Control Sonos with Apple Watch: A Simple Guide

Sonos Control via Apple Watch: A Third-Party Solution

Despite the Sonos player’s excellent functionality and broad device compatibility, an official Apple Watch application is currently unavailable. This omission leaves a gap in the user experience for those seeking complete integration.

Setting up a Sonos system is straightforward on platforms like Windows, OS X, iOS, and Android. Furthermore, a wide range of streaming services can be readily added to enhance your music listening options.

ZonePlay: An Unofficial App for Apple Watch

However, controlling your Sonos system with an Apple Watch requires exploring alternative solutions. ZonePlay presents itself as a viable option – an unofficial Sonos app compatible with your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Available for $3.99, ZonePlay offers a surprisingly robust experience. The convenience of managing your Sonos player directly from your wrist justifies the cost for many users.

Related: How to Add Streaming Services to Your Sonos Player

ZonePlay can be obtained through the App Store.

The app allows you to view and stream music to designated "zones," which correspond to your Sonos players and their respective rooms. For instance, we have a single player in our Office, defining that as our sole zone.

Tapping the "Music" button at the app’s bottom enables navigation between your Favorites, Playlists, Library (displayed in Albums view), and TuneIn Radio.

On the Apple Watch itself, a dedicated ZonePlay app is installed, highlighted in red below.

Functionality and Limitations

ZonePlay’s functionality is streamlined, primarily allowing playback of music previously favorited within the Sonos apps.

Despite this limitation, controlling your favorited content via the ZonePlay Watch app remains simple and effective.

When selecting a track, options are presented to either play it immediately after the current selection or add it to the playback queue for later enjoyment.

During playback, controls for pausing/playing, skipping tracks forward and backward, and adjusting the volume are readily available.

It’s important to note that playback isn’t limited to Favorites on the Watch app. Any music currently playing within the Sonos app…

…will also be mirrored and controllable within the ZonePlay iOS app.

Consequently, it can also be managed from the Watch app.

Therefore, if you’ve curated an extensive queue on your desktop or via your iPhone or iPad, you can move freely around your home, controlling playback solely from your wrist.

Conclusion

Until Sonos releases an official Apple Watch application – should they choose to do so – ZonePlay provides a functional workaround. It operates seamlessly with minimal configuration.

While the restriction to music Favorites may seem limiting, it’s a reasonable compromise considering the compact size of the Watch interface and the potential scale of music libraries. The ability to control all playback, including local and streaming music, once initiated on another device is a significant benefit.

If you’ve been seeking a method to control your Sonos player from your Apple Watch, ZonePlay is certainly worth exploring.