I suggest you turn off automatic updates on your Sonos system and your app store. It is only because one of those has updated that the other has to, to stay compatible.  It's your choice.

that’s the thing in my app under Update Automatically was set to off….I shouldn’t have to set that on my iphone as I want other apps to update automatically  - there is a difference here...most apps work on and for the phone….they don’t control some outside system (yes there are apps that do, I understand that) but downloading it shouldn’t screw your entire system from not working.

So I had the update Automatically set to off….yet some how the sonos update process just said screw that and overrides it when apple says  - hey look there is a new app out here.

Also what is going to happen in the future when I need to upgrade my phone and I’m forced to get the newest sonos app…..then I’m out $5k in equipment b/c the new app is now longer viable with the old system?   

I am not clear whether your objection concerns the timing - so you don’t have to update when you just want to listen to music - or if you want to ‘freeze’ your system at some point.

Yes ii is mildly inconvenient to keep all app updates on manual, but it’s what I do, and periodically do a mass update.  As I said, the nature of the Sonos controller-system relationship means that is the way it is.  It isn’t a perfect option - that would be if the app stores allowed app-specific options to automatically update.  But it is an option.

Your comment about being ‘out $5k in equipment’ only applies if you want to freeze your system at a particular point.  So keep the old phone as a dedicated Sonos controller.  Sonos is designed to run on the latest software.  Expect it to be suboptimal if you don’t want to go along with that.

and that is the crux of the situation right there...when I invested in Sonos years ago it was a dedicated wireless system...now it is modeled after SaS...which usual stands for Software as a Service but in this case it means Speakers as a Service.  I basically bought hardware years ago and now it’s running on software which may or may not bork my entire system at one point.  There are tons of people frustrated b/c of this long no farther than this forum.

My biggest problem right now is yes I want to freeze my system - I’m good with it but now Sonos is “FORCING” me  to update...it gives me no choice = right now I cannot use my system without updating and I don’t know if my investment will work after I update.

And your advice on keeping my old phone just to use as a controller is the biggest BS advice around.  I shouldn’t be forced to try to keep an old say iphone in pristine condition throughout the ages just to listen to music.  It was Sonos’ decision, not mine to remove their hard remote for a software version - I have many remotes in my home system that still work as they are intend for...so why can’t Sonos do the same.  

You have a choice!  Don’t allow updates.  However, there is no “borking” going on, where did you get this idea from? 

Any legacy kit will work into the foreseeable future, as advised in recent Sonos announcements.  the CR200 remote still works too if you want a non phone controller

Use a third party app instead, they will never update your system.

I stated in the app I didnt want updates yet they updated it anyway….and the borking announcement came from the CEO himself, stating any new device may or may not work with your existing system - so the conclusion is that at any given moment the new software will not support your old system...hence why the Sonos stock went down from 16 to 11 over night. 

Hey I used to be the biggest sonos fanboy there was - I convinced many of family and friends to purchase this system.

This system was just a way to replace wires in the past - that was all.  It was a way to connect speakers in another parts of the house to your primary system.  But now it’s like you buying a DVD player to play DVD’s, but the DVD player manufacturer decides it wants to add Pandora to the DVD player, then they add Spotify and then another service and another and you keep upgrading your DVD player then all of a sudden after an update your player is no longer able to accept updates and now your remote control no longer works and there is no other way to play your DVD’s.