Sonos's Ace button article says the Noise Control button does two jobs: press to cycle Noise Control modes and press and hold to activate your Bluetooth device's voice assistant, if available. So the assistant on the Ace is your phone's (Siri or Google Assistant), not Sonos Voice Control, and it works only when the Ace is connected to that phone. If it does not respond, check the headphones are connected (solid blue), that the phone's assistant is enabled and allowed on Bluetooth headsets, and that you press and hold the button on the right ear cup under the Content Key.
For calls, the Content Key answers and ends. Sonos's headphone linking article adds that once a headphone link session starts on an Ace Ultra, voice assistant support is disabled and you should use the Sonos app or the Content Key; audio started with Sonos Voice Control can swap, but audio started with Alexa or Google Assistant cannot. Forget and re-pair if the assistant stops answering, update the headphones, and force reboot with USB-C disconnected.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos Ace headphones voice assistant or controls are not working”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The Ace is not connected
What separates it The hold does nothing because the Ace is not connected to the phone
How to confirm Check that the light is solid blue, which shows that the Ace is connected
- 2
The phone's assistant is off
What separates it Nothing happens because the assistant on the phone is switched off
How to confirm Enable the assistant on the phone, and allow it to use the headset
- 3
A headphone link session is active on an Ace Ultra
What separates it Voice assistants are disabled because a headphone link session is active on an Ace Ultra
How to confirm Use the app or the Content Key, and end the link session to restore voice
- 4
The wrong button
What separates it The mode changes instead because the wrong button was pressed
How to confirm Press and hold the button, and do not just press it once
- 5
A stale pairing
What separates it The assistant stopped answering because the pairing has gone stale
How to confirm Forget the headphones on your device, and pair them again from the start
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The headphone model and the phone
- Whether the assistant works with the headphones connected
- The button you press and how long
- Whether a headphone link or TV Audio Swap is active
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedCheck the connection
ReversibleCheck the connection, looking for a solid blue light on the headphones, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Press and hold
ReversiblePress and hold the Noise Control button on the right ear cup, to call the assistant.
Check the phone
ReversibleCheck the phone, and enable the assistant, and Bluetooth headset access for it, and then test again to see whether it helped.
End a link session
ReversibleEnd a link session, on an Ace Ultra, by ending the headphone linking to restore voice.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The button
- Sonos says the Noise Control button cycles modes on a press and activates your Bluetooth device's voice assistant on a press and hold.
- Headphone link
- On an Ace Ultra, voice assistant support is disabled once a headphone link session begins.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the phone's assistant works but never through the Ace after re-pairing and a reboot, contact Sonos Support
- !If the assistant itself fails, contact the phone maker
- !If an Ace Ultra link session blocks voice, end the session
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
The Noise Control button and the voice assistant hold.
Voice assistants during a headphone link.
Connection requirements.
The same button's mode cycling.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I trigger my voice assistant?+
Press and hold the Noise Control button on the right ear cup.
Which assistant does it use?+
Your Bluetooth device's own voice assistant, if available.
What does a single press do?+
A single press cycles the Noise Control modes, and it does not call the assistant.
Which assistant answers?+
The one on the Bluetooth device the Ace is connected to; the Noise Control button triggers that device's assistant.
What happens during a headphone link?+
Voice assistant support is disabled on the Ace Ultra.
Can I swap Alexa audio?+
Audio started by Alexa or Google Assistant is not eligible for headphone linking.
Does it need Bluetooth?+
Yes, it needs Bluetooth, and the headphones must be connected to your phone.
Does the Ace Ultra behave the same?+
Sonos's button and pairing articles cover both.