How to Set an Alarm or Sleep Timer on Sonos

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

Alarms can be terrible, violent sounding screams that jar you out of a sound sleep. While we need them to wake us up so we can get on with our day, you don't need to settle for the normal screeching noises. Using your Sonos speakers and the Sonos Controller App, you can choose a favorite song, playlist, Spotify, or radio station to wake you up in the morning.

Similarly, if you want to go to sleep by music but don't want your speakers playing all night, you can set a sleep timer for your Sonos system to turn off after an hour. Sleep timers will turn off your speakers when a specific period of time has gone by. You can use sleep timers to time your workout, turn their speaker off after you're sure your kids are asleep, and many more applications.

Setting alarms and sleep timers on the Sonos system is similar across all devices. This guide will show you how to do it on smartphones and cover briefly the differences on how to do it on computers as well.

Tools You'll Need:

  • A paperclip
  • iPhone charging cable
  • Access to a computer with iTunes installed
  • Any other non-consumable tools needed
  • Comment out tools section if no tools are necessary

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Supplies You'll Need:

  • Zip ties
  • Any other consumable supplies
  • Comment out supplies section if no supplies are necessary

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Before You Begin:

You must have the Sonos Controller app installed

Assorted Sonos devices.

2. Set Alarms for Your Speakers

Set alarms to play across the entirety of your Sonos devices. Without adjusting settings, alarms may play for up to two hours.

Setting an Alarm Using a Smart Phone or Tablet

  1. Open the Sonos Controller App.
Sonos app
  1. From the Sonos menu, select Alarms.
Menu in Sonos Controller for mobile devices
  1. Tap on New Alarm.
Alarms screen in Sonos Controller for mobile devices
  1. Tap on each option to set your alarm preferences. Set the Time, select the speaker to play the alarm from Room, choose the Music to play during the alarm, set the Frequency of the alarm and the sound Volume of the alarm.
New Alarm settings customization screen in Sonos Controller on mobile devices
  1. Under Music, you can select the default Sonos Chime, your favorite music or radio station.
Alarm sound selection screen
  1. If you go into Advanced you can set the Duration of the alarm and you can enable the Include Grouped Rooms option to play the alarm on multiple speakers. When you set the music to other then radio, you get a third option which allows to Shuffle Music.
Advanced Alarm Settings screen
  1. Once you're done setting your alarm preferences tap on Save and your new alarm will be scheduled. You can add multiple alarms and enable or disable the ones you want to go off at the set time. Tap Done when everything is set the way you want.
Alarms list in Sonos Controller
  1. When your alarm goes off, it'll appear on the lockscreen of your iOS or Android device.
Lockscreen alert for the alarm
  1. Tapping the alert will bring up a menu allowing you to snooze, dismiss, or stop getting alerts all together.
The alarm menu

Setting an Alarm Using a Computer

  1. On a computer you have to click on Alarms at the bottom right corner of the Sonos Controller app.
Placement of Alarms option in Sonos Controller for computers
  1. Click on the Add button or the button with the plus sign "+".
  2. Click on each option to set your alarm preferences. You'll first need to turn the alarm on then set the Time, select the speaker to play the alarm from Room, choose the Music to play during the alarm, set the Frequency of the alarm and the sound Volume of the alarm. On a computer you can also choose the duration from here. Click OK when done.
New Alarm settings customization screen in Sonos Controller on computers

3. Tell Your Speakers When to Go to Sleep

Setting a sleep timer will tell your Sonos app to turn off the playback when it reaches a set time such as 15 minutes.

  1. Tap on the Now Playing bar at the bottom of the screen, from anywhere within the Sonos app.
Bottom bar in Sonos Controller highlighted
  1. On the Now Playing screen, tap on the three dots.
Placement of the More symbol highlighted on the Now Playing screen
  1. Tap on Sleep Timer at the bottom of the menu. To the right it will show whether the timer is off or how much time is left until the Sonos system is put to sleep.
More options menu
  1. Select after how much time the Sonos system should go to sleep.
Sleep timer duration selection screen on mobile

  1. On a computer you just have to click on the Sleep Timer button at the bottom right corner of the Sonos Controller app.
Sleep timer duration selection screen on computers
  1. You will get a confirmation message in the middle of the screen
Confirmation screen after setting the sleep timer