Headphones do not group like speakers; Sonos gives the Ace two ways to share your home audio. TV Audio Swap moves TV sound from a compatible soundbar (Arc, Arc SL, Arc Ultra, Beam Gen 1 and 2, Beam Ultra or Ray) to the Ace: set it up under Settings, the headphones, Home Theater, Add TV Audio Swap, start TV audio first, then long press the Content Key or tap Swap in the app; up to two headphones can join a session and WiFi must be on for the soundbar.
On the Ace Ultra, headphone linking swaps audio from any compatible Sonos speaker over WiFi: only one linked session is active at a time, at least one compatible product must stay on the system, Bluetooth, AirPlay and direct-control music services are not eligible, it uses a lossy stereo stream and needs the home WiFi. It is not available on the Sonos Ace. For a grouped system, the headphones join only as a swap, not a group member. If a swap will not start, check the soundbar is on WiFi, TV audio is playing, and the headphones are set up in the app, and reboot both.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos Ace headphones will not group, sync or play in multiple rooms”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
TV Audio Swap is not set up
What separates it The long press does nothing because TV Audio Swap is not set up
How to confirm Add TV Audio Swap in the Sonos app, following the steps for your soundbar
- 2
TV audio is not playing first
What separates it The swap does nothing because TV audio is not playing first
How to confirm Start the TV audio on the soundbar first, and then swap
- 3
The soundbar WiFi is off
What separates it The swap fails because the wifi on the soundbar is off
How to confirm Turn wifi on for the soundbar, and connect it to your network
- 4
An unsupported soundbar
What separates it There is no swap option because the soundbar is not a supported model
How to confirm Use a supported soundbar, such as an Arc, a Beam or a Ray
- 5
A third headphone tries to join
What separates it The session is full because a third headphone tries to join
How to confirm Only two headphones can join at once, so take one out of the session
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The headphone model and the soundbar model
- Whether TV Audio Swap was set up and TV audio is playing
- Whether the soundbar is on WiFi
- How many headphones are in the session
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the soundbar
ReversibleCheck the soundbar, and confirm that it is a supported model and that it is on wifi.
Set up TV Audio Swap
ReversibleSet up TV Audio Swap, by going to Settings, the headphones, Home Theater and Add TV Audio Swap.
Start TV audio
ReversibleStart TV audio, by playing sound from the TV on the soundbar, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Swap
ReversibleSwap by long pressing the Content Key, or by tapping Swap in the Sonos app.
Add a second headphone
ReversibleAdd a second headphone, by long pressing the Content Key on the second unit, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reboot
ReversibleReboot the soundbar and the headphones, if the swap still fails, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Contact Sonos
ReversibleContact Sonos Support if it fails after these steps, giving them the soundbar model, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- TV Audio Swap
- Sonos lists the Arc, Arc SL, Arc Ultra, Beam (Gen 1), Beam (Gen 2), Beam Ultra and Ray, with up to two headphones per session.
- Headphone linking
- Sonos says headphone linking relies on Ace Ultra hardware and is not available on the Sonos Ace.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a supported soundbar and set-up headphones will not swap after rebooting both, contact Sonos Support
- !If it is an Ace and you want headphone linking, that is an Ace Ultra feature
- !If the soundbar is offline, use its pages
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Setup, swapping and the two-headphone limit.
One active link, eligible sources and WiFi needs.
The Content Key long press for TV Audio Swap.
How speakers group, for comparison.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Can the Ace join a group?+
No; it swaps TV audio through TV Audio Swap.
How do I swap TV audio?+
Long press the Content Key on the right ear cup.
Which soundbars work?+
Arc, Arc SL, Arc Ultra, Beam Gen 1 and 2, Beam Ultra and Ray.
What is headphone linking?+
An Ace Ultra feature that swaps audio from Sonos speakers over WiFi.
Is it on the Ace?+
No, it needs Ace Ultra hardware.
Does head tracking work with two?+
No, it is disabled with two units.
Can I swap from the app?+
Yes, use Swap on the headphones info screen.