This isn't one of those table thumping demands asking Sonos to stand to attention and fix what I don't like. I know these forums don't work like that.
However it's been nearly 2 weeks since Sonos's rather bullish launch of the V8 app, and I'm sure they weren't expecting the tidal wave of dissent that has followed.
Now, before I go any further, I know there are people out there who jsut love the new app, and there are those who love the new black and white colour scheme. And I totally get that the the people who are unhappy are more likely to post on these forums than those that are happy.
However, regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, this very public display of dissatisfaction is not a very good for the company or its users. So maybe it's about time Sonos now made a statement -- not in reply to this or to me, or even on this forum, but something to say where the company stands which v8. Is it the vision the company sees for the app (and something we'll have to live with bar any minor tweaks) for some time to come, or is the very beginning of a big 'reset', that will see significant development in the short term. At least some pointer might stem the number of messages on here and let us know where things are heading.
Just a thought .... !
Andrew
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That's exactly what happened to me on 8.0. Apparently the update hadn't been pushed out to the app store yet. It worked 30 minutes later.
Nothing. Version 8.2 is a bad idea. Stay with 8.1.1, IMO.
I seem to be stuck in a loop. When I go to the Sonos app on my iPad, go into settings, software update, it says there is an update available, click the button to get it. That takes me to the App Store, but I’m not seeing any way to update it, as all I see is ‘Open.’ If I click that it takes me back to Sonos telling me to update again. What am I missing?
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
See it now?
I still don't know what the ability to combine favorites means, but you really think the smaller icons update is a big improvement? Please! Ok, so now just STATION icons are smaller. I've still gotta scroll through them, and select all to see them all. Then the next screen is just like it was before. How about changing the album icon size? Playlist icon size, too. This update is a JOKE. Just like everything else with Sonos, lately.
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
Ha! So is he responsible for what I see here in my first such over the top title?:https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/version-8-2-broke-my-system-6794151
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
See it now?
Big ‘rooms’ buttons requiring scrolling if you have more than 2 zones — uncheck
Glaring black and white colour scheme — uncheck
Less than elegant grouping functionality — uncheck
Menu bar at the bottom which looks like it should be persistent but isn’t — uncheck.
Not optimised for larger devices (iPads and the like) — uncheck.
But thank you Jgatie for highlighting the changes.
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
See it now?
Responsive indeed, in my opinion. To that end, I just noticed following today's app update a quick-tap from the now-playing screen to enter the current queue... Just to the right side of volume bar. Was that always there in V8 and I missed it, or is it a new addition?
Then I suggest you take a look at the changes made to the My Sonos section.
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
See it now?
Requested ability to combine favorites. Check!
Requested smaller icons in list view. Check!
See it now?
Over the next few releases, I think you'll be seeing some improvements that you like on the foundation of this app. The team is hard at work revising things, and though we can't share any specifics today, the team is really interested in seeing your feedback.
Well, now on 8.2, and I for one am not seeing it.
Andrew
Agreed with the latter, but the former may not be true in a broader sense; as voice control gets in, the use of the then seen to be supplementary app will change, dictating design changes there so perhaps some of these have crept in.
At this time I don't use voice, and the app changes leave me as unhappy as I am at every app change for the relearning involved, but no more.
Calling out the system as broken is a leap though, not just a stretch. And there IS another app that I use often, that remains very stable and unchanged. It needs a computer to use it though:-)
Userlevel 7
+17
The new app design has nothing to do with Alexa - one does not interact at all with the other. Only the firmware on the devices themselves required the necessary update to present themselves as discoverable and allow Alexa to push music to them. If you shut down all the devices running the sonos app in your home then Alexa would continue to work with Sonos. The design change just happened to co-incide with the Alexa update but one does not depend on the other
Lets say 30% of current sonos speaker owners don't want a microphone in their house. That's a major portion to me, notice I did not say MAJORITY.
You broke the system for these customers, to create a new market. Not cool.
Why is it not possible to make a 2nd app to accommodate the people who have no value in their privacy?
If I could sell all my speakers and cash out of the mess you have created, I would.
You broke the system for these customers, to create a new market. Not cool.
Why is it not possible to make a 2nd app to accommodate the people who have no value in their privacy?
If I could sell all my speakers and cash out of the mess you have created, I would.
Userlevel 1
Forcing users to go experiment with a 3rd party UI - and I have released a shitload of software over the past 12 years - much of my product development was based on users and superusers and beta user feedback in our forums to control versions - BACK UP versions in a Version 2.x update etc. SONOSPAD and the guy's SonosPhone app are where I'm headed to experiment now, while everyone in our 12 room house struggle to remember DO NOT UPGRDE THE SOFTWARE on their phones... Silly things really - remind you that its not the lions in the jungle that kill you, its the ants and mosquitos...
You would be wrong. I've been here for almost 10 years, and the Sonos Alexa announcement and subsequent private beta speculation was the one event that had people volunteering to participate in a beta before it was even announced. Hundreds, many of them first purchasers, were requesting entry into a beta that was not even officially happening. That shows the exact opposite from a major portion of users having no interest in a microphone in their homes.
I dont know your user demographics, but I would guess a major portion of your users have 0 interest in a microphone in their homes. I think this is a huge miscalculation replacing a terrific 8 years in the making application, for something a smaller % of your users will make use of.
Im astounded at the adoption of home microphone devices and disgusted that my Sonos speakers are playing along with it and sacrificing my user experience to boot . I cant be the only one. I hope the masses vote with their wallets.
Im astounded at the adoption of home microphone devices and disgusted that my Sonos speakers are playing along with it and sacrificing my user experience to boot . I cant be the only one. I hope the masses vote with their wallets.
Userlevel 7
+26
The 8.1 release is mostly the software for the Sonos One, it also has a few bug fixes, but largely that's all that's in it. It's also been mostly completed for some time now and couldn't be delayed to add more things to it since some Sonos Ones are already in people's homes.
There are some changes coming to the app, but they need to go through a full release process; design, development, review, and testing. There's a lot of feedback that's come in, and the team is working with it. You might see some changes in the next few releases that you like, and we will be continuing to improve the app going forward.
There are some changes coming to the app, but they need to go through a full release process; design, development, review, and testing. There's a lot of feedback that's come in, and the team is working with it. You might see some changes in the next few releases that you like, and we will be continuing to improve the app going forward.
Well, all that may be. I paid my money, bought the kit, and in that respect our contract is done.
I just remember very clearly being shown the CR200 in the shop (back in 2009), being blown away by it and buying it on the spot.
Truly, if I was shown the V8 running on an Ipad in a shop today, I would think the company was having a laugh at my expense. I really wouldn't buy it. It is indeed coming up to the holiday season, and in that respect, the app is a terrible terrible shop front.
I've said my bit, and I am signing off on this topic now. I await v8.2 -- and hope that Ryan is true to his word.
Kindest regards
Andrew
I just remember very clearly being shown the CR200 in the shop (back in 2009), being blown away by it and buying it on the spot.
Truly, if I was shown the V8 running on an Ipad in a shop today, I would think the company was having a laugh at my expense. I really wouldn't buy it. It is indeed coming up to the holiday season, and in that respect, the app is a terrible terrible shop front.
I've said my bit, and I am signing off on this topic now. I await v8.2 -- and hope that Ryan is true to his word.
Kindest regards
Andrew
Userlevel 7
+17
Easier said than done -- ? Yes, of course it is --- isn't everything? But possible ? Yes of course -- and probably very doable. I'm sure that Sonos use high level cross platform development tools and are not sitting there coding in binary. I don't really buy that this was not do-able -- even if it wasn't in the original road map. Thing's change. I think as a 'nod' to acknowledge they are listening, it would have been a positive move. The bigger changes could have come later.
Andrew
maybe I phrased it incorrectly. Of course its possible and its also not that difficult. Its just difficult to do all of that in 2 weeks given other priorities and developments they have in the pipeline. Like any company, they have finite resources and have to dedicate those to where they believe it brings the biggest benefit. At this time of year it will be about maximising sales in the holiday period so appeasing existing users at the expense of new ones is probably not top of the list compared to, for example, Getting Spotify on Sonos via Alexa up and running.
No, just "nod" to your tune. 😃
No, I'm not (of course) asking Sonos to suspend their release strategy. there was no hint that this is what I was asking. Nor am I asking Sonos to dance to my tune. Ryan said himself that there would be positive changes in the next couple of releases. Wouldn't he know better than any of us speculating on here ?
Easier said than done -- ? Yes, of course it is --- isn't everything? But possible ? Yes of course -- and probably very doable. I'm sure that Sonos use high level cross platform development tools and are not sitting there coding in binary. I don't really buy that this was not do-able -- even if it wasn't in the original road map. Thing's change. I think as a 'nod' to acknowledge they are listening, it would have been a positive move. The bigger changes could have come later.
Andrew
Easier said than done -- ? Yes, of course it is --- isn't everything? But possible ? Yes of course -- and probably very doable. I'm sure that Sonos use high level cross platform development tools and are not sitting there coding in binary. I don't really buy that this was not do-able -- even if it wasn't in the original road map. Thing's change. I think as a 'nod' to acknowledge they are listening, it would have been a positive move. The bigger changes could have come later.
Andrew
Userlevel 7
+17
it sounds easier than it is. Its not just 'replace white by black and black by white' You also have to think about the other coloured fonts, backgrounds and icons in use and whether they will give problems when the colours are inverted in which case you need new versions of those also. You need to build the interface to make the change itself and then apply it across all necessary screens and test everything. Combine that wit the fact they are sure to be trying to rectify some of the other issues identified in the app and trying to handle those in parallel. Its definitely not a 2 week job !
Andrew, I would suggest to you that your expectation for Sonos to suspend their current release strategy which has probably been in place for a year or more in order to squeeze in a UI change, any UI change, in a mere two weeks, is unrealistic at best. The software development and QA cycle just doesn't work that way. You will see these changes, but I would not expect them to start showing up until after the holidays at the very soonest (and even that would mean Sonos is doing some priority shifting).
"Dark Mode" surely can't be that hard to implement, sort the rest of the dog's dinner out over later releases..
So a few messages back Ryan suggested the next few releases will see some positive changes.
Sonos has now pushed out 8.1 which fixes ....... nothing.
Sure it would have been unreasonable to ask for any big interface changes in a little over 2 weeks. But could you not tone down the colour scheme just a little ?????? Would that really have been a big deal ? Really don’t think Sonos are listening to anyone anymore and it’s not a good sign.
Andrew
Sonos has now pushed out 8.1 which fixes ....... nothing.
Sure it would have been unreasonable to ask for any big interface changes in a little over 2 weeks. But could you not tone down the colour scheme just a little ?????? Would that really have been a big deal ? Really don’t think Sonos are listening to anyone anymore and it’s not a good sign.
Andrew
Userlevel 1
As an early tester of the v8 app, it quickly became apparent that it was a dogs breakfast in terms of usability. Spousal approval was at an all-time low and the responses to the surveys reflected that. Personally, I hardly noticed the colour change which has received lots of attention, but fundamentally changing how the app functions and then persisting with that change to release in the face of overwhelmingly negative feedback does seem to be somewhat foolish.
If you're going to have an open beta program, then please listen to us when that feedback is bad and don't be afraid to revert backwards. Although, I suspect that in order to hit the holiday season release, along with Alexa integration, the non-GUI parts of the app were already so intertwined with the interface that the developer's hands were tied.
Nevertheless, the app has gone from being intuitive and easy to use to neither of those attributes today.
If you're going to have an open beta program, then please listen to us when that feedback is bad and don't be afraid to revert backwards. Although, I suspect that in order to hit the holiday season release, along with Alexa integration, the non-GUI parts of the app were already so intertwined with the interface that the developer's hands were tied.
Nevertheless, the app has gone from being intuitive and easy to use to neither of those attributes today.
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