SONOS speakers are a favorite among many because of their versatility. I particularly love them because they are easily integrated with other Sonos products.
I recently got the Sonos Move as an addition to my Sonos system, and the speaker is a marvel. I love integrating different playlists, and the speaker auto-adjusts the audio to improve sound depending on the speaker’s location.
I thought I had exhausted the speaker’s features until I learned it could also work with Bluetooth. This significantly improved my showers since I could take the speaker with me anytime I bathed.
However, connecting the Move to a Bluetooth device was a bit challenging. I eventually got the hang of it; below is how I did it.
Key Takeaways
- The Sonos Move must be set up on the Sonos system and connected to Wi-Fi before it can pair with other devices via Bluetooth.
- Sonos Move cannot connect to the Sonos network if it’s not connected to Wi-Fi, so ensure it is close to the router during the initial setup.
- You will need the S1 or S2 app to connect the speaker to Wi-Fi. The second generation of SONOS Move speakers will only work with the S2 app.
- The status LEDs on top of the Sonos Move communicate the speaker’s status. It flashes green when the speaker has not been set up with any Sonos system. The LED lights up solid white when the speaker is on and is functioning properly. If the light is solid orange, it means there is a problem with the setup, or the Move is overheating. A flashing orange LED implies the speaker is establishing a connection during the setup.
- The LED will flash blue to show it is in pairing mode and be solid blue once it has successfully connected via Bluetooth.
- You can still use voice controls to play, pause, skip, and adjust volume when the speaker is connected via Bluetooth.
- Stereo pairing, voice assistants, and speaker grouping will not work when the speaker is in Bluetooth mode.
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Before You Pair the Speaker via Bluetooth
The Sonos Move speaker has to be connected to Wi-Fi before you can pair it with Bluetooth devices.
You can either set up a new Sonos system with the speaker or add it to an existing Sonos system.
The speaker is compatible with both the S1 and S2 apps, but it is recommended that you use the S2 app as it is the latest generation of the Sonos app. The S2 app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
The steps below describe how to connect the speaker to a Wi-Fi network before pairing it with a Bluetooth device.
- Download the Sonos app from either the Google Play or App Store.
- Ensure your phone is connected to the Wi-Fi network you want the speaker connected to. It does not matter whether it is the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, as the speaker is compatible with both. However, both your phone and speaker have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi band.
- If the speaker is brand new, connect it to the charger, then power it on.
- The power button is the first one from the top on the back of the speaker. It is marked with a circle that has a line partially running through it.
SONOS Move – Power Button
- Press this button, and the speaker will power on.
- The status LED will flash white to show the speaker is powering on.
- The LED will turn to flashing green, meaning the speaker still needs to be set up and is waiting to be connected to the Sonos system. It will stop flashing green once the setup is complete.
LED Flashing Green – SONOS Move is ready to be set up.
- Launch the S2 app on your phone and view and accept the terms of use.
- Then select the ‘Set up a new system’ option.
- The S2 app will prompt you to log in or create a Sonos account using your email address.
- The app will then show a pop-up with the speaker’s picture, prompting you to add it to the Sonos system.
- Select ‘Add’ on the prompt. You will have to select ‘Continue’ and then ‘Set up products’ if you are using the S1 app.
Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your SONOS Move.
- The app will then guide you through the rest of the procedure, prompting you to allow essential permissions and enable important features.
- The app will also prompt you to download any firmware updates that might be available.
Sometimes, although rarely, the pop-up with the speaker’s name and picture might not appear. Tap the ‘Settings’ icon, then select System > Add product, and the app will guide you through the setup.
The speakers LED should be solid white once the initial setup is complete.
You can now connect your Sonos Move to any Bluetooth device by following the steps below.
Pairing to the Sonos Move via Bluetooth
Here is how to pair the Sonos Move to any Bluetooth device:
- Ensure the speaker is powered on and the status LED is solid white.
- Get the speaker out of Wi-Fi mode and into Bluetooth mode by pressing the Bluetooth mode button on the back of the speaker. It is the button between the power and join (infinity symbol) buttons.
SONOS Move – Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Button
- You will know the speaker is in Bluetooth mode when the status LED starts flashing blue, and the speaker plays a chime to show the change in modes.
LED Flashing Blue – SONOS Move is in pairing mode.
- Open the Bluetooth settings on the device you want paired to the Sonos Move.
- Select Sonos Move from the list of available devices and pair.
Enable Bluetooth on your device, and select SONOS Move from the list.
- You will know the pairing is successful when the status LED lights solid Blue and the speaker plays a chime.
The Move can only be paired to one device at a time but can remember up to six previously paired devices.
When you enable Bluetooth mode, the Sonos Move will also automatically connect to the last device it was connected to. Of course, that is with the condition the device’s Bluetooth is enabled and within range of the speaker.
You can still use audio controls when the speaker is connected to a Bluetooth device. However, you can only use basic controls like pausing or resuming playback, skipping to the next or previous song, and adjusting the volume.
Other controls, like voice assistants starting the audio playback, will require the speaker to be connected to a working Wi-Fi connection.
Additionally, the speaker will not be visible on the Sonos app when paired via Bluetooth.
Pairing SONOS Move via Bluetooth
How to Reboot the Sonos Move?
You might encounter challenges pairing the Sonos Move speaker to a source device.
A simple solution is to reboot the speaker. You can do this by following the steps below:
- Disconnect the Sonos Move from the charger.
- Press and hold the speaker’s power button until the status LED powers off. This will take around five seconds.
Press the POWER button for 5 seconds to turn the speaker off.
- Wait ten to fifteen seconds, then power the speaker and reconnect it to the charger if necessary.
How to Reset the Sonos Move?
You can also factory reset the speaker if the issues persist. However, note that Sonos advises you only reset the speaker if it changes ownership; therefore, only do it if troubleshooting the speaker fails or if the app suggests you reset the speaker when setting it up.
The steps below describe how to reset the Sonos Move:
- First, disconnect the speaker from the charger (wired or wireless).
- Power off the speaker by pressing and holding the power button until the status LED goes off. This will take around five seconds.
- While placing the speaker back on its charging base, press and hold the JOIN button. The Join button is labeled with an infinity symbol.
SONOS Move – Join Button
- Keep holding the button until the speaker’s status LED starts flashing white and orange.
When the LED starts flashing orange/amber and white, you can release the JOIN button.
- The reset will be complete once the status LED starts flashing green.
Resetting SONOS Move
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: How do I connect my Sonos Move to my Bluetooth?
- Answer: The speaker must first be set up on a Wi-Fi network before you can pair via Bluetooth. Then power it on and press the Bluetooth button on the back of the speaker.
- You will know Bluetooth mode is activated when the status LED flashes Blue and the speaker plays a unique chime.
- Complete the pairing process on the source device. You will know the connection is successful when the status LED is solid Blue.
- Question: Can you connect two Sonos Move via Bluetooth?
- Answer: Unfortunately, the Stereo pair only works when the speakers are connected to a Wi-Fi network. A stereo pair is not available for Bluetooth connections.
- However, you can stream audio to previously stereo-paired move speakers via Bluetooth.
- Question: Can you pair Sonos Move and Roam on Bluetooth?
- Answer: No, you can only pair speakers of the same model, i.e., a Sonos Move with another.
- Question: Can Sonos Move play Bluetooth?
- Answer: The Sonos Move can connect to Bluetooth devices but must be set up on Wi-Fi first.
- Question: How do I reset my Sonos Move?
- Answer:
- Disconnect the Move from the charger.
- Press and hold the speaker’s power button for five seconds to power it off. You will know it is off once the status LED goes off.
- While placing the speaker on a charging dock, press and hold the join button while. The button is marked with an infinity symbol.
- Do not release the Join button until the speaker’s status LED starts flashing white and orange.
- You will know the reset is complete once the status LED flashes green.
- Question: How do I pair two Sonos Move speakers?
- Answer: Sonos Move speakers have a Stereo pair feature that allows users to pair two Sonos speakers together. The feature enables the speakers to play two distinct audio channels, i.e., the left and right.
- You can enable it by following the steps below:
- Ensure that the two Sonos Move speakers are added to your Sonos system but under separate rooms.
- Launch the Sonos app, select Settings, and go to System.
- Select one of the speakers you want in the Stereo pair from Products.
- Follow the app prompts to complete the process.
Conclusion
The Move is an excellent portable speaker from Sonos and has a reasonably powerful battery. The Move can connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, provided the initial setup is done correctly.
Always observe the LEDs as they communicate the speaker’s status, making troubleshooting easy.
Also, contact Sonos whenever you have any questions or are facing issues with the speaker. Remember, it must be connected to Wi-Fi before you can use it with Bluetooth.
