Sonos Voice Control expands to Philips Hue smart home control
Sonos Voice Control, the audio giant’s proprietary smart assistant, is poised for a significant expansion beyond its core music functionalities. By the end of this year, the voice platform is expected to integrate with Philips Hue, a leading smart home lighting system, allowing users to control their lights through voice commands. This move marks the first time Sonos Voice Control will extend its capabilities to another smart home platform, signaling a broader ambition for the assistant.
Launched in 2022, Sonos Voice Control was developed as an alternative to established voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, specifically tailored for Sonos’s ecosystem of smart speakers. Its initial capabilities focused on core audio control, such as adjusting volume, grouping multiple Sonos speakers for multi-room audio, and playing music from popular streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify. A key differentiator for Sonos Voice Control has been its emphasis on user privacy; all voice commands are processed locally on the device, ensuring that personal data is never sent to the cloud. This “private-by-design” approach stems from Sonos’s 2019 acquisition of Snips, a Paris-based company specializing in on-device AI voice platforms.
While the assistant has gradually expanded its features over the past few years to include basic functions like setting timers and checking weather forecasts, its compatibility with Philips Hue represents a major leap in its utility. Although specific details on how the integration will function are still emerging, reports from Hueblog, a dedicated Philips Hue news source, suggest that users will gain the ability to perform common lighting controls. This could include turning individual lights on or off, adjusting brightness levels, and activating pre-set lighting scenes using simple voice commands directed at their Sonos speakers.
This interoperability with a third-party smart home system signifies a strategic pivot for Sonos Voice Control, moving it beyond a mere audio controller into a more comprehensive smart home hub. The potential for deeper integration with other smart home devices could position Sonos as a central command point for connected homes, leveraging its established presence in living spaces.
Further details regarding this integration are anticipated to be unveiled at a Philips Hue media event scheduled for September 3rd, 2025. This event, typically held during the IFA show in Berlin, is where Philips Hue traditionally announces its latest products and services. Sonos has been contacted for comment regarding this potential expansion of its voice control capabilities, though no official statement has been released yet.