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Question

Can I use an older version of Sonos App


This new app is a complete disaster. Sonos had become part of my music experience; I’ve been using it for almost 10 years, and I’ve figured ways to move between music services, manage playlists, explore artists, queue up songs. This new update has removed at least 10 feature that I’ve noticed in the last week, and I imagine it will take forever to fix.

 

Can I go back to the old app? I feel silly threatening to stop using Sonos, but this will seriously put me in Bluetooth mode, which is the first step.

 

I mean it’s so bad. Why was this a good idea?

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23 replies

Userlevel 3

Here are a few features that come immediately to mind:

  • Queue “up next” song - seriously, how could this be missed? Every member of my family has asked about this.
  • Manage play queue
  • Save song/artist to Tidal/Spotify
  • Add to Tidal playlist/add to Spotify playlist
  • Browse artist
  • Go to album
  • Song info
  • Search playlists/albums specifically - only the general search is there
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

On android you can revert to the old app. Search for thread with title revert app.

Userlevel 4
Badge +1

I tried to use restore my ios from a backup. Unfortunately, it installed the new version again.

Sonis the new app is bs. Let us download the old one again!

Userlevel 6
Badge +4

I tried to use restore my ios from a backup. Unfortunately, it installed the new version again.

Sonis the new app is bs. Let us download the old one again!

You have to disable Update in the app store AND App itself 

Userlevel 4
Badge +1

Yeah - unfortunately too late. Now I am screwed and MUST install all updates.

 

the volumesliders are so laggy and equalizer hidden. I get screens with no information and need more clicks for everyrhing. Especially back to homescreen is a pain, as I need two hands to get to the top left corner. As swiping isn‘t implemented properly.

 

I could cry. Spending almost 2,5k on a now s***** setup.

 

Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

Userlevel 1

A word of warning to anybody thinking of switching Broadband, the new Sonos App will not allow you just to update your new wireless network settings.

The only way you can update to your new network is to hard reset ALL your Sonos components and to rebuild your system from scratch.

The new app is definitely a step backwards for me and I am now considering getting rid of Sonos completely.

Userlevel 1

Godawful update to Sonos iOS app. UI is worse - where did all the features go? 

UX is not intuitive. App is laggy, lots of blank screens. Search is broken, can’t find songs, playlists that are in my services, seems to want to force me to choose a service first. Shuts down my move speakers after 15 minutes of active playtime, causing me to have to repower them manually. Stops playing music for no reason what so ever.

 

Do you do product planning of any sort such that you asked your own user community if they wanted this complete redesign of the app?

Do you do user testing? Do you dog food your own app?

I’d pay you to get the old version back. Literally, I’d buy a subscription to be able to not use your new app version.

Very disappointed.

Userlevel 6
Badge +6

You can use an older app if you have not updated.  If you updated on iOS, you are stuck with no roll back.  There’s an App called SonosPhone / SonosPad that works fairly well.  However, the older apps have lost the ability to make settings changes, so it’s ideal to have the older app or SonoPhone for playback and the new app for settings changes if you require them.  SNAFU.

Userlevel 4
Badge +1

This app feels like a pre-alpha in usability and takes away (meaningful access ) to features that have been enjoyed by the community for years. What’s the point of bringing a new app that has no way of competing with the old app within a reasonable timeframe?

Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

Userlevel 1

I agree completely that this new update is a train wreck. It makes me so frustrated and upset. I've also lost my ability to connect to my music library on an external hard drive. Lost all of my playlists. I'm angry every time I open the app. This is a major failure of leadership in the company.

Userlevel 1

On android you can revert to the old app. Search for thread with title revert app

Is this by using APK mirror? Seems sketchy to me?

Userlevel 6
Badge +4

On android you can revert to the old app. Search for thread with title revert app

Is this by using APK mirror? Seems sketchy to me?

Worked for me but at your own risk

Userlevel 4
Badge +6

Yes, you can in iOS. But, you need the signed *.ipa file, that is used for deployment.   So if you have one saved there are ways to install it.

Sonos could have easily remedied this DUMPSTER FIRE they created by publishing or making available the earlier release IPA file so we could roll it back.   But someone there doesn’t think that’s doable, in the mean time we’re all still wondering WTF they are doing.    LOL

Here we go again! 😩

Sonos has always had glitches with every one of their updates! Terrible for them to push this out on us users , then wait for us to find whats wrong or not working correctly. Now I no longer have a working S1 controller on my Windows PC,….  WTF! 

Userlevel 4
Badge +6

My larger concern is what appears to be a lack of public response from Sonos, that I have seen.  They have a “mea culpa” from the CEO, which is appropriate and a couple of app updates -- but there are no options to roll back the release (something for advanced users and it should be stated as such “at your own risk”).   So it’s been weeks of this.

I’m more puzzled that the app itself has changed “TuneIn” to commercial service, whereas in the older app it refers to streaming URLs we use (and I have many)  -- so that does not translate at all to the new app.  Further, the app cannot access the local music library, which is confounding.

I’ve worked in and around DEV shops before and honestly, I’d love to see a “road map” they developed toward this new app -- it seems to me there had to be issues, possibly political and not the fault of the programmers, that resulted in this DUMPSTER FIRE.   If I were the CEO, whomever was responsible for this would be fired.  Okay, sorry for the rant,

post new app install I lost all

my speakers. So I created them

form scratch. I went away for 4 days and now, tho I can see all the speakers, it drops off and then out (despite showing as “playing” in the app”) entirely. I don’t understand. Why was this app Update rolled out? My entire system is mostly worthless now, thousands of dollars. What am I supposed to do? I can’t submit a diagnostic and the hold time

for support is 90+ minutes. It’s  outrageous. Can I short the stock to get my money back. They

likely be bankrupt soon enough at this rate. 

Isn’t there some kind of legal assessment we as customers can get? I mean we have spent all this money to have a good system in our homes and now all of the sudden we have to suffer because someone screwed this system up so badly that now we are struggling with this piece of crap.

Absolutely concur with all the frustrations listed. Looking for a solution, but not finding one… Seems to be no response from the company. Worst update ever! 

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

Absolutely concur with all the frustrations listed. Looking for a solution, but not finding one… Seems to be no response from the company. Worst update ever! 

I’ve seen responses from Sonos. Where have you been looking? 

There’s quite a substantial app update rolling out today, it appears.

Thank you Rhonny, i’ll keep an eye out for the app update.

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

Thank you Rhonny, i’ll keep an eye out for the app update.

It’s live. Give it a whirl. 

This is unforgivingly horrible.   I have tried to be patient hoping that Sonos would come out with a solution.  I spent thousands of dollars on a complex sound system that is not working now.  Does anyone know why Sonos is not responding?

Even with the patches and fixes, the app is TERRIBLE.
 
Example 1:
By voice, I tell Alexa (via Sonos speaker) to play "x".  It plays. As I check the app to add another speaker, the app shows Nothing is Playing.
 
This happens again and again and again.
 
 
Example 2
I ask Alexa via Sonos speaker to play my playlist. (Specifically I have Amazon music with named playlists). A song plays, but not my playlist. Or, a few songs play, then music stops. Or, a few songs play, then start repeating.
 
 
The app is terrible and I play less music than I used to because it's disappointing and frustrating. I wish I could have the previous app.