How Does Sonos One Work with AirPlay 2?
- aug
- 25
Thanks to an update from Sonos, four speakers in the lineup support AirPlay 2, which means you can play music from your iPhone or iPad without needing a Wi-Fi connection and you can ask Siri to play something through your Sonos speaker.
Products Used In This Guide
The Guide
Update your Sonos One
There are two bits of software that you'll need to update in order to update the firmware for your Sonos One. First, you'll need to make sure that your iPhone is updated to version 11.4 or higher. You must be running iOS 11.4 or higher to get AirPlay 2.
The next thing you'll need to update is the Sonos Controller app to version 9.0 or higher. Version 9.0 brings with it support for AirPlay 2.
Once both your iPhone and the Sonos controller app have been updated, open the Sonos controller app. You should be automatically directed to update your speaker, but if it doesn't happen automatically, navigate to the Settings section under the More tab and tap Online Updates.
The Sonos Controller app will send the firmware update to your Sonos One speaker.
Add Sonos One to the Home app
After you've updated your Sonos One firmware, you'll be able to add the speaker to your Home app, where you'll be able to stream music from Control Center or ask Siri to play something.
Launch the Home app on your iPhone and then tap the add button in the upper right corner of your Home page. When prompted, tap Add Accessory and follow the instructions to add your Sonos One speaker.
Play music
Once you're all set up, you can start playing music either directly on your iPhone or by asking Siri.
If you want to play music from your iPhone, select a song from your favorite music player, then navigate to Control Center and tap on the Now Playing widget. From here, you can select your Sonos One.
You can also ask Siri to play tunes for you. Just say, "Hey Siri, play my playlist on Sonos One."
Note: Siri will only play music from Apple Music.
What about connecting an older Sonos speaker to Airplay 2?
AirPlay 2 is only supported on Sonos One, Sonos Beam, Sonos Playbase, and the second-generation Play:5. But, that doesn't mean you can't use AirPlay 2 with your older or non-Airplay supported Sonos speaker system. As long as you have one of the AirPlay 2 supported speakers, you can connect the rest of your Sonos system and pipe your favorite tunes throughout the entire house.
The Sonos One is the least expensive of the four supported speakers, so if you don't already have one, you can pick one up on Amazon and add it to your Sonos system.
Our top equipment picks
These are the mandatory or core equipment selections. Optional or ancillary equipment will follow.
If you've already invested in the Sonos speaker ecosystem or you're just getting started and want test the waters first, Sonos One is the least expensive of the supported speakers. While it's the company's first foray into smart speakers, it's still a solid choice, especially if you also want Alexa-support and all that goes with that.
The speaker
Sonos One
Plays nice with Siri and your HomePod
Sonos One is the least expensive of the AirPlay 2 supported Sonos speakers so you'll get the biggest bang for your buck.
You need an iOS device in order to use AirPlay and that devices needs to be able to run iOS 11.4 or higher to support AirPlay 2. The iPhone X is Apple's latest and greatest and I'm not sure it can get any better than this.
The device
iPhone X
The most advanced iPhone on the market
If you're part of the Apple ecosystem already, the iPhone X is currently the best one you can buy. Why not upgrade?