Why You Need a Third-Party Sonos App
The official Sonos app does the fundamentals: play music, group speakers, adjust volume. But it completely ignores the features that make controlling smart home devices feel natural on iPhone.
What’s Missing From the Official Sonos App
The big ones are Widgets – you have to unlock your phone and open the app every single time you want to pause music. There's no Apple Watch app, despite users requesting it since 2015. No Shortcuts integration means no automation, no Siri commands, no NFC triggers. Live Activities don't exist, so you can't control playback from Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. And you can only control speakers when you're on the same WiFi network – no remote access when you're away from home.
Third-party apps exist because Sonos left these gaps wide open.
Thirt party apps' medium and small Widgets compared. Beware that Soro only offers a small Widget.
The Apps Compared
Six third-party apps dominate the Sonos alternative space. Each solves different problems with different approaches. We test these apps regularly so you don't have to. Here's a quick comparison of all of them:
* one-time purchase price in the US App Store as of January 2026
Lyd – Focus on Speed and Simplicity
$6.99 one-time | 14-day free trial
Lyd was built starting in 2019 with a singular focus: creating the best Apple Watch remote for Sonos. The Digital Crown volume adjustment, watch face complications, and ability to send voice messages from your wrist were refined over thousands of hours of real-world use – not afterthought features added later.The Watch app offers full playback control, room switching, playlist browsing, and the ability to group and ungroup speakers, all from your wrist.
Building on that Watch foundation, Lyd delivers all the iOS integrations that make living with Sonos effortless: Lock Screen playback controls for instant access without unlocking your phone, Home Screen Widgets in multiple sizes for at-a-glance control, and Live Activities that persist reliably in Dynamic Island. This means controlling music becomes as simple as glancing at your screen and tapping – no app hunting, no unlocking, no waiting for apps to load.
Shortcuts support includes basic automation with Siri voice commands. "Pause with Lyd" works instantly, and automations can trigger music when alarms go off or pause everything when leaving home. We put together a collection of helpful automations here.
Lyd connects through local WiFi and via Sonos Cloud, which means controlling speakers from anywhere – not just when home on WiFi. S1 and S2 systems are both supported as separate households with instant switching. Guest Mode enables controlling someone else's Sonos system when visiting their home or staying at a vacation rental – just join their WiFi and toggle Guest Mode, no credential sharing needed.
Clic – Multi-Platform Premium Option
$14.99/year or $59.99 lifetime
Clic takes a different approach: one purchase unlocks apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and even Vision Pro. If you control Sonos from multiple devices regularly, this breadth makes sense.
The feature depth matches the platform coverage. Clic offers Scenes for saving speaker group configurations, direct browsing of integrated music services (no Sonos Favorites workaround needed), and audio quality indicators showing bit depth and Dolby Atmos status. The Watch app is polished, the TV app is genuinely useful for home theater setups.
The tradeoff is price. At $59.99 lifetime, Clic is the most expensive Sonos control app. And despite covering every Apple platform, it's still local WiFi only – no remote access. Both S1 and S2 are supported, though not simultaneously.
Soro – Shortcuts Powerhouse
$7.99 one-time
Soro leads in one specific area: automation. With over 30 documented Shortcuts actions (alarm management, EQ presets, stereo pair control, playlist additions), it's the specialist choice for people building complex routines.
The standout feature is Speak Text – dictate a message and Soro uses text-to-speech to play it through any speaker, like HomePod's Intercom (though Lyd has a "Voice Message" feature too). Sound presets let you save and recall EQ configurations via Shortcuts or Control Center.
The critical limitation: no Apple Watch app. If you want both Shortcuts and Watch control, Soro can't do it. It also only supports S2 systems – older S1 hardware won't work. And like most Sonos control apps, it's local WiFi only.
Orto – Budget Multi-Device Bundle
$5.99 one-time
Orto offers the best price-to-platform ratio: $5.99 gets you iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV support. If you want Apple TV control for home theater setups, Orto is one of only two options (the other being Clic at 5 times the price).
The Watch app includes playback controls, volume adjustment, and complications. Multi-household support handles separate Sonos systems. Music searching works for Spotify and Apple Music directly.
However, Orto has pulled back features, and users report the Watch app sometimes requires frequent iPhone syncing. Both S1 and S2 work, which is a plus.
Sono+ – Widget Specialist
$0.99/month, $2.99/year, or $9.99 lifetime
Sono+ positions itself as a "quick controls" complement rather than a full controller replacement. The focus is comprehensive widget coverage: Home Screen, Lock Screen, Control Center, Live Activities, and Apple Watch Smart Stack integration.
Music browsing is limited – Sono+ is really about fast access to playback controls from every iOS surface. The pricing tiers give flexibility (monthly, yearly, or lifetime), though at $9.99 lifetime it's still more expensive than other apps' broader feature sets.
SonoPhone – Legacy Hardware Specialist
$3.99 one-time
SonoPhone is the cheapest option and takes a specific approach: complete controller replacement with explicit S1 and S2 support in one unified interface.The app displays all speakers from both firmware generations together (though cross-grouping remains impossible due to Sonos limitations). It emphasizes efficiency with single-tap controls and swipe gestures, and supports older iOS 15 devices when others require iOS 17+.
The tradeoff: no widgets, no Watch app, no Shortcuts. SonoPhone feels dated compared to modern iOS expectations, but it serves a clear niche for legacy hardware.
Final Verdict: Which App Makes Sense for Most People
For Sonos users wanting better iOS integration, Lyd offers the most complete package at a reasonable price.
iPhone Integration Covers All the Essential Controls
Lock Screen Widgets and Live Activities provide instant playback control without unlocking. Home Screen Widgets in multiple sizes offer at-a-glance control. Live Activities persist in Dynamic Island for continuous access while using other apps. Shortcuts enable basic automation and Siri voice commands. These features transform Sonos control from "find the app, wait for it to load, then adjust playback" into "glance and tap."
Remote Access via Sonos Cloud Is Uniquely Useful
Checking whether music was accidentally left playing while away from home, then stopping it remotely, solves a common frustration. Every other third-party app requires being on the same WiFi network as the speakers.
Apple Watch Control Adds Wrist Convenience
When cooking with messy hands, working out, or simply having a phone across the room, Watch control becomes essential rather than nice-to-have. Lyd has been refined specifically for this since 2019. Clic and Orto also offer Watch apps, but Clic costs twice as much and Orto has reported reliability issues. Soro has no Watch app at all.
The Pricing Structure Is Straightforward
At $6.99 one-time after 14-day free trial, Lyd costs significantly less than Clic ($59.99 lifetime) and slightly more than the budget option Orto($5.99 paid download). The feature set includes comprehensive widgets, Live Activities, Shortcuts, remote access, Watch control, and both S1/S2 support – more features than any competitor at a similar or lower price.
No Subscription Lock-in
Clic offers yearly subscriptions. Sono+ has monthly and yearly options. Lyd is one-time purchase to use forever.
Where There Are Better Options
Complex automation requiring 30+ Shortcuts actions is better served by Soro. Multi-device control across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV favors Clic or Orto. The absolute cheapest option with legacy hardware support is SonoPhone. But for the most common use case – making Sonos work better with iPhone and Apple Watch – Lyd delivers the right balance.
The 14-day free trial removes risk. Test Lock Screen and Home Screen Widgets. Try remote access when away from home. Experience Watch control while cooking. See whether the integrations fit your workflow. If they don't, there's no commitment.
Not Convinced Yet?
Browse more of Lyd's features:
