How to set and up and use Sonos for Android

By Mick Symons
last updated

Sonos is a wireless smart speaker system to which you can connect up to 32 components, so that your entire home is literally full with music. Once you've done a little browsing (opens in new tab), you'll find you can get the first speakers to build out your system for about $200 each. Once you've got 'em, it's time to get them set up!

The first step is downloading the Sonos Controller app from the Google Play Store (opens in new tab) and then you're on your way to easily (albeit sometimes painstakingly) setting up your music atmosphere!

How to download the Sonos Controller app for Android

This will be the easiest and most painless part of the Sonos setup process. You can find the Sonos Controller app in the Google Play Store (opens in new tab).

  1. Launch the Google Play store app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap the search bar.
  3. Type "Sonos" into the search field.

  1. Tap the search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.
  2. Tap the result by Sonos, Inc.
  3. Tap Install.

  1. Tap Accept.
  2. Tap Open once the Sonos Controller app has downloaded.

Boom! You're ready to becoming the music maestro you were always destined to be. Now, you just have to set up your speaker!

How to set up your Sonos speaker(s) using the Sonos Controller app for Android

Now that you have the Controller app, you need something to control. Let's set up your Play speaker!

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap Set up a new Sonos system.
  3. Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the welcome screen.

  1. Tap Standard Setup to start the wireless setup process. You can choose Boost Setup, but that's only if you want to create a dedicated Sonos wireless network. Let's just stick with the basics.
  2. Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the Standard Setup screen.
  3. Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the Connect to Power screen, after plugging in your Sonos speaker.

  1. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen, after you have seen the green light flashing on your Sonos speaker. The indicator or the mute/play/pause button may be flashing. If you don't see the green flashing light, tap I'm unsure about the light; however, it may then prompt you to create a wired setup, which is kind of a pain in the ol' hind-end.
  2. Tap the dropdown menu on the "Player Setup" page, to choose your speaker model.
  3. Tap your speaker model in the menu.

  1. Tap Set up this player.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

  1. Tap Next on the Wireless Setup screen.
  2. Type your Wi-Fi password into the field.
  3. Tap Done on the bottom right of your keyboard.

  1. Tap Continue.
  2. Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap the dropdown menu to choose where you will use your Play speaker.

  1. Tap the room in which you'll be using your speaker.
  2. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Tap Add another player if you have another speaker you'd like to set up. Just follow the same steps.
  4. Tap Not now to continue on to registration.

  1. Tap Next on the Sonos Registration screen.
  2. Enter your email address and choose whether or not you'd like to receive information from Sonos.
  3. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.

  1. Tap the dropdown menu to set your location.
  2. Choose your location from the menu.
  3. Tap Next in the bottom right corner of the screen.

  1. Enter your zip or postal code.
  2. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Tap the check box to choose whether or not you'd like to send your usage data to Sonos.

  1. Tap Next on the bottom right of the screen.
  2. Tap Next on the Registration Complete page.
  3. Tap Set up music services to set up a streaming music service for which you have a subscription. Otherwise, tap Skip to Sonos menu.

Now, your Sonos is set up and ready to go. The music service setup process continues straight from here, but you can always do so later.

How to connect to an existing Sonos system using the Sonos app for Android

If you've never connected to a Sonos system before, but there's an existing one to which you'd like to connect, then we have you covered.

This will be the easiest thing you have to do today, since you just have to make sure your Wi-Fi is on and then follow these short steps.

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap Connect to an existing system.
  3. Tap Next on the welcome screen.
  4. Tap Done once the connection has been established.

Quick and painless. Boom.

The next section will detail the music service setup process, so follow me if you want to jam!

How to set up music streaming services using the Sonos Controller app for Android

Sonos supports myriad music streaming services, including Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and TONS of others.

It's super easy to add your subscribed services to your Sonos system, so let us not delay!

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.
  3. Tap Add Music Services.

  1. Tap the music service that you'd like to add.
  2. Tap Add to Sonos.
  3. Sign in to the music service according to the on-screen instructions.

That's all there is to it! You've got your favorite streaming services wirelessly hooked up so that, so long as you're connected to your wireless network, you can stream all the music your streaming services have to offer!

How to control your music services using the Sonos app for Android

Now you're ready to dive in! Let's learn ya how to control your music service music from the Sonos app.

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.
  3. Tap the service you'd like use.
  4. Use the music service like you would on any other device. You can use standard media controls to play, pause, skip, etc.

When it comes to volume, play, pause, skip, etc., you can control the Sonos app the way you would any built-in music app.

How to control your own music with the Sonos app for Android

If you already have your phone loaded up with all your own tunes, then you can add those to your Sonos queue.

Here's how:

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap the menu button on the top left of the screen. It looks like ☰.
  3. Tap On this Mobile Device.

  1. Tap Artists to find the artist of your choice.
  2. Tap Albums to search for the album of your choice.
  3. Tap Genres to search music from a particular genre.
  4. Tap Songs to search for a particular song.
  5. Tap Playlists to search for a particular playlist that you've created.
  6. Tap Podcasts to select podcasts which you have downloaded.
  7. Tap the item you'd like to play.
  8. Tap Play Now to play the song, album, or playlist immediately.
  9. Tap Play Next to play your choice after the current song.
  10. Tap Add to Queue to add the song to the bottom of the queue.
  11. Tap Replace Queue to do just that.
  12. Tap More to Browse the Artist or View All Songs on Album.

You can use standard media controls to play, pause, skip, etc.

How to find and play music using the Sonos app for Android

You've got a song in your head and you have to hear it NOW. You can search through every music service to which you're subscribed, as well as the music on your mobile device, using the search function.

  1. Launch the Sonos app from your Home screen or from the app drawer.
  2. Tap the search button on the top right of the screen. It looks like a magnifying glass.
  3. Artists
  4. Songs
  5. Albums
  6. Playlists
  7. Stations
  8. Genres
  9. Composers
  10. Hosts
  11. Podcasts & Shows

  1. Type your query into the field.
  2. Tap the result you'd like to play.
  3. Choose when to play it.

That's really all there is to it. You search up music via the Sonos app just like you would any other music app.

The best part is that Sonos will search everything you have available, so it won't just search the music on your Android device; it'll search all the music services to which you subscribe as well!

How to factory reset your Sonos speaker

  1. Turn it off.
  2. Unplug it.
  3. Plug your speaker back in, while simultaneously holding the play/pause button (on older models, it's the mute button).
  4. Hold the button until the light starts flashing orange.
Mick Symons
Mick Symons
Mick is a writer and duty editor for Android Central. When he's not on the job, he can usually be found vacuuming up pet hair or trying to convince his wife that he needs more guitars.
11 Comments
  • Not listed: How to pull your hair out using the terrible Android app that's a half-hearted port of a so-so iOs app.
  • I have the Play 5 and the sound is incredible. I had been using portable bluetooth speakers and had just about given up. Tiny, tinny sound...awful. Sonos lets me rock out. I cannot believe how good the sound quality is!!
  • The sound and build quality really are good. I got my mom a Play 3 a couple of years ago, and I've been really impressed with it, especially now that the software supports Google Cast. I still think the brand is pretty overpriced, compared to buying some dumb speakers of similar quality and attaching a Chromecast Audio (which is what I've done in my own house), but Sonos' ease and simplicity can't be beat. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Thank you for this! I just emailed this link to my mom to refer to before calling me the next time she forgets how to do something on her Sonos. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I bought the Playbar through work and so far I've been pretty happy with it. It replaced a nearly decade old HTIB but it doesn't sound quite as good without the Sub. Hopefully at some point I will add that to the setup. Music sounds phenomenal out of it though! Posted via the Android Central App
  • I have two play 5's grouped as my front speakers with the sub. and two play 3's grouped as my rears. Use the line in on the play 5 for my gaming desktop and group all the speakers together for a great gaming/movie experience. And then music at night. App works very well on my M8, I mostly use Pandora for music, the Sonos app makes Pandora much more convenient to use. Pandora app is trash. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Sonos are over priced with weak amps and soso sound quality. The idea is good though. Still don't know why people buy sonos products. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Sounds................... like You've never heard them before and are a pedophile instead of an audiophile. And if they're overpriced then so are the ones from Samsung, Denon, Bose and everyone else who copied Sonos who put them out over a decade ago. And what did you invent? Ahhhh the first ever male on male double sided smart dildo that works with an app. Thats gay dude so gay.
  • Sorry but audio is my business. I have forgotten more about audio and home theater than you will ever know. Never said Bose, Denon and especially Samsung are any better. Like I said the idea is good the product is not, hell they don't even list the specs. Sonos are good for small rooms that don't require high volume and the wireless setup makes it very easy. But for a 5.1/5.2 or 7.1/7.2 I could put together a system that would flat blow the Sonos away for less money (but don't recommend spending less). No I don't own any Sonos but have installed many Sonos systems. I don't recommend Sonos to my customers but many have had so much smoke blown up there ass that they believe they are the best and there is no changing their minds, so I sell them what they want. My father was in home entertainment for over 50 years and I have been in the business for about 30 so I think I may know a little more than you. Posted via the Android Central App
  • That earlier reply to you was pretty rude and unnecessary. For me, I've used Sonos because the app is easy for my wife to use and not complain about, they integrate all the music services together, you can create playlists from all your music sources, and set up alarms; plus the audio synchronization between rooms is perfect. I have a few Play:1s for kids rooms, a Connect for my hi-fi office setup, and then C:As for the garage and outdoor rooms. I think you pay a bit for the simplicity, packaging, and continued support too. Also, very companies continue to support products for as long as Sonos does.
  • Roku's old SoundBridges from a damn decade ago had more features than Sonos, and so did Logitech's Squeezeboxes. And the Sonos focus on streaming over local libraries is bizarre. The software is so buggy: Players vanish from my mesh network; it randomly won't play some FLAC files. And the big marquee feature, synced playing across a home, often fails, on players within line of sight of each other. You can't even shuffle your queue by album, which the earliest pre-iPod MP3 players could do... in the last century.