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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Userlevel 2
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. 😞
Userlevel 2
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.
Userlevel 2
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.
Can I just add my user experience of the new app. It is flawed, makes no sense to any of my users (we are a SONOS delaer) and needs to change.
From the Rooms menu, I can do nothing. I have to select the room, which logically would expect you to access the room "options", but no, you then have select a different nav bar icon, which is counter intuitive - wy can I not access rooms, then select music, without jumping between nav bar items?
If I double click the room I go to a full screen "Now Playing" view which allows me to do - well not very much really.
I cannot select music from the now playing screen - it seems to be an enormous waste of space when they could easily give you more usable features.
Frankly, there are too many "ways" of getting to the end result.
Swipe, select from Nav, select room, then access nav bar again, then search - wow - so many different styles of UI to get music playing.
It could be so, so, so much simpler.
This app makes NO SENSE whatsoever. Even after using it for hours I find it frustratingly useless as a UI
Nothing is logical. The thing you want to do you need to approach from the wrong direction.
I would actually pay money to get a better app.
SONOS need to admit that they have failed badly on this one - the product is outstanding -this app UI is a car crash, a complete disaster of a user experience.
From the Rooms menu, I can do nothing. I have to select the room, which logically would expect you to access the room "options", but no, you then have select a different nav bar icon, which is counter intuitive - wy can I not access rooms, then select music, without jumping between nav bar items?
If I double click the room I go to a full screen "Now Playing" view which allows me to do - well not very much really.
I cannot select music from the now playing screen - it seems to be an enormous waste of space when they could easily give you more usable features.
Frankly, there are too many "ways" of getting to the end result.
Swipe, select from Nav, select room, then access nav bar again, then search - wow - so many different styles of UI to get music playing.
It could be so, so, so much simpler.
This app makes NO SENSE whatsoever. Even after using it for hours I find it frustratingly useless as a UI
Nothing is logical. The thing you want to do you need to approach from the wrong direction.
I would actually pay money to get a better app.
SONOS need to admit that they have failed badly on this one - the product is outstanding -this app UI is a car crash, a complete disaster of a user experience.
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.
Userlevel 2
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?
Userlevel 1
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!
Userlevel 1
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
Userlevel 2
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.
This is reaching the point of trolling John B. Not only do almost all the actions in the new app require more clicks, meaning they aren't quick and easy. Both the previous app as well as the spotify allow people to switch rooms, using the dropdown on the now playing screen. Removing that functionality is therefore the opposite of logical.
Userlevel 2
I, personally, thinkt hat the original “blue” UI was probably the easiest to use (the one that WIndows/OSX still uses). The last version was ok, and the ciurrent version requires, quite often, 3 or more clicks to achieve what used to be done in one or two. The white is also way too harsh at night, a dark/light theme option can’t be that difficult, surely? We have black and white speakers, how about a black or white theme?
I think that if the menu bar along the bottom actually stayed in place, it would solve a large number of the problems on it’s own.
Look at the Sonopad app for iOS, or the OSX/Windows apps for an example of easy to use UI. My partner stopped using Sonos, full stop, with the new app. I installed Sonopad on her ipad, and with no instruction, she figured out how to do everything she wnated in about 5 minutes. The new Sonos app needs a video to show you how to change rooms... Which is more logical?
Z...
I think that if the menu bar along the bottom actually stayed in place, it would solve a large number of the problems on it’s own.
Look at the Sonopad app for iOS, or the OSX/Windows apps for an example of easy to use UI. My partner stopped using Sonos, full stop, with the new app. I installed Sonopad on her ipad, and with no instruction, she figured out how to do everything she wnated in about 5 minutes. The new Sonos app needs a video to show you how to change rooms... Which is more logical?
Z...
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?
Most confusing upgrade. Awful. 😞
I'll add my vote to how disappointing the current (IOS) app is. The old version was so good I always felt it could be extended to be a music library manager beyond Sonos. Now - as people say, it's no longer intuitive, too many clicks to do something simple like adding rooms. And now all Sonos Playlists seem to have been moved into My Sonos, rather than as a separate library. This means that the specific favourite ones are now no longer quickly availing in My Sonos. Each update seems to be a step backward. Please - the controller is a key part of the system. It used to be great - now it's a barrier.
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.
Userlevel 2
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!
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.
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.
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...
That's exactly what you do every-time you call the app quick, easy and logical in response to someone complaining about it. Why you say? Well because in comparison it isn't, and by side-stepping that fact, your pretending it isn't the case.
There's huge difference between telling someone the new app indeed is a big step backwards, but if you follow these steps it'll be easier to deal that, and telling them what those steps are and questioning their intelligence by asking how that doesn't work for them (BoredofBalham's post immediately above this is a perfect example).
I already pointed tout that the way the rooms dropdown on now playing does not allow to switch rooms is illogical.It's no coincidence that remark pops up in most of the critiques and complaints. But it doesn't stop there. The usage of big icons making list extra long, or only being able to see 2 rooms at a time on the rooms screens is illogical. The way my sonos only shows 5 items in the overview is illogical, etc.
It's now without difficulty, certainly not in comparison with the previous app. And that last part is something you can not ignore as the current app is the follow-up to the previous, and sonos made it impossible to keep using the old app.
Userlevel 3
I agree that the new app is poorly designed, I do not see why I should have to relearn how to use this every few months.
Going forward I intend to test new apps on an old android phone I have, I will only download new controllers if I deem them to be an improvement. Does anyone know if using old versions of the app long term will cause any problems? Will it eventually do it anyway if I keep saying update later?
Going forward I intend to test new apps on an old android phone I have, I will only download new controllers if I deem them to be an improvement. Does anyone know if using old versions of the app long term will cause any problems? Will it eventually do it anyway if I keep saying update later?
No, providing that you lock it off everywhere - all controllers, all possible updates (e.g. android auto updates), never allow anyone on the system who may update it either helpfully or accidentally. In addition, you can't add new controllers (so you can't change phones, laptops etc) or re-install existing ones if there's a problem. So locking it down can be quite restrictive.
The new interface is very inconvenient. Especially the way you select a room and make group is not straightforward. Furthermore the selecting a song from search was much more convenient when you could choose what you want to do with instead of start playing it directly.
To be clear I normally never give feedback, but these changes are extremely annoying.
To be clear I normally never give feedback, but these changes are extremely annoying.
When this update was released I wrote to Sonos to complain as the previous version was so good. I don’t normally feel inclined to give feedback but as Sonos was so amazing I was shocked that they messed it up so much. Like others I am still using “trial and error” to select a room and finding the bottom menu again. It seems the room selection and grouping have become mixed up and I am always choosing the wrong thing. Every time we look at the new tracks we keep accidentally playing them and messing up the queue. It feels like I need to tread carefully and slowly when I touch the app in case I accidentally stop my music and replace it with something else!! I still like the Sonos though but have too much now to change... but Sonos need to be careful I don’t start recommending something else to new buyers.
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