Full use without a smartphone

[komax74]

I read in various posts that it seems not to be possible to browse or search for songs directly from the touch screen, but those posts were from 2024. I wanted to know if it is now possible to use the WiiM completely without a phone. I bought it to use on a shared terrace and I was hoping that after pairing platforms like Amazon Music or Spotify, I could play music and playlists even without a phone directly to touch screen.

I find it very limiting to always need a smartphone paired; many people use the terrace, and my phone isn't always available.

Is there a solution? For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms. Thank you very much.

 

[Burnside]

No, you really do need a phone to fully operate an ultra. I don’t know where you saw that you could select tracks from a usb stick on the touchscreen - while that has been discussed, it’s at best still in development. Perhaps what you saw was selection of a track from the play queue. Spotify access is entirely via Connect from the Spotify app, so again the screen can’t be used for that, and I suspect it’ll be a very long time till you can access Amazon music that way.

Really, the best you can do is setup playlists, assign them to presets from the app and then access them via the touchscreen.

 

[hgo58]

I read in various posts that it seems not to be possible to browse or search for songs directly from the touch screen, but those posts were from 2024. I wanted to know if it is now possible to use the WiiM completely without a phone. I bought it to use on a shared terrace and I was hoping that after pairing platforms like Amazon Music or Spotify, I could play music and playlists even without a phone directly to touch screen.

I find it very limiting to always need a smartphone paired; many people use the terrace, and my phone isn't always available.

Is there a solution? For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms. Thank you very much.

You can use an old spare phone to control the WiiM. You can have the WiiM Home App on multiple phones and use one with only this app installed (and not locked) for shared use.

Another option is to let each user install the WiiM Home App and connect to the same (guest) network as used by the WiiM.

 

[harkpabst]

And it doesn't even have to be the WiiM Home app if the goal is to allow music playback from the attached USB storage. Apps like BubbleUPnP or Hi-Fi Cast can be used as well since the WiiM Ultra runs its own media server, exposing the contents of the USB storage to the entire network.

For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms.

For clarification: The streaming platforms' apps don't run on the WiiM Ultra. They always run on your mobile device, either as native apps or integrated into the WiiM Home app. The Ultra itself has no means to navigate their contents. The apps just I struct it, which stream to retrieve, like a remote control.

Presets are available from the touchscreen display as well as the app and (with limitations) remote. There are currently 12 of them but WiiM have already announced to increase this number to 30 later on.

 

[CliffyBC]

I read in various posts that it seems not to be possible to browse or search for songs directly from the touch screen, but those posts were from 2024. I wanted to know if it is now possible to use the WiiM completely without a phone. I bought it to use on a shared terrace and I was hoping that after pairing platforms like Amazon Music or Spotify, I could play music and playlists even without a phone directly to touch screen.

I find it very limiting to always need a smartphone paired; many people use the terrace, and my phone isn't always available.

Is there a solution? For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms. Thank you very much.

Buy a cheap 7 or 8" tablet and use that?

 

[komax74]

Ok, thank you very much. It's a shame for me; I thought that WiiM Ultra was an Android in every respect. I will consider whether to keep it or return it. Mostly, I need to understand if all of them are like this, or if devices like Eversolo Play have the possibility to install widgets on the machine and use them directly from there. Thanks to everyone for the response.

 

[hgo58]

Ok, thank you very much. It's a shame for me; I thought that WiiM Ultra was an Android in every respect. I will consider whether to keep it or return it. Mostly, I need to understand if all of them are like this, or if devices like Eversolo Play have the possibility to install widgets on the machine and use them directly from there. Thanks to everyone for the response.

The WiiMs don't run the Android OS. It uses a version of Linux/Unix adapted to handling digital audio in the most efficient way. That the Ultras have a display is just an additional feature compared to the other WiiM products. They still don't run any apps.

 

[Wiimer]

Ok, thank you very much. It's a shame for me; I thought that WiiM Ultra was an Android in every respect. I will consider whether to keep it or return it. Mostly, I need to understand if all of them are like this, or if devices like Eversolo Play have the possibility to install widgets on the machine and use them directly from there. Thanks to everyone for the response.

Yes, Eversolo is Android. You can install the music APP directly and control it on the screen.

But have you considered the risk of multiple guests being able to control Android devices at will?

 

[Machiavelli]

My bigger fear is multiple guests being able to control my Cognac depot

 

[Wiimer]

My biggest fear is multiple guests will put a lot of fingerprints on my Ultra screen.

 

[rccarguy]

I read in various posts that it seems not to be possible to browse or search for songs directly from the touch screen, but those posts were from 2024. I wanted to know if it is now possible to use the WiiM completely without a phone. I bought it to use on a shared terrace and I was hoping that after pairing platforms like Amazon Music or Spotify, I could play music and playlists even without a phone directly to touch screen.

I find it very limiting to always need a smartphone paired; many people use the terrace, and my phone isn't always available.

Is there a solution? For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms. Thank you very much.

Most streamers are getting this way, there are things only phone/PC (IP control) will allow you, as there too many options and setup just from the front.

I think with my old Squeezeboxes you don't need a phone

 

[cc_rider]

Most streamers are getting this way, there are things only phone/PC (IP control) will allow you, as there too many options and setup just from the front.

I think with my old Squeezeboxes you don't need a phone

Yeah, my Squeezebox Radio can be controlled entirely from its screen with buttons and rotary controls. It’s a PITA at best. A phone, tablet or computer controller is infinitely better in every aspect.

 

[rccarguy]

Yeah, my Squeezebox Radio can be controlled entirely from its screen with buttons and rotary controls. It’s a PITA at best. A phone, tablet or computer controller is infinitely better in every aspect.

It's doable on the larger Squeezebox touch, for smaller libraries or when using a USB stick. But for the TB I have, it's doable but phone is just easier (or PC better still) through LMS

With the small screen on a Ultra, it would be horrid. Be ok on eversolo or hifi rose though, since those have much larger screens. Would need to be fast as well.

 

[Krabin]

I read in various posts that it seems not to be possible to browse or search for songs directly from the touch screen, but those posts were from 2024. I wanted to know if it is now possible to use the WiiM completely without a phone. I bought it to use on a shared terrace and I was hoping that after pairing platforms like Amazon Music or Spotify, I could play music and playlists even without a phone directly to touch screen.

I find it very limiting to always need a smartphone paired; many people use the terrace, and my phone isn't always available.

Is there a solution? For example, I saw that with a USB stick, it's possible to change songs from the touch screen. I don’t understand why it's not possible to do the same for streaming platforms. Thank you very much.

As others have said, definitely not full use, but there is some limited use, and it's probably enough for most people. My roomate streams straight from is Spotify app with Spotify connect and controls it with his phone, never having to touch the the Ultra or use my phone. Chromecast also works: their phone just has to be connected to the same WiFi, that's it, no login. Spotify connect is a bit sketchy because if they initially connect, they can then connect from anywhere in the world as long as the WiiM is connected to internet. I trust my roommate, but not most other people, so I just let then know about chromecast and not Spotify connect. (I use Tidal connect, but nobody I know irl uses it lol.) Just make sure to limit the max volume so nobody blows out your speakers. Also, if you set some of your playlists as presets, those can be accessed from the screen and play, pause, volume, skip, back. They can't search a song, but they can access the EQ, which is probably undisireable.

 

[komax74]

I’ve seen the eversolo videos, I must say it’s much more complete, it also costs more than double so it’s understandable. The fact that you can activate functions from the display doesn’t mean you leave the WiiM accessible to anyone; maybe it would be enough to set simple passwords or other restrictions to limit access. But overall, having a nice touch display is almost useless since you hardly do anything with it in the end.

 

[hgo58]

I’ve seen the eversolo videos, I must say it’s much more complete, it also costs more than double so it’s understandable. The fact that you can activate functions from the display doesn’t mean you leave the WiiM accessible to anyone; maybe it would be enough to set simple passwords or other restrictions to limit access. But overall, having a nice touch display is almost useless since you hardly do anything with it in the end.

The screen on the Ultra is a secondary feature and don't get that much attention from the WiiM team. The primary control is a phone/tablet.

 

[Ivan]

That's why a cd player (or turntable) with analogue amplifier and 2 standard speakers are still unbeatable.

 

[agriff79]

That's why a cd player (or turntable) with analogue amplifier and 2 standard speakers are still unbeatable.

You're prepared to let guests loose on your limited edition pink vinyl

 

[Zap Rekowski]

My biggest fear is multiple guests will put a lot of fingerprints on my Ultra screen.

My own would already annoy me...

 

[Zap Rekowski]

That's why a cd player (or turntable) with analogue amplifier and 2 standard speakers are still unbeatable.

...or simply make music together with the family, accordion, flute, triangle, and wooden guitar