I would like to issue my feedback:
Oh my gosh the new app, sonos website + forum are very complex!
I could easily list a number of fundamental user interface rules that are broken, and many interfaces that are just so complex that it beggars belief.
Many folks that I know personally who have purchased on my sonos recommendation are similarly expressing their frustrations with such a massive UI change, to make matters worse, without warning.
Michael Lee - 20 years software development professional.
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Thanks for sharing Michael, we're collecting feedback and sharing with the team on the app to work with for future versions.
Michael,
I totally agree. The new app is awful and the previous versions were only OK. The new app is clunky, confusing and makes using Sonos an unpleasant experience. I only have 4 speakers - so I could move to another speaker manufacturer- it seems like you are stuck because you have so many speakers. 😞
I totally agree. The new app is awful and the previous versions were only OK. The new app is clunky, confusing and makes using Sonos an unpleasant experience. I only have 4 speakers - so I could move to another speaker manufacturer- it seems like you are stuck because you have so many speakers. 😞
Absolutely agree. This new design (iPhone) is so counter intuitive. It takes a lot of the joy away from using the system.I used to feel in total control, now I'm just clicking around doing the same things over and over to find what I need.
Sonos please give us the old UI and make an option for "classic UI" or similar in the app.
Sonos please give us the old UI and make an option for "classic UI" or similar in the app.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5LY6yD3BW7adkstOHVDVzZUMUE/view?usp=sharing
I find the new app easy to use, although there are ways in which it could be made even easier.
I find the new app easy to use, although there are ways in which it could be made even easier.
I've tried really hard to get on with and like the new App, but it really is dreadfully clunky. Worse, I am constantly having to reboot it, even standing a yard away from my router. So it's flaky as well as clunky (those are technical terms, by the way) I've had Sonos for over four years, and think the system is brilliant, but over time, the App just keeps on getting worse and worse. The controller on my PC does not give me the same level of aggro as my iPhone. Aaaaaggghhhh.
On a positive note, could we have a sortable function for displaying music by date downloaded, like in iTunes?
On a positive note, could we have a sortable function for displaying music by date downloaded, like in iTunes?
I agree. The old app was very simple to use.
Now I have to mess around going from screen to screen selecting rooms and back to browsing music for selections.
This seems like a rushed product to fit in with the release of the new sonos-1.
I find myself using the desktop app instead and its so much easier.
With the likes of amazon and google biting at your heels you need to do a much better job of the software.
Now I have to mess around going from screen to screen selecting rooms and back to browsing music for selections.
This seems like a rushed product to fit in with the release of the new sonos-1.
I find myself using the desktop app instead and its so much easier.
With the likes of amazon and google biting at your heels you need to do a much better job of the software.
I liked the old app because it was very simple to navigate and especially because the dark background was easy on the eyes.
The new app is apparently a product of software developers who feel the need to complicate things, assuming that this will make a more immersive experience out of using the control. They succeeded, so now, in my opinion, the app is annoying to look at and unpleasant to use. Hate the bright backgrounds. Strongly dislike more tabs and pages of icons. Who would ever imagine you should need to need to pick the browse tab to change input source from amazon music to tv?
Why not just give us as few as possible menu pages with functions listed neatly and logically, and call it a day?
A few weeks ago I started a topic on the subject of the bright theme of the new app.
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/we-want-sonos-app-dark-mode-back-6791523
Please visit and speak up. Maybe someone will listen.
The new app is apparently a product of software developers who feel the need to complicate things, assuming that this will make a more immersive experience out of using the control. They succeeded, so now, in my opinion, the app is annoying to look at and unpleasant to use. Hate the bright backgrounds. Strongly dislike more tabs and pages of icons. Who would ever imagine you should need to need to pick the browse tab to change input source from amazon music to tv?
Why not just give us as few as possible menu pages with functions listed neatly and logically, and call it a day?
A few weeks ago I started a topic on the subject of the bright theme of the new app.
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/we-want-sonos-app-dark-mode-back-6791523
Please visit and speak up. Maybe someone will listen.
I also agree and for me it is worse. I cannot see any of my "My Sonos" items on anything IOS. The PC app works perfectly. With the IOS app broken it effectively makes Sonos unusable to me. I have called Sonos support and the person I spoke with immediately recognized the problem so hopefully the Sonos team will fix this major failure SOON.
The new application interface is terribly complicated and require a ton more "clicks" to do the same thing the old application did.
EX: To see what zones are playing and to group them is now extremely painful. To see the music services and music requires to go to a whole different browse tab and not easy to do from each zone.
One of the reason I bought Sonos was because of how easy the interface was. I persuaded many of my friends to buy Sonos products because of how easy the interface is. They are all as confused by the new interface as I am. From a software human factors perspective, this is a huge step backward in simplicity. I work in the software industry so very familiar with software interface design. Please, seriously consider simplifying or going back to the old interface. I'm all for change and new features but not as the expense of the software experience.
I love Sonos but please fix the new app interface!
EX: To see what zones are playing and to group them is now extremely painful. To see the music services and music requires to go to a whole different browse tab and not easy to do from each zone.
One of the reason I bought Sonos was because of how easy the interface was. I persuaded many of my friends to buy Sonos products because of how easy the interface is. They are all as confused by the new interface as I am. From a software human factors perspective, this is a huge step backward in simplicity. I work in the software industry so very familiar with software interface design. Please, seriously consider simplifying or going back to the old interface. I'm all for change and new features but not as the expense of the software experience.
I love Sonos but please fix the new app interface!
The last version that worked for me was 8.1. Since 8.1.1 and even today's 8.2 the Sonos app keeps on telling me I am using the wrong username or password when I try to enter the SirusXm service information that worked prior to 8.1.1. I know it is correct because I can log on using my password manager to the website. The Alexa implementation in Sonos One is also a crude piece of work that seemed to be rushed into service.
Please release the old app to use again! This one is dreadful. Can we at least have a dark mode back too? The white is awful if you're in a dark room.
Hope whoever signed off on this pile of poo ? manages to find a new job!
Hope whoever signed off on this pile of poo ? manages to find a new job!
The worst is that despite *a lot* of complaints, for over a month now, about the new interface, it's cleverly engineered over-complexity and it's unavoidable eye-tearing white background, no-one at Sonos is commenting nor seeming to give a shit of what customers -- who pay their salary -- want.
Latest app update: no change, and no sign of it.
However, quite a substantial effort is shown for Trueplay, a feature that is not available available to all Sonos customers.
Possible causes: there is no product manager @ Sonos, or Customer Care service has been off-shored to another planet and is unable to provide any feedback to Product Management (and to comment on these requests), or Sonos doesn't need to have customers
Latest app update: no change, and no sign of it.
However, quite a substantial effort is shown for Trueplay, a feature that is not available available to all Sonos customers.
Possible causes: there is no product manager @ Sonos, or Customer Care service has been off-shored to another planet and is unable to provide any feedback to Product Management (and to comment on these requests), or Sonos doesn't need to have customers
I bought my Sonos systems over 2 years ago and all I can say about it the new app is that after using it for a month or so, it's the worse app ever!!! Why do you need to change the app designs every 6 months or so? I think it's the 4th app/design update since I bought my Sonos. This last update, you really screw it up big time! I just ate this f**ing app! Why not keep the same interface as the desktop app?
Can you not only collect feedback, but also do something about it. Don't you see that 99% of your customer ate this new app.
How do you know 99% of customers hate the new app?
Agreed, it bothers me EVERYDAY
The new application interface is terribly complicated and require a ton more "clicks" to do the same thing the old application did.
EX: To see what zones are playing and to group them is now extremely painful. To see the music services and music requires to go to a whole different browse tab and not easy to do from each zone.
One of the reason I bought Sonos was because of how easy the interface was. I persuaded many of my friends to buy Sonos products because of how easy the interface is. They are all as confused by the new interface as I am. From a software human factors perspective, this is a huge step backward in simplicity. I work in the software industry so very familiar with software interface design. Please, seriously consider simplifying or going back to the old interface. I'm all for change and new features but not as the expense of the software experience.
I love Sonos but please fix the new app interface!
EX: To see what zones are playing and to group them is now extremely painful. To see the music services and music requires to go to a whole different browse tab and not easy to do from each zone.
One of the reason I bought Sonos was because of how easy the interface was. I persuaded many of my friends to buy Sonos products because of how easy the interface is. They are all as confused by the new interface as I am. From a software human factors perspective, this is a huge step backward in simplicity. I work in the software industry so very familiar with software interface design. Please, seriously consider simplifying or going back to the old interface. I'm all for change and new features but not as the expense of the software experience.
I love Sonos but please fix the new app interface!
They know people have too much ££££ invested to jump ship, and even if you do they've already taken your money!.
I had 3 glorious weeks of 7.4 and proud as punch showing all my guests how seamless and easy it all was to operate, not a fxxxing chance with 8.xx.
I had 3 glorious weeks of 7.4 and proud as punch showing all my guests how seamless and easy it all was to operate, not a fxxxing chance with 8.xx.
Have to agree that the new app configuration is not easy to use or look at. As well, it seems to be much less responsive in its recognition of a change of song, and it no longer consistently will display album art work for songs that I know it would show before. I'm finding this on the both the phone app and the desktop app.
There is a lot of UI inconsistency in the new app.
For example, the Browse and More tabs use the same font/size/weight combo, but this is different to those of the My Sonos and Rooms tabs, which are different to the Search tab. The sizing and spacing of UI elements differs on these different screens also, adding more inconsistency. Then we have the black on white theme morphing into a white on black theme when you go into Settings.
It looks like different parts have been designed by different people and then stuck together.
This is all pretty basic stuff to get wrong and makes it appear amateurish. Which it is.
For example, the Browse and More tabs use the same font/size/weight combo, but this is different to those of the My Sonos and Rooms tabs, which are different to the Search tab. The sizing and spacing of UI elements differs on these different screens also, adding more inconsistency. Then we have the black on white theme morphing into a white on black theme when you go into Settings.
It looks like different parts have been designed by different people and then stuck together.
This is all pretty basic stuff to get wrong and makes it appear amateurish. Which it is.
With each update, Sonos is only getting WORSE!!! It is so frustrating when there is a new update and the update process itself needs to be improved. When I went to update 8.2 on my iPhone, it started and then immediately jumped to no update was required -- however, it did NOT update. On my Mac, the update never finished. I forced quit after an hour. Music randomly plays out of the speakers and the Group "Everywhere" button does NOT work. It is so frustrating!!! I do have a lot of money invested in Sonos, but am seriously considering alternatives. I'm over always having to reboot, regroup and other tricks just to listen to music on the latest Sonos.
On one of my Samsung tablets, the 8.2 update failed three times before succeeding on the fourth.
Oh my gosh the new app, sonos website + forum are very complex!
I could easily list a number of fundamental user interface rules that are broken, and many interfaces that are just so complex that it beggars belief.
Many folks that I know personally who have purchased on my sonos recommendation are similarly expressing their frustrations with such a massive UI change, to make matters worse, without warning.
Michael Lee - 20 years software development professional.
The Laptop Controller version will forget "browsing position" which I find really annoying. Described here:
https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/mac-controller-sleep-controller-forgets-browse-position-6794348
The app still updates artwork really slow, no improvments regarding tags for classical music.
I have used Sonos fore some years and apart from the problems mentionen above it seems to be there has been lot of changes and updates lately. I get a lot more nag screens about updating and so on. I don't like that. Especially with apps I've paid for (since I've bought Sonos hardware) I feel I as a user should be able to decide myself how much I want to be nagged about updates. Also, now I've ran into situations where I have to re-autorize music services and these re-authorizations requires updates to Sonos being made. Forcing me to update to authorize my paid for music service in a paid for system is unaccpetable. I say play my music and be quiet please, stop nagging me.
Most confusing upgrade. Awful. 😞
This new app (android) is quite confusing to use. It used to be so easy to select the room and my favourite music or radio but I struggle every time. I've used Sonos for years and this has really dented my confidence in it. My son-in-law feels the same - his comments have prompted this post.
I also really dislike the new user interface. I love my Sonos products....just bought another soundbar. The words that come to mind to describe how I feel about the new app would be inappropriate...
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