How to Reset Sonos Play 5 Speakers: A Complete Guide

Having a quality sound system for playing music or a home theater requires connecting a few different components. Sometimes this can lead your speaker to misbehave, getting disconnected and failing to be recognized by the network or by other devices.

Sonos sound systems, though pretty great overall, are no exception to these cases. Learning to reset Sonos Play 5 speakers can fix some issues you could be facing when it comes to connectivity.

So read on to find out how to do just that, as well as how to reset your Sonos Controller mobile application to fix any problem on that end.

Why Reset Your Sonos Play 5 Speaker?

Factory resetting any device usually restores it to its condition right out of the box. This means all user data and preferences are deleted permanently, a step that you can’t undo.

While it’s not recommended as a troubleshooting step, it can be helpful in a few situations:

1. Synchronization issues where there’s an audio delay that doesn’t get resolved by rebooting the speaker.
2. Distorted audio output.
3. The Sonos Controller app’s failure to recognize the Sonos Play 5 speaker.
4. Repeated connection and disconnection.
5. The speaker’s failure to pair with other speakers/devices.
6. Wanting to clear your preferences before you sell the speaker
7. Buying second-hand Sonos Play 5 speaker to add to your sound system

Restoring the speaker to its condition at purchase can take care of software bugs and things that get out of order with regular use.

That said, you can’t expect factory resetting to fix issues that arise after the Sonos Play 5 speaker suffers physical damage from a fall or a serious bump.

Unfortunately, this might require taking your speaker to Sonos for repair if it’s still within the warranty period, or to a repair shop if it’s out of warranty.

Out of warranty, Sonos customer care sometimes suggests you send your faulty speaker to them in exchange for a discounted, refurbished product. This is common with older products like the Sonos Play 5 generation 1 or 2.

How to Reset a Sonos Play 5 Speaker

Here are the steps you need to take to factory reset your Sonos Play 5 speaker:

1. Unplug the power cord of your Sonos Play 5. It’s located at the rear end of the speaker.
2. Wait about 10 seconds for the device to completely power off.
3. While still unplugged, press and hold the Play/Pause button (▶॥) on top of the speaker.
4. With your finger still on the button, plug your speaker back in.
5. Keep holding the button until the light on the speaker flashes white/orange.
6. When the light turns green, the reset process is done and you can set up the speakers as new.

How to Reset the Sonos Controller Mobile App

Controlling your Sonos setup is done via a mobile app that you can use to add, remove, and adjust each Sonos component of your audio setup. That means there’s room for things to go less-than-well if the app itself decides to start acting up.

Correcting that usually requires you to reset your app and re-add each component at a time. Just keep in mind that resetting the app will remove all your accounts, devices, and audio preferences, so you’ll have to add them to the app once again.

Here are the steps you need to take to reset your Sonos App:

1. Open the Sonos app on your mobile device.
2. Select the Settings tab (☼) from the options bar below
3. Select “App Preferences”
4. Tap on “Reset App” at the bottom of the menu
5. Close the app and then relaunch it
6. You’ll get a screen with two options to either: “Set up new system” or “Join existing system”
7. If you had just reset your Sonos Play 5 speaker, you can go ahead and set up the new system. But be sure you’re using the common WiFi network to which both the speaker and the mobile device are connected.

Conclusion

Learning to reset Sonos Play 5 speakers is crucial if you’re facing a playback issue, like the speaker going out of sync or producing distorted sound. It can also resolve connectivity problems, like failure to connect to other devices or disconnecting frequently from the setup.

You might also need to reset your Sonos Play 5 speaker if you plan on selling it to someone else. Similarly, if you bought your speaker second-hand, it’s generally wise to reset it before adding it to your setup to avoid software bugs.

Lastly, if you reset your speaker but still face connectivity issues, you should try resetting the Sonos controller app on your phone or tablet.