Why Automate Sonos?
Shortcuts let you control Sonos without opening any app. Instead of unlocking your phone, opening the Sonos app, waiting for it to load, finding the right room, and finally tapping pause – a frustratingly slow process that takes several steps – you can just trigger an automation and it happens instantly.
Common Use Cases
Pause all speakers when a phone call comes in
Start your morning playlist when your alarm goes off
Pause all speakers when you leave home
Tap an NFC tag in your kitchen to play music
Ask Siri to pause the kitchen speaker while cooking
The Problem: Sonos Doesn't Support This
Despite years of user requests, the official Sonos app offers zero Shortcuts integration. No automations. No Siri commands beyond basic HomeKit support (which requires compatible speakers and separate setup).
👉 You need a third-party app that exposes Sonos controls to Apple's Shortcuts ecosystem.
How Lyd Makes This Possible
Lyd integrates directly with iOS Shortcuts, giving you three essential automation actions:
Play a specific speaker or group
Pause a specific speaker or group
Pause All speakers at once
These core actions unlock the most common automation needs — and Lyd is actively expanding Shortcut support with more actions coming in future updates.
An overview of Lyd's available Shortcut actions
Practical Automation Examples
Auto-Pause When Calls Start
The problem is simple: music blasting from your Sonos speakers when a call comes in. The solution is just as straightforward. Create a Personal Automation in Shortcuts that triggers when the Phone app is opened, then set it to run Lyd's "Pause All" action. Now every incoming or outgoing call instantly silences all Sonos speakers.
Pause all speakers when the "Phone" app is opened
NFC Tag Quick-Start
The problem: Too many taps to start your cooking playlist. The solution starts with buying a cheap NFC sticker and sticking it in your kitchen. Then create an automation that triggers when the NFC tag is scanned and tells Lyd to play your "Kitchen" group. From that point on, just tap your phone to the tag and music starts instantly.
Play music in the kitchen when tapping an NFC tag
Tap your iPhone to the NFC tag and instantly start playing a specific Sonos speaker – no app opening required
Morning Wake-Up Routine
The problem: You want music to start gently when your alarm goes off. The solution is to create an automation that triggers when your alarm is stopped – you can choose a specific alarm – and have it tell Lyd to play music in your "Bedroom" group. Pair this with a Sonos sleep timer the night before, and you've automated your entire sleep-to-wake music experience.
Build your own Sonos music alarm clock with this automation
Auto-Pause When Leaving Home
The problem: You leave the house and realize hours later that music has been playing to an empty home, wasting energy and potentially annoying neighbors. The solution is beautifully simple. Create a location-based automation that triggers when you leave home and tells Lyd to pause all your Sonos speakers. Your iPhone detects when you've left, and the music stops automatically – no more rushing back to check if you remembered to turn everything off.
A simple location-based automation that pauses all Sonos speakers when you leave home
More Actions Coming Soon
Lyd currently focuses on the most-used automation needs: starting and stopping playback. Future updates will add more Shortcut actions — volume control, grouping speakers, playlist selection, and beyond.
The app is actively evolving based on what users actually automate.
Why Lyd for Shortcuts?
Unlike the official Sonos app (zero Shortcuts support) or automation-only competitors that require dedicated devices running 24/7, Lyd gives you instant access to Shortcuts alongside Widgets, Apple Watch control, and Lock Screen integration — all in one app, with a single one-time purchase.
Not Convinced Yet?
Browse more of Lyd's features:
