Sonos's portable articles tie the microphone to two features. Voice: you can add a voice assistant to a Roam to control your Sonos system, and Sonos Voice Control articles say to check the microphone is on and the status light is lit and to reposition the product away from noise. Automatic Trueplay: it is available on the Move, Move 2, Play, Roam and Roam 2, in both WiFi and Bluetooth modes, needs the microphone enabled and starts tuning when you play audio, re-tuning as you move the speaker;
the microphone data is used locally and never uploaded to the web. For a stereo pair or portable surrounds the microphones on both speakers must be enabled. If you have added the Google Assistant to a Move, auto Trueplay is disabled when the Move is in Bluetooth mode, and voice assistants are unavailable in Bluetooth mode. If the microphone seems dead, check its switch or setting in the app, reboot the speaker, and keep the microphone opening clear.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos portable speakers microphone sounds bad or is not detected”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The microphone is off
What separates it Voice and auto Trueplay do nothing because the microphone is off
How to confirm Turn the microphone on, and check that the light shows
- 2
A Move is in Bluetooth mode
What separates it Voice assistants are unavailable because a Move is in Bluetooth mode
How to confirm Switch the Move back to wifi mode, and try the voice command again
- 3
Background noise
What separates it The commands are missed because of background noise in the room
How to confirm Move the speaker closer or away from noise
- 4
Auto Trueplay is off
What separates it The sound does not adapt because auto Trueplay is switched off
How to confirm Toggle Auto Trueplay tuning on in the app
- 5
A stereo pair with one microphone off
What separates it Auto Trueplay fails because one speaker of a stereo pair has its microphone off
How to confirm Enable the microphone on both of the speakers, and try again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The product that you have, and which mode it is in
- Whether the microphone is on and whether auto Trueplay is enabled
- What you tried: a voice command or auto Trueplay
- Whether the speaker is in a stereo pair
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck the mode
ReversibleCheck the mode, and return a Move to wifi mode, since voice needs wifi, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the microphone
ReversibleCheck the microphone, and make sure that it is on for the speaker and its pair.
Check auto Trueplay
ReversibleCheck auto Trueplay, in Settings, your speaker, Sound, Trueplay, and Auto Trueplay tuning, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Move the speaker
ReversibleMove the speaker, and keep it away from noise, so that it can hear you.
Test voice
ReversibleTest voice, by trying a simple command, and see whether the speaker answers, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Contact Sonos
ReversibleContact Sonos Support if it stays deaf after these steps, giving them the model, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Auto Trueplay by model
- Sonos lists the Move, Move 2, Play, Roam and Roam 2 for auto Trueplay.
- Bluetooth mode limits
- On a Move, Sonos says voice assistants, grouping and stereo pairing are unavailable in Bluetooth mode.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the microphone never works with the setting on and a reboot, contact Sonos Support
- !If only voice fails, use the voice service pages
- !If the microphone opening is damaged, contact Sonos
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Which portables support it, the microphone requirement and the local processing note.
Adding a voice assistant and auto Trueplay.
Microphone and light checks.
Voice assistants are unavailable in Bluetooth mode.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Does auto Trueplay use the microphone?+
Yes, the microphone must be enabled, and the data is used locally and never uploaded.
Which portables have auto Trueplay?+
The Move, Move 2, Play, Roam and Roam 2.
Does it work in Bluetooth mode?+
Yes, though with the Google Assistant on a Move it is disabled in Bluetooth mode.
Do I need both microphones for a pair?+
Yes, when stereo paired or used as surrounds, both must be enabled.
Can I add a voice assistant to a Roam?+
Yes, Sonos has an article on adding one.
Why does voice not work on Bluetooth?+
Sonos says voice assistants are unavailable in a Move's Bluetooth mode.
Does auto Trueplay re-tune?+
Yes, as you play new content and move the speaker.
How do I toggle it?+
Settings, Your System, the speaker, Sound, Trueplay.
Will I notice a change?+
You may notice a sound change when the adjustment takes place.