle icons. Choose Play Now, Play Next, Add to End, or Replace Queue.
How to delete or reorder queue in the new Sonos app
Deleting and reordering the queue wasn’t possible until recently, when the new Sonos app received an update in September.
To view the queue and delete it or reorder the songs in it, open the Now Playing card at the bottom of the Sonos app. Then you’ll want to press the three lines and the arrow inside the circle at the bottom left.
You can delete the entire queue by pressing the trash icon at the top right, or to reorder the songs in the queue, long-press the song and move it to where you want it to play.
How to group Sonos speakers in the new Sonos app
One of the best things about a Sonos system is the ability for multiple Sonos speakers to play the same audio simultaneously in multiple rooms in your home. After all, that’s the goal of a multi-room audio system. Fortunately, grouping and ungrouping Sonos speakers is easier in the new app.
On the Now Playing mini card at the bottom of the screen, tap the speaker icon. Check the speakers you want to group (they will be yellow when included) and press “Apply” when you’re done.
How to search in the new Sonos app
Search is also easier in the new Sonos app, but it’s different. In the old Sonos app, you’d have to swipe between playlists, stations, songs and albums, for example, while the new search feature brings it all together.
The search bar is at the bottom of the app, above the Now Playing mini card. Tap it and a new screen will appear where you can type what you are looking for. At the top of the results screen, you can tap the service you want to filter by, such as Apple Music, and then scroll down the Playlists, Artists, Songs, Albums, and Stations sections to see the top three results. of everyone. them. Tapping ‘See All’ will give you all the results within that service.
If you don’t filter by service at the top of the results screen, your results will be sorted by service and tapping the “See More” button next to them will automatically filter your results by that service.
How to edit the home screen in the new Sonos app
The new Sonos app organizes your home screen however it thinks you’ll like, but you don’t have to keep it in the same order. You might want “Your Services” at the top, for example, or “Your Sources.”
To edit the home screen in the new Sonos app, scroll down and tap “Edit Home.” You can then use the three lines to the right of each section to reorder them however you prefer. Be sure to press “Done” at the bottom when the order is what you want.
How to add Alexa or Google Assistant in the new Sonos app
Some of the Sonos speakers are compatible with Alexa, some are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and some are not compatible with either, but can be controlled by them when in a group with a Sonos speaker that does. . To add Alexa or Google Assistant (depending on which speaker you have), tap the settings gear in the top right corner.
From here, choose the speaker you want to add a voice assistant to and scroll down the menu. Finally, you will see “Add a voice assistant.” Tap it, choose the voice assistant you want to add (Alexa, Google Assistant, or Sonos Voice Control), and follow the instructions.
How to adjust equalizer settings in the new Sonos app
Similar to the previous tip, the EQ settings for each Sonos speaker are found in the individual speaker settings. You can adjust the bass, treble and balance, as well as turn “loudness” on or off.
Head to the settings gear in the top right corner and tap the speaker whose equalizer you want to adjust. Scroll down until you see EQ and then adjust it to your preference.
How to change your preferred service in the new Sonos app
Sonos supports more than 100 music streaming services, from Apple Music and Spotify, to Tidal and Deezer, among other lesser-known options.
Signing into all the music services you have an account on is a good idea for the best experience, but there’s probably one you want to use as your default or preferred service.
To set a service as your preferred service in the new Sonos app, tap “Manage” to the right of the “Your Services” section and tap “Your Preferred Service” at the top.
Select your preferred service by checking it and then swipe down to return to the home screen.
How to adjust individual speaker settings in the new Sonos app
You may want to access individual speaker settings to set surround sounds, perform Trueplay spins, set a volume limit, adjust status lights, or disable touch controls, for example.
Head to the settings gear in the top right corner of the new Sonos app and select the Sonos speaker whose settings you want to adjust from the list below. You’ll then see a list of everything you can do regarding that specific speaker.
How to save a song/playlist/album to Sonos Favorites
Sonos Favorites has its own section within the new home page, so if you have a favorite album, playlist, artist, or song that you love, it’s a great idea to add it to Sonos Favorites for easy access to them.
Open the playlist, song, album, artist, or radio station you want to add as a ‘Sonos Favorite’ and tap the three dots below the album art. From there, press the heart and it will appear in the Sonos Favorites section.
How to turn spatial audio on or off in the new Sonos app
Some of the Sonos speakers support Dolby Atmos and spatial audio: Era 300, Arc or Arc Ultra, and Beam (Gen 2). Maybe you don’t want it on all the time.
If you want to turn it on or off, head to the settings gear at the top right of the Sonos app and tap the compatible speaker you want to turn it off for.
You’ll see “Space Music” in the “Sound” section with a switch that you can turn on or off depending on your preferences.
Create a pre-established group of speakers
Probably one of our favorite tricks, so we almost saved the best for last. Creating a preset group of speakers makes everything a little simpler if you have certain favorite speaker groups. Maybe you like a garden party, for example, and every time you have one, you’ll want your outdoor Sonos speakers to connect with those in the dining room and kitchen.
To set up a preset group of Sonos speakers, head to the settings gear at the top right of the Sonos app and tap “Manage” to the right of where it says “Your system,” followed by “Groups.”
Then you’ll want to tap “Create Group.” You can then name the group and select the speakers you want to include. Remember to press ‘Save’.
How to adjust parental controls in the new Sonos app
Do you have kids at home and need to make sure all the bad words are filtered out of your favorite music? Head to the settings gear in the top right corner and tap “Manage” to the right of where it says “Your System,” followed by “Parental Controls.”
You’ll then want to turn on ‘Filter Explicit Content’ to make sure no loud words come out on your Sonos Era 300.
How to schedule a system update in the new Sonos app
Since the Sonos app is constantly updated, it’s worth making sure you update it whenever a new version is available. It’s also worth making sure your Sonos system is updated and you can choose to do this automatically or schedule an update.
Open the Sonos app and tap the Settings gear in the top right corner. From here, tap ‘Manage’. Then you need to scroll down to “System Updates” and tap “Scheduled.”
You can choose between Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night.
