Overview
- Sonos released an iOS app update on Monday, August 17, 2026 that introduces Live Activities to show basic Sonos playback on the iPhone Lock Screen.
- The Live Activity appears after you start playback and close the app and shows the room or group name plus the current title, and it disappears 15 minutes after playback stops.
- Live Activities are off by default and must be enabled in both the Sonos app settings and the Sonos section of iOS settings before they will appear.
- Controls are limited: you must unlock your iPhone to change playback, album art is not shown, and the feature displays on Apple Watch and CarPlay without interactive controls for now.
- The update follows a 2024 app redesign that prompted user backlash and a February 2026 pledge from CEO Tom Conrad to add lock-screen controls, and Sonos says it is exploring richer visuals and expanded controls as next steps.