So, you’re the proud new owner of a Sonos speaker. Congrats! You’ve made a sound choice right there. But how do you actually get it up and running? We’ve got some handy tips to help you out…
How to connect Sonos speakers to Wi-Fi
Connecting your Sonos speaker to the Wi-Fi is super easy:
1. Switch on your Sonos speaker.
2. Make sure it’s in range of your Wi-Fi network.
3. Download and install the free Sonos app on your tablet or smartphone.
4. Fire up the app and follow the instructions.
5. Tap ‘Add Product’ or ‘Add a Player’ from the menu.
6. Pick your speaker from the list and hit continue.
7. Work through the next lot of instructions. You’ll probably have to press a combination of buttons on the speaker itself to put it into Wi-Fi setup mode.
8. When it’s in setup mode, the app will ask you to choose your Wi-Fi network and enter your network password.
9. The app should now have made a connection between your Wi-Fi network and your speaker.
10. And you’re done! Now you can start playing your favourite tunes, podcasts and more around the house.
Just a quick heads up - some of these steps might vary a bit depending on the Sonos you’ve got (and the version of the app you’re using). As much as some of us hate doing it, you might have to crack the manual out!
How to connect to Sonos speakers by Bluetooth
Maybe you’ve got some friends round for a dinner party and one of them wants to DJ for a bit. That’s cool. It’s quick and easy to connect to a Sonos speaker over Bluetooth.
1. You’ll need to make sure your Sonos speaker is set up over Wi-Fi before you can connect a device via Bluetooth.
2. It probably goes without saying but switch on the speaker before following these steps.
3. Press down and hold the power or Bluetooth button (depending on the model) for a couple of seconds, then release it.
4. A pairing tone should play, and an LED light will start to flash.
5. Head to your Bluetooth settings on your device and pick the speaker from the device list.
6. When you’ve successfully paired, another tone will play, and the LED light will change to a solid blue.
7. Some Sonos speakers can even be used in a stereo pair – you can use two Roams to play Bluetooth audio when they’re connected to your Wi-Fi. Giving you powerful, room-filling audio. Sounds good!
How to connect Sonos speakers to a TV
Take your TV sound up a notch by connecting your telly to a Sonos speaker. But make sure your TV is Bluetooth compatible – otherwise this won’t work. The process differs a bit between the various kinds of Sonos speakers too, so we’ll take a look at what you’ll need to do for each one.
How to pair a Sonos Roam or Roam SL:
1. Press and hold the power button on the back of the speaker to put it in pairing mode. The LED light should start flashing blue.
2. When the speaker plays a chime, let go of the button.
3. Go to your TV’s Bluetooth settings and find your speaker in the list of nearby devices. Select it.
4. If the LED light turns a solid blue and the speaker plays another chime, you’re all good to go.
How to pair a Sonos Move:
1. Switch on Bluetooth mode. You can do this by pressing the left side of the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth button that’s on the back of the speaker. If you’ve done it properly, the LED light will turn blue.
2. Now press and hold down the same button. This’ll put it into pairing mode and the LED light will start flashing while the speaker plays a noise.
3. Head to the Bluetooth settings on your TV, find the Sonos Move from the list of devices and select it.
4. Your speaker should now be connected.
How to connect Sonos speakers to a laptop
Sometimes your laptop speakers just don’t have the oomph you need to make movie night great. Or the toe-tapping punch to really get your groove on. With the Sonos desktop or S2 app, you’ll be able to fix that!
1. Check that your Sonos speaker is set up and connected to your Wi-Fi network.
2. Download and install the Sonos S2 or desktop app on your laptop from their website.
3. Launch the app and sign into your Sonos account (or if you don’t have one yet, you’ll need to create one – it’s super quick).
4. Follow the instructions. They’ll show you how to setup a new Sonos system.
5. When the setup is done, the app should automatically detect your speaker on your Wi-Fi network.
6. Pick the speaker you want to connect to your laptop from the list of nearby devices in the app.
7. You should now be able to control your speaker, tweak settings and play your favourite tunes straight from the app on your laptop.
8. If you prefer the more direct approach, you can also stream music from your laptop to the speaker using the line-in. Connect a 3.5mm jack from your laptop to the speaker. Then open up the app and select the line-in source for your speaker.
So, now you know how to connect a Sonos speaker to a bunch of different gadgets. Why not learn how wireless multi-room speakers work? Or, connect multiple Bluetooth speakers together and really take your tunes to the next level.