Sonos speakers are built for seamless wireless performance, but like any smart device, things can occasionally go sideways—maybe your speaker isn’t connecting, isn’t showing up in the app, or you’re handing it off to someone else. That’s when a factory reset might be your best option.
But before you hit the reset button (figuratively and literally), it’s important to understand which kind of reset you actually need. Sonos offers two kinds: a reboot and a factory reset. Only the latter erases your data—so don’t confuse the two.
Soft Reboot vs Factory Reset: What’s the Difference?
- Reboot (Soft Reset): This just power cycles the speaker. It’s like turning it off and on again, and it won’t delete anything. Use this if your speaker is unresponsive or glitchy.
- Factory Reset (Hard Reset): This wipes all your settings, disconnects the speaker from your system, and returns it to its out-of-the-box state.
If you’re troubleshooting a small issue, always try a reboot first. Only do a full factory reset if:
- You’re giving the speaker to someone else
- You’re removing it from your Sonos system entirely
- The speaker isn’t appearing in the Sonos app, even after trying to re-add it
Related: How to Reset a JBL Speaker
How to Factory Reset Most Sonos Speakers
This process works for Sonos One, Five, Roam, Beam, Arc, Move, and older models like the Play:1 or Playbar. The steps are very similar across the board:
- Unplug the speaker from power.
- While unplugged, press and hold the Join button (sometimes labeled as Play/Pause or Infinity symbol, depending on your model).
- While still holding the button, plug the speaker back in.
- Continue holding the button until the LED light flashes orange and white, then release.
- Wait for the LED to flash green. This indicates the speaker has been reset and is ready to be set up again.
Once it’s flashing green, it’s back to factory settings and ready to be added to a new system via the Sonos app.
What About Sonos Roam and Move?
Sonos Roam and Move include batteries and support Bluetooth, so their reset process is slightly different.
For Sonos Roam:
- Power off the speaker by holding the power button for 5 seconds.
- Once it’s off, press and hold the Play/Pause button.
- While holding, press and release the Power button.
- Continue holding the Play/Pause button until the light flashes orange and white, then green.
For Sonos Move:
- Take the speaker off its charging base.
- Press and hold the Power button until it turns off completely.
- Press and hold the Join (∞) button.
- While holding, place the speaker back on the charger.
- Keep holding until you see the LED flash orange and white.
What to Do After the Reset
After a successful reset, open the Sonos app on your phone or tablet and choose Set up a new system. You’ll walk through the steps to reconnect the speaker to Wi-Fi, assign it to a room, and configure any music services.
Important: If you have a system with multiple Sonos speakers, resetting just one won’t affect the rest. You can add the reset speaker back to your existing system or start fresh.
Resetting a Sonos speaker is simple once you know the steps—but it should only be used when really necessary. If you’re unsure, try rebooting first or check for updates through the app before wiping your setup.
