The Sonos Roam requires a WiFi connection in the initial setup, but you won’t have to always keep your WiFi active when using it. That means that you can disable WiFi if you want to. However, you will miss out on several features.
Your Sonos Roam will work perfectly without a WiFi connection which means you can still play music from your phone.
How to Setup Sonos Roam without WiFi
Set up a new Sonos System with Roam
- Download the Sonos app for iOS or Android
- Open the Sonos app
- Tap Set Up a new system, then create or sign in to your Sonos account
- Tap Add on the popup showing your Sonos product
- Follow the steps in the app to setup your Roam and add your music services
Add Roam to your existing Sonos System
- Open the Sonos app for iOS or Android
- From the Settings tab, tap System > Add Product
- Follow the steps in the app to connect Roam to your Sonos system
How to Disable WiFi for your Sonos Roam
Disabling WiFi for your Sonos Roam is an easy process that only requires a few clicks on the Sonos app. To do so;
- Open the Sonos app on your Android or iOS device
- Select the “Settings” icon on the app and then select “System.” This will display the list of rooms and speakers.
- Select the room and then the Sonos Roam speaker you want to modify
- You will see a setting for WiFi. Select “Disable WiFi and the WiFi will be turned off.
Benefits of Turning off WiFi
While it is recommended to use both WiFi and Bluetooth, there are benefits to disabling the WiFi connection and going for the Bluetooth connection only. The most notable is that it makes the Sonos Roam a complete mobile speaker.
With the WiFi connection, your Sonos Roam is never truly offline. It would be connected to your router and must be within the range of your home or wherever the router is located, even though it gives a better signal range. If you wish to move out or the range of the WiFi router, then the Bluetooth connection becomes the better pick.
The other reason why using Bluetooth is way better is due to the stability of the signal and the quality of the music. If you’re going to keep your speaker and your phone close, then you won’t need the WiFi connection. The Bluetooth signal will stay the same regardless of weather conditions which tend to affect the signal strength of the WiFi. In addition, the quality of music is usually better with Bluetooth and digital lapses are not a thing.
Drawbacks to Turning off WiFi
There are some hurdles when it comes to disabling your WiFi connection. The most significant is the range. The Bluetooth connection has a fairly limited range so you would have to keep your phone close to the speaker to keep the music playing. Moving a certain distance away from the speaker will cut off the music. With WiFi, you get a better range that doesn’t confine you to a certain spot like the Bluetooth connection.
To add to that, disabling WiFi means you won’t be able to use the Sonos app. The Sonos app gives you complete control of the Roam speaker without being near it. You can control the volume and many more functions straight off the app. Without the WiFi connection, this won’t happen.
Pair Sonos Roam with Bluetooth
If you want to pair, disconnect, and reconnect your Sonos Roam via Bluetooth, you can follow these steps.
Before you start, ensure the room has been set up with the Sonos app on Wi-Fi before you can connect to your device via Bluetooth. Also, make sure Roam is powered on and awake
Pair your device with Roam
- Press and hold the power button on the back of the Roam for two seconds, and release. You will hear the pairing tone and the status LED on the front will start flashing blue.
- Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and select Roam from the device list
- When paired, you will hear another tone and the status LED will change to solid blue.
Pair a different device with Roam
- After you’ve paired Roam with one device, you can follow the steps below to pair it to a different device.
- Press and hold the power button on the back of Roam for two seconds, and release. You will hear the pairing tone and the status LED on the front will start flashing blue.
- If the status LED turns solid blue, it means it has been paired with the previous device. Repeat this step to place Roam into pairing mode.
- Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and select Roam from the device list
- When paired, you will hear another tone and the status LED will change to solid blue.
Disconnect your device from Roam
Follow these steps to disconnect your Bluetooth device from Roam
From your Bluetooth device
- Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings
- Select Roam and tap or click Disconnect
From Roam
- While Roam is paired to your device via Bluetooth, press and hold the power button on the back of roam for two seconds, and release. You will hear the pairing tone and the status LED on the front will start flashing blue.
- Repeat the first step and Roam will disconnect from Bluetooth. When this happens, the status light will turn solid white
Reconnect Roam with Bluetooth
Follow these steps to reconnect to Roam from a previously paired device
From your Bluetooth device:
- Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings
- Select Roam from the list of previously connected devices to reconnect your paired device.
From Roam:
- Press and hold the power button on the back of Roam for two seconds, and release.
- The status LED on the front will turn solid blue and you will hear a tone confirming Roam has reconnected to your Bluetooth device.
