How to Connect Sonos Speaker to iPhone Without App

Sonos’ devices are some of the devices with top-notch audio quality out there in the market. Even if you are an average music listener, you will easily notice the sudden upgrade in your sound quality once you begin to use a Sonos speaker. If you have an iPhone and you want to connect it to your Sonos speaker, you can easily do that by using the Sonos app. However, under certain circumstances, like visiting a friend, for example, you may just want to connect your iPhone to his or her Sonos speaker and play your music on the go without the need for installing the Sonos app. 

If you find yourself in a similar situation, where you just want to connect your iPhone to a Sonos speaker without the app, this article will help you do that. So, how do you do it? You can connect a Sonos speaker to your iPhone without the app by using AirPlay or Bluetooth. When playing music on your iPhone, you can also tap on the Cast icon to cast the music to your Sonos speaker if they are connected over the same network. 

Almost all Sonos speakers support AirPlay, so connecting your Sonos speaker via AirPlay seems to be the easiest way to go if you are an iPhone user. In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to connect your Sonos speakers to the iPhone using either AirPlay or Bluetooth. So keep reading for further details. 

How Do I Connect My iPhone to Sonos Speaker?

Although the Sonos app is an all-in app that makes it easier for you to connect your Sonos device to your iPhone, you can resort to other options when you want to connect your iPhone to Sonos if that’s what you prefer. 

iPhone has the AirPlay feature which is supported by all Sonos speakers. With the AirPlay feature, you can play music directly from your iPhone on your Sonos speaker.

If you have a Sonos Roam or Sonos Move, you can connect them to your iPhone via a Bluetooth connection and you will be good to play your music. 

Another way to also connect your Sonos product to iPhone is to cast the music you’re playing on iPhone to the Sonos speaker. However, you should take note however that if you decide to cast Sonos, you will only be to do so one Sonos speaker at a time. 

If you want the music to be played on multiple speakers at the same time, you have to cast it manually by yourself on all your Sonos speakers. 

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How to Connect Sonos Speaker to iPhone Using AirPlay

Almost all Sonos speakers are compatible with AirPlay. From Sonos One, Sonos One SL, Sonos Five, and Sonos Move to Sonos Roam, you’ll find the AirPlay feature is supported by these devices. 

Both AirPlay 1 and AirPlay 2 work on all Sonos speakers except that you may face a few audio complications when you use AirPlay 1 on some of the devices, so it’s advisable to use AirPlay 2 to avoid any disruptions. 

If you use an iPhone, you can follow the steps below in order to connect your Sonos speaker to the iPhone via AirPlay: 

1. Plug in your Sonos speaker and connect it to your network.
2. Go to the Control Center on your iPhone. Depending on your iPhone, you can swipe up from the bottom of your phone’s screen to the top or swipe down from the top to the bottom of the screen in order to reach the Control Center.
3. Look for the audio card at the top corner of your iPhone’s screen and hit the AirPlay icon.
4. Select your preferred Sonos speakers that you want to play the music on your iPhone. That’s it. Your Sonos speaker and the iPhone will be connected and you can stream music from the iPhone to the Sonos speakers.

If you were already playing on your iPhone or through the Apple Music app, you can easily connect the iPhone to your Sonos speaker and play the music on. With Apple Music opened, you only have to hit the AirPlay icon which is usually located at the bottom of your screen, select your Sonos speaker, and then the song or audio will be played on the Sonos speaker. 

How to Add Non-AirPlay Products to Sonos Group

The interesting thing about connecting your Sonos to your iPhone via AirPlay is that it allows you to group multiple speakers so that you can listen to music on them all at once. However, if you set any of your Sonos speakers as a surround speakers, you will not be able to use AirPlay on it. 

Even if you have a Sonos product that does not support AirPlay, you can add it to the group once the group has a speaker that supports AirPlay. You only have to enable the Group Non-AirPlay Products feature in your Settings. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Open the Sonos app and go to Settings.
2. Go to System and choose AirPlay.
3. Go to Group Non-AirPlay Products and tap on it to enable it.

How to Connect Sonos Speaker to iPhone via Bluetooth

Very few Sonos products can connect to iPhones via a Bluetooth connection. If you have a Sonos Move and Sonos Roam, you can connect them to your iPhone via Bluetooth connection. 

With a Bluetooth connection on your Sonos Roam or Move, you can stream music directly from your iPhone to the speakers. Certain features like the voice assistants and grouping will however be disabled if you connect the speaker via Bluetooth. 

If you want to connect your Sonos Move to your iPhone via Bluetooth, simply follow the steps below to do exactly just that: 

1. Plug in your Sonos Move to the power supply.
2. For a Sonos Move, you’ll find the Bluetooth button at the back of the device. When you locate it, press on it once to turn on the Bluetooth.
3. When the Bluetooth is turned on, the Sonos Move will make a sound and you will see the LED on the Move glowing blue light.
4. Press the Bluetooth button and hold it down until the LED just blinks a blue light to signal that it is ready for use.
5. Go to your iPhone and go to Settings and turn on its Bluetooth. Your iPhone will begin to search for devices within range. Select the Sonos Move to pair it up with your iPhone once you see it.
6. The LED indicator on the Sonos Move will change from a mere blink to a solid blue color when both devices are paired successfully.

After pairing your Sonos Move with your iPhone, you can play music on your iPhone through Sonos Move. 

If you have a Sonos Roam, you will not find a Bluetooth button on it like the Sonos Move. What you have to do is use the power button to pair it up just like how the Bluetooth button on the Sonos Move is used. Here are the steps to pair your Sonos Roam with your iPhone via Bluetooth: 

1. Plug in your Sonos Roam to the power supply and turn it on. You’ll find the power button on its backside.
2. Press on the power button and hold it down for some seconds until the LED blinks a blue light and you a chiming sound on the device. This signals that it is ready for use.
3. Use your iPhone and go to Settings and turn on its Bluetooth. Select the Sonos Roam to pair it up with your iPhone after the phones search for nearby devices is complete.
4. The LED indicator on the Sonos Move will change from a blink to a solid blue color and it will be accompanied by a sound from the Sonos Roam. This will indicate to you that both devices have been paired successfully.

How to Cast Music From iPhone to Sonos Speaker

When you play music on your iPhone, you can cast it to a Sonos speaker for a better audio experience. The only downside here is that you can only cast to a single Sonos speaker at a time. 

If you want to cast music from your iPhone to any Sonos speaker, follow these steps: 

1. Turn on your Sonos speaker and ensure that both the speaker and your iPhone are connected to the same network.
2. Go to your audio file or music app and play the music you want to play.
3. Locate the Cast icon on your screen, it could anywhere depending on your phone – top or bottom corner.
4. Tap on the Cast icon once you see it. A list of devices that support casting will be displayed on your screen. Go through it and select your Sonos speaker.
5. Hit the Play button on your iPhone and your music will begin to play on the Sonos speaker.

If you want the music to play on multiple speakers at a time you will set the other Sonos speakers manually. Here’s how to do it. 

Press the play button on your second Sonos speaker and hold it for some seconds. Release the button after you hear that the music being played on the first Sonos is now being played on the second one. 

Why Is My Sonos Not Showing Up?

If your Sonos is not showing in the list of nearby devices that are available to be connected via AirPlay or Bluetooth, it probably means that your Sonos device has been turned off. 

In such a case, inspect the power cable of your Sonos and then make sure it is firmly fitted to its electrical socket. 

You can also test to see whether or not your Sonos has been turned off by pressing a couple of buttons and see if the light on the device blinks or not. 

Conclusion

When you find yourself in situations where the Sonos app is not working on your iPhone or you probably just want to explore other options with your Sonos and iPhone, AirPlay and Bluetooth are the ways to go. 

Since almost all Sonos devices are compatible with the AirPlay feature, you may have to try out the AirPlay first. You can follow the steps in the guide to connect your Sonos speakers to your iPhone without using the Sonos app. 

If you decide on the use AirPlay option, you can play your music in speaker groups. However, the AirPlay feature will be disabled on the speakers that you set as surround speakers. 

With the Bluetooth connections, you can only play music on limited Sonos products since not so many Sonos products Bluetooth connections. You will also not be able to group your speakers for a multi-room experience. 

So, in the absence of a Sonos app, always try out the AirPlay feature first whenever you want to connect your Sonos to your iPhone before resorting the Bluetooth connections.