- Sonos brings back notification and lock screen controls on Android
- Support for these controls on iOS is still being worked on
- You can also access these options from your wrist via Wear OS
After some well-publicized struggles over the past few years, Sonos is on the way back. Not only did the company launch new speakers earlier this week, it has now fixed a major source of frustration for users of its Android app.
As posted by u/edfosho1 on Reddit (via 9to5Google ), the ability to control playback and volume from the Android notification screen and lock screen has returned. Previously, users had to go into the actual Sonos app for these controls.
Understandably, users are quite happy with the return of the more convenient widget controls – one user describes the fix as a “game changer”, while also welcoming the return of support for scrobbling on the Last.fm service.
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There’s also a sense of annoyance at the time it’s taken Sonos to get around to bringing this functionality back. “It’s 2026, what took them so long,” reads one comment in the Reddit thread.
We can fix it
Final Android notification for playback from r/sonos
The playback controls will also be available if you’re using a Wear OS smartwatch, as demonstrated by u/wizewiz on Reddit. But as yet there’s no such widget control on iOS from the lock screen or Dynamic Island — though that’s believed to be on the way.
According to the official Sonos update, the app could take up to two weeks to reach everyone, so don’t panic if you don’t see it right away. You are looking for version 82.01.9 on Android and version 82.01.12 on iOS in your favorite app store.
The updated app is part of an ongoing effort by Sonos to win back user trust. In a speech to TechRadar, Sonos CEO Tom Conrad has admitted that mistakes have been made in software and hardware development, but that he is also now busy righting the ship.
There are also now two new Sonos speakers to enjoy, the first from the company since 2024: There’s a new and portable version of the Sonos Play (for $299 / £299 / AU$499), and the Sonos Era 100 SL ($189 / £169 / AU$289).
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