Sonos produces high-end audio products, and I am a big fan of the Sonos Move. The speaker is portable and has a great battery capacity.
My Sonos Move has been working properly without any issues until recently, when the status LED started flashing green. This usually indicates that the speaker has been reset and is ready to be set up again.
The green flashing LED can also communicate other messages that I will look into in the following sections. Sometimes, this flashing green LED may refuse to go off, making the speaker unresponsive.
Read on to find out how to get rid of the flashing green light.
Key Takeaways
- The status LED is found on top of the speaker above the Play/Pause button.
- The LED glows in different colors depending on the message it’s communicating to the user.
- The Status LED will be solid green to show that the speaker is muted. You can unmute using the app or the controls on the speaker.
- The LED flashes green to show the speaker is ready to be set up.
- If the LED remains green even after meeting the above requirements, it could be an indication of a system error.
- You can resolve the issue by restarting the speaker, resetting the speaker, connecting the speaker to a new network, or connecting to the speaker using a different device.
Recommended Reading :
Meaning of Each LED Light and LED Behavior on Your SONOS Move
Why Is the LED on My SONOS Move Green?
The status LED on the Sonos Move is located on top of the speaker, right above the Play/Pause button. Its purpose is to communicate different messages about the speaker to the user.
The LED can light different colors depending on the message it intends to communicate. A comprehensive guide explaining the meaning of LEDs can be found on the Sonos website.
The main question is what the LED means when it lights green and what the user should do when the LED turns green.
Meaning of Different Green LED Light Behaviors on a SONOS Speaker (source – SONOS).
When It’s Solid Green
The Sonos Move status LED lights solid green whenever the speaker’s audio is muted. This lets the user know the device is muted.
The LED will be solid green when your SONOS Move is muted.
You can get the speaker out of the mute state using the buttons on the speaker or via the S2 app.
Unmute the speaker physically by swiping to the right. Note that swiping to the left decreases the volume, and it can sometimes end up muting the speaker.
The volume control button is located on the right of the Play /Pause button. Observe the LED status as you increase the speaker’s volume.
If the LED changes from solid green, you will know it was that way because the audio was muted.
Alternatively, you can use the Sonos S2 app to increase the volume. Open the app and select the room the speaker is in, and you will see the volume icon on the bottom of the screen just above the My Sonos, Browse, System, Settings, and Search options.
Use the SONOS S2 app to adjust the volume and make the green solid LED go away.
Move the slider to the right, and you would have increased the speaker’s volume and unmuted it if it was muted.
If you have an Android, you can configure the app in a way that lets you control the speaker’s audio using the volume buttons on your phone.
You can do this by following the steps below:
- Open the Sonos S2 app on your device and tap the Settings tab.
- Then, navigate to the App preferences option, select Hardware Volume Control, and ensure it is enabled.
Enable Hardware Volume Control.
- Next, tap on Home Screen Volume Control and ensure it is enabled.
You can now use the volume buttons on your Android device to increase or decrease the volume. Our goal is to unmute the speaker, so you should increase the volume and then check whether the LED changes from green.
Note that the buttons will also work sometimes when the S2 app is closed but will not work under the following circumstances:
- When you are playing audio or video from another app, not the Sonos S2 app.
- When you have connected headphones to your Android device or when the screen reader is enabled.
- When you are viewing the home screen or if you are connected to a Bluetooth device that plays audio.
When It’s Flashing Green
The Move’s LED will flash green to show that the speaker is powered on and ready to be connected to a Wi-Fi network.
The LED usually flashes green when the speaker has been reset or is brand new and is waiting to be set up.
We will look at how to set up the speaker in a later section.
When It’s Flashing Red, White, Orange, and Green
Other times SONOS Move status LED will flash multiple colors, one of them being green. The colors are red, white, orange, and green. They indicate that the speaker is in a hardware diagnostic mode.
Hardware Diagnostic Mode
You can get out of this mode and get the speaker working by pressing the Join button on the back of the speaker.
The button has an infinity symbol label.
What to Do If the Status LED Is Stuck on Flashing Green?
The above solutions are for situations when the reason for the LED turning green is known and can be verified. Unfortunately, sometimes the LED can turn green and not turn back to any color.
This usually indicates that the speaker is encountering a problem and will not work as expected.
Here are some troubleshooting solutions you should try to get rid of the green flashing LED.
Restart the Speaker
When the Status LED randomly starts flashing green, it could be that the speaker has been disconnected from your device.
This can occur because of a system malfunction or because the distance between your router, speaker, and phone is too big to maintain a connection.
So, you should ensure the router, the Sonos Move, and your phone are close to each other.
Then disconnect the speaker from the charger or charging base and press the power button. It’s on the back of the speaker, above the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth button.
Release the power button once the LEDs on the speaker go off, indicating the speaker has powered off.
Press the POWER button for 5 seconds to turn off your SONOS Move.
Finally, connect the Sonos Move to a USB charger or place it on the charging base to power it on. Alternatively, press the power button, and the speaker will power on.
Once the speaker is on, check the status LED and see if it’s still flashing green. If it is, it might have disconnected from the Sonos S2 app.
You should also try to restart the router and your phone.
Finish the Setup Process
If the speaker powers back on and is still flashing green instead of connecting to your device, continue with the setup procedure.
That will allow the speaker and your device to reconnect afresh, clearing any bugs that might have disconnected the speaker from your device and the S2 app.
You can continue with the setup procedure by following the steps below:
- Ensure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network you intend to connect the speaker.
- Then open the Sonos S2 app and select Set up a new system. Log in to your Sonos account.
- The app should display a popup that shows the Sonos Move speaker. Click Add.
Tap on Add and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your SONOS Move.
- The app will then guide you through the rest of the setup procedures as you have already established a connection between the speaker and your device.
Alternatively, you can open the S2 app and click on Settings > System > Add product and follow the prompts on the app to add the Move speaker to an already existing system.
The LED on the speaker should be solid white once the connection to the S2 app is complete.
Setting Up a SONOS Speaker
Note that the Move must be connected to a Wi-Fi network before using a Bluetooth connection on the speaker. So, ensure you set it up via the app as the first thing when you get the Sonos Move.
Disable the LED
If you are experiencing the rare instance where the LED is flashing green, yet everything is working, you can disable it via the app.
The prerequisite is that the speaker is powered on and connected to your device via Wi-Fi. Therefore, if the speaker is only flashing green and it’s not in setup mode, you can disable the LED to make it less irritating.
This solution hides the LED instead of fixing the issue, so you will have to contact Sonos later and describe your issue to the customer representative.
The representative will then guide you on the next steps you should take.
You can disable the LED on the Move by following these steps:
- Open the SONOS S2 app and on to the Settings tab.
- Select System, then tap on the SONOS Move speaker.
- Go to the Hardware option and toggle Status Light Off.
Disabling the status light will make the green light go away, but it won’t fix the problem.
Disabling the Status LED on Your SONOS Speaker
Reset the Speaker
The issue with the green flashing LED can be persistent to the extent the speaker will not connect to the Sonos app.
In such a case, consider factory resetting the speaker since the issue could be caused by a bug, and a factory reset will resolve it.
A reset will also clear any custom settings on the speaker that might be affecting the setup procedure, causing the status LED to flash green.
You can reset the Sonos Move by following these steps:
- Disconnect the speaker from the USB charger or its charging base.
- Press and hold the power button until the speaker plays a power-off chime and the LEDs go off.
- While holding the Join button, put the speaker back on the charging base. Do not release the button. The Join button is on the back of the speaker below the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi button.
SONOS Move – JOIN Button
- Release the Join button when you see the status LED flashing orange and white.
Hold the JOIN button when the LED starts flashing orange and green.
- You will know the reset is complete once the status LED starts flashing green.
Resetting SONOS Move – VIDEO TUTORIAL
Connect the Speaker to a Different Wi-Fi Network
The Wi-Fi network you intend to connect the Sonos Move to could also be the problem.
Therefore, consider connecting the speaker to a different Wi-Fi network in case it is incompatible with the current one.
You can connect the Move to a new network by following these steps:
- Ensure your mobile device is connected to the alternative Wi-Fi network and the Move is powered on.
- Open the S2 app, go to the Settings tab, and tap on any of the following notifications “Sonos and your mobile device must be on the same network. Let’s fix it”, “Unable to find your Sonos system”, or “Update your network settings.”
When your SONOS S2 app shows you this message, tap on it.
- Tap on ‘Update Network’ when the new window will pop up on your device.
Tap on Update Network.
- Next, tap on Find System when the app reminds you to ensure the Sonos device is powered on.
Tap on Find System.
- Click on the Sonos Move once the speaker appears on the app as one of the Sonos devices nearby. Tap on Select.
- Select Continue, and the speaker will play a chime after a while to indicate it has connected to your device.
- Go to the speaker and press the Join button. The app will request you enter the network’s Wi-Fi password. Do this carefully to avoid typos.
Enter your Wi-Fi network’s password and tap Connect.
- Tap Connect when you are done. Then, wait for the notification that the network has been added, and tap on Done.
- Restart the Sonos Move if it does not appear on the app after a while
If the speaker connects to the new network and the LED stops flashing green, the issue was likely an incompatible Wi-Fi network.
Connecting a SONOS Speaker to a New Wi-Fi Network
Use a Different Phone to Set Up the Speaker
Apart from the Wi-Fi network being the issue, the device you are using to set up the speaker could also be the problem.
Therefore, consider resetting the speaker. Then, download the S2 app on a different device and try the setup procedure there.
Ensure the phone has the latest firmware update to avoid further issues.
Contact Sonos Support
The last resort when the LED won’t stop flashing green is to contact the Sonos customer support team. Let the representative know the troubleshooting measures you have taken.
Another option is to post the problem on the Sonos community forum, and other users will suggest solutions that worked for them or solutions they think might work for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Why is my SONOS light blinking green?
- Answer: The SONOS Status LED will blink green to indicate the speaker is in setup mode and is ready to be connected to the Sonos app.
- Question: Why does my SONOS keep blinking?
- Answer: The SONOS product will flash its LED to communicate different messages. It could be that the battery is low, the device is ready to be set up, the speaker is receiving a firmware update, etc.
- Consult the Sonos LED guide to find out what the different LED colors and behaviors mean.
- Question: How do I reboot my SONOS Move?
- Answer:
- Remove the speaker from the charging base or USB cable.
- Press the power button until the speaker powers off, and you hear a power-off chime.
- Wait at least ten seconds before reconnecting the speaker to the charger or charging base.
- Question: How do I know my SONOS Move is charging?
- Answer: The battery LED on the front of the speaker will light solid orange for ten seconds and then go off. The speaker will still be charging even after the LED is off.
SONOS Move – Status and Battery LEDs.
Conclusion
The Sonos Move speaker is an exceptional unit that will serve you well if taken care of. The speakers are known to malfunction, but these problems are mild and are usually solved if you follow the correct steps.
Therefore, even when the status LED is stuck on a flashing green light, you don’t have to panic! Follow my troubleshooting tips, and you will fix it.
