Sonos Just Gave Its iPhone App a Highly-Requested New Ability
Sonos finally rolled out support for iOS Live Activities. Here's how to enable it.
Sonos has been in the news quite a bit recently.
Just last month, the multi-room speaker giant rolled out a big app update that introduced a new look and several long-awaited features.
And, in the past week, Bloomberg has reported that Sonos is gearing up to introduce two new products: a new "Ultra" pair of headphones and a new and improved version of the Beam (Gen 2) , Sonos's most entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar, which was released in fall 2021.
Now, ahead of those potential new launches, Sonos has rolled out another new update that brings support for a fan-favorite iPhone feature: Live Activities.
Sonos now supports iPhone's Live Activities
Live Activities are now supported by the Sonos app. But you'll have to enable them. They are off by default. - Credit: Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
Introduced in 2022 with iOS 16, Live Activities is a feature that gives you quick access to real-time information right from your Lock Screen. No need to unlock your iPhone or open an app. When you are using your iPhone, Live Activities appear in the Dynamic Island, too.
Now, thanks to the most recent app update, you can see Live Activities for whatever is playing on your Sonos speakers.
According to S onos's recent Reddit post , the Live Activity will show the current room or group of Sonos speakers that are playing. And when music playback stops, the Live Activity will disappear after 15 minutes.
In the Sonos app's settings on your iPhone, you can toggle Live Activities on. - Credit: Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
Sonos's Live Activities can be viewed from your iPhone's Lock Screen. If you want to make changes to the music (pausing, skipping tracks or adjusting volume), you'll have unlock your iPhone with Face ID or a Passcode.
And if you don't want Sonos's Live Activities taking up real estate on your Lock Screen, you can simply swipe them away like any other Live Activity. Or you can disable them from the start.
Sonos claims its app support for its Live Activities is available now, but still needs work. Right now, album artwork isn't supported. And it works with Apple Watch and CarPlay, but the same playback controls aren't supported yet. So you'll see the Sonos Live Activities on your watch and in the car, but you need to use your iPhone to control the music.
How to enable Live Activities in the Sonos app
The Sonos app update is available now. - Credit: Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
Even with the updated app, Sonos is disabling Live Activities by default. So, if you want to try them out, you'll have to enable them first. Here's how:
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Make sure you're logged in as the system owner.
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Go to Account > App Preferences > Live Activity
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Select "Always Allow" the first time you see the Live Activity
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Tap "Allow Live Activity" and "More Frequent Updates" in iOS Settings for the Sonos app.
To manually force the Sonos app to update its software, you can open the App Store app on your iPhone >select your account (picture in the top-right corner) > select your Apps & Purchase History > select Your Apps > and search for the Sonos app. Then select Update.
To learn more about Live Activities support on Sonos, check out the company's blog post below.
LEARN MORE About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol's editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.
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