3 Ways to Connect Your Sonos Speaker to an iPhone: AirPlay, Sonos App, Bluetooth

If you’re looking for the best way to connect your Sonos speaker to your iPhone, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we will discuss three different methods: AirPlay, Sonos App, and Bluetooth. We’ll go over the pros and cons of each method, and help you decide which is the best option for you. Let’s get started!

There are three popular methods to connect your Sonos speaker to an iPhone.

Connect Sonos speaker to an iPhone via AirPlay

If your Sonos soundbar or speaker has no built-in Bluetooth feature, you can use Apple’s AirPlay for connecting it to your iPhone. You can also use other Apple smart devices as the source, such as iPad and Mac. This way, you will be able to play music directly via your Sonos speaker or soundbar using your iPhone.

Your Sonos speaker is equally compatible with AirPlay 1 and AirPlay 2 to play music. But, you might face interruptions in the audio output with AirPlay 1. Regardless of the model, all the audio output devices from Sonos are compatible with AirPlay.

You can follow the following steps to connect your Sonos speaker or soundbar to your iPhone:

1. Swipe down from the top right on your iPhone to open the Control Center 
2. Next, tap on the right-hand corner of the screen top to find the audio card
3. You will find the “AirPlay” icon. Tap on it.
4. Now, add your Sonos speaker or soundbar to it
5. Now, you can play music on your iPhone and check the audio output from the Sonos speaker or soundbar.

You can add more than one Sonos device to your iPhone via AirPlay, and when you play audio from your iPhone, the output will come from all the connected Sonos devices.

Further, if you have the Apple Music app installed on your iPhone, you can add your Sonos device to the app and play audio via AirPlay. You have to open the app and click on the “AirPlay” icon. Now, you can select your Sonos device and play your favorite song.

Connect the Sonos speaker to an iPhone via Sonos App

You can download the Sonos app for free on any iOS or Android device. All you have to do is install the Sonos app on your device, and you can use it to control all your Sonos devices in your home. Further, you can also use the Sonos app to play music on your iPhone via the Sonos speakers and soundbars.

Here is how you can download, install and use the Sonos app on your iPhone:

1. Go to the iOS or Apple App Store on your iPhone
2. Search for the Sonos app in the search bar
3. Once you find the Sonos app, download and install it.
4. Once the app is installed on your iPhone, ensure that your iPhone and your Sonos devices are connected to the same WiFi network.
5. Make sure your Sonos device is plugged in and turned on
6. Now open the Sonos app. You can follow the instructions on the screen to set up the app.
7. Now, Go to the Room list option and add your iPhone there.

Now, you can play the music files on your iPhone via your Sonos device. You can also play music from other streaming services like Deezer, Spotify, iTunes, and Internet Radio via your Sonos device from your iPhone. In addition to that, you can make an account on apps like Pandora and stream music online.

Connect Sonos speaker to an iPhone via Bluetooth

Portable Sonos speakers come with built-in Bluetooth, which allows them to connect to another Bluetooth-enabled device. Som, you can connect your Sonos Bluetooth portable speaker to your iPhone. 

Before pairing your Sonos speaker to your iPhone via Bluetooth, make sure you have connected the speaker to the Sonos app on your iPhone. Some features like voice assistants, grouping, Trueplay, and stereo pairing are restricted with Bluetooth pairing.

There are two popular Bluetooth speakers from Sonos viz. Sonos Move and Sonos Roam that you can connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth.

Pair Sonos Move to an iPhone.

1. Press the Bluetooth button provided on the back of the Sonos Move to turn it on
2. You will hear a chime sound, and the LED indicator light will glow blue.
3. Next, press and hold the Bluetooth button until you hear a chime sound, and the LED indicator starts blinking blue
4. Next, go to the Settings app on your iPhone and enable Bluetooth.
5. Your iPhone will start scanning for nearby Bluetooth devices, and you will see your Sonos Move speaker in the list of devices available
6. When you see your Sonos Move with the model number, tap on it to connect it.
7. When the connection is successful, the blinking Blue LED will turn solid Blue.

Pair Sonos Roam to an iPhone

With Sonos Roam, you don’t get a dedicated Bluetooth button which makes the process different. You will have to press the power button to enable and pair your Sonos Roam speaker to an iPhone. But, you need to add your Sonos Roam to your Sonos app on your iPhone before pairing them via Bluetooth.

Here are the steps to follow to pair your Sonos Roam with your iPhone via Bluetooth:

1. First, power on your Sonos Roam by pressing the power button provided on the back of the device
2. Next, press and hold the power button for around a couple of seconds until the device chimes and the LED light starts flashing Blue
3. Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone, and it will automatically start searching for available nearby Bluetooth devices
4. Once it finds your Sonos Roam, the speaker with its model number will be seen in the list.
5. Tap on it to connect or pair it to your iPhone. It will take a few seconds to pair.

Once the pairing is completed successfully, the flashing Blue LED will change to a solid Blue LED, and you will hear an alert chime.