Sonos home speakers join your system through the Sonos app, so a product that will not pair or set up is usually a network problem. Sonos's wireless-setup article lists the causes: a wrong WiFi password (use Show beside the field, and check the router sticker), the wrong WiFi network selected (choose Use another network), or an incompatible network. Networks that need a wired setup are enterprise access points that require certificates, guest networks and mobile hotspots, networks with a portal login page and networks with wireless range extenders; some products cannot connect to a router that only offers 5 GHz WiFi.
If you cannot find the password and your product has an ethernet port choose Alternate setup for a wired setup. If the router changed, Sonos has an article on connecting Sonos to a new router. If the app shows No products found, Sonos says check the power cord and the solid white light, restart the router for a minute or two, confirm your phone is on the same WiFi as Sonos and not a guest network, turn off any VPN and check the ethernet cable if wired. As a last step, reboot the speaker or factory reset it.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos home speakers and soundbars will not pair or connect”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The WiFi password or network is wrong
What separates it Setup fails at the password screen because the wifi password or the network is wrong
How to confirm Check with Show and use another network if needed
- 2
An incompatible network type
What separates it Setup will not proceed because the network is a type that Sonos cannot use
How to confirm Use a wired setup on enterprise, guest, hotspot, portal or extender networks
- 3
The phone is on a guest network or VPN
What separates it The app says No products found because the phone is on a guest network or a VPN
How to confirm Join the main network and turn the VPN off
- 4
The router changed
What separates it Sonos will not reconnect because the router was changed
How to confirm Follow Sonos's steps for connecting the product to a new router, in its help article
- 5
A stale system state
What separates it Nothing else works because the system is in a stale state
How to confirm Reboot, then factory reset as a last resort
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The Sonos product name and its serial number
- The exact message in the Sonos app
- Your router make and whether it offers 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or both
- Whether the phone is on the same WiFi and whether a VPN or extender is in use
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck power
ReversibleCheck the power, and make sure that the power cord is firm and the light is solid white.
Check the network
ReversibleCheck the network, and put the phone on the same wifi as Sonos, with any VPN switched off.
Check the password
ReversibleCheck the password, using Show beside the password field, and confirm the network name, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Restart the router
ReversibleRestart the router by unplugging it for ten seconds, and give it a minute or two to start.
Try a wired setup
ReversibleTry a wired setup, using Alternate setup with an ethernet cable, if the product has a port.
Reboot the speaker
ReversibleReboot the speaker by unplugging the power cord, waiting ten seconds and reconnecting it, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reset as a last resort
ReversibleReset as a last resort, following the Sonos factory reset steps for your model, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Reset by model
- Sonos says the Arc Ultra, Beam Ultra, Era 100, Era 100 Pro, Era 100 SL and Era 300 reset by unplugging, holding the Bluetooth button while reconnecting power and holding until the light flashes orange and white, then green when done; other products use the Join or Play/Pause button.
- Wired setup
- A product with an ethernet port can use Alternate setup; Sonos says networks with extenders, guest networks and portals need it.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Beam (Gen 2), Ray soundbar, Era 300 speaker, Era 100 speaker, Sub (Gen 3), Sub Mini.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the app still cannot find the speaker after a reboot, router restart and same-network check, contact Sonos Support
- !If your network is enterprise, guest or portal type, use a wired setup
- !If a reset does not restore setup mode, contact Sonos
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Wrong password or network, incompatible networks and 5 GHz limits.
Power, router, same WiFi, VPN and ethernet checks.
Unplug for 10 seconds and wait a minute.
Bluetooth button reset for Arc Ultra, Beam Ultra and Era speakers.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why will my Sonos not connect to WiFi?+
A wrong password or network, or an incompatible network such as a guest network, hotspot, portal page or extender, per Sonos.
Does Sonos work on 5 GHz only?+
Sonos says some products cannot connect to a router that provides only 5 GHz WiFi.
What if I do not know the password?+
Check the router sticker or your provider, or use Alternate setup with an ethernet cable.
What does No products found mean?+
The app cannot reach your speakers; check power, the router and that the phone is on the same network.
Can I use a VPN?+
Sonos says turn it off and check whether the app reconnects.
Should I factory reset?+
Sonos does not recommend it as a troubleshooting step.
How do I reboot?+
Unplug the power cord, wait 10 seconds, reconnect and allow one minute.
Do the Arc, Beam and Era all reset the same way?+
The Arc Ultra, Beam Ultra and Era speakers reset with the Bluetooth button held during power-up.
Should I leave a VPN on when using the Sonos app?+
No, Sonos says to turn the VPN off and check whether the app reconnects to your products.
Do I need a part number to get help?+
No, give Sonos the product name and the serial number, and that is enough to identify it.
Can I set up a Sonos product with an ethernet cable?+
If the product has an ethernet port, yes, use Alternate setup with a cable, which avoids wifi problems.