New app navigation bar

Many have expressed the same in requested feedback. Sonos has stated some tweaks are coming. Let's hope this is one.

This is all speculation, however I would suggest the ‘now playing’ screen doesn’t appear like it was ever intended to be a tab all by itself.

If it was it would have been there from day one. Just to show that it wasn’t a feature that didn’t get implemented in time, one of the updates (I forget which one) since 8.0 show the ‘now playing’ screen to be a ‘floating’ screen over the tabs.

It’s seems it’s a major stumbling block in the overall design. I hope that Jgatie is right, but if the above is correct I would suggest it is not a minor tweak but a significant rework, and therefore not something we will soon. Sonos can really dig their heels in (as they have done with the ‘play now, play next, add to queue’ functionality ) when they think they are right. It is for this reason I do not mind how many people voice their opinions in here. But that’s another argument playing out in many other theads. Jgatie knows what I’m talking abought, right 😃 ? But if ‘now playing’ becomes a tab in the next release, I’ll buy him a beer. Just to show no hard feelings :D

And just to show my faith in the ecosystem, I have bought another zone to add to my house. Now I hope Sonos will do right by software.

Andrew

I suggest that the Now Playing screen not being a tab does not prevent the Tab bar from being present at all times.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, please!

Actually, that is very true. I had not thought about that 🙂

Andrew

My speculation is the the original intent was to have a simple looking graphic design for Now Playing and the Tab bar would add visual complexity. That said, I hope that the Tab bar is added to Now Playing.

One thing I like in the new app is the navigation bar at the bottom. But I don't understand why it disappears when you go to the Now Playing screen! It would be so much better and less confusing if the bar stayed there all the time. Right Sonos?

My take on it? The tap bar is not visible on the now playing screen because Spotify, apple music, etc don't have it either. Nothing more to it than that.

This is all speculation, however I would suggest the ‘now playing’ screen doesn’t appear like it was ever intended to be a tab all by itself.
It's an interesting idea, and you could probably make room for it by merging my sonos, browse and search again. Not sure though that it would work, as now playing is the here and now, while the tabs are all about (navigate to) what's next.

And that last element is why this tap bar is such an issue, you need to give it the prominence of a home screen, while now playing is the real center of attention.

I suggest that the Now Playing screen not being a tab does not prevent the Tab bar from being present at all times.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, please!I have always thought of the new app design as consisting of a what might be termed a 'navigation interface' (everything but the Now Playing screen) plus the Now Playing screen. As the name suggests this is something you flip into view purely to control what is, well, now playing, and flip out of the way when you want to do anything else.

This is consistent with the 'red room' thing on the Now Playing screen being intended only for adding more rooms to what is currently playing.

So I think this is all fairly logical once you get it, but the logic is far from evident on first encounter. I suspect Sonos also underestimated how irritating most users would find having to flip the Now Playing screen between full and minimised view. And how confusing the red room thing would prove.

I hope for the same outcome as @jgatie. Just leave the tab bar visible to avoid having to flip the Now Playing screen. I would also drop the red room thing, as with the Rooms button immediately available there would be little to gain from it yet still much potential confusion.

Just my view.

Totally agree with the above. Not a big ask, and hopefully Sonos will listen.

Maybe then sanity can be restored and peace on Earth (or at least in the Sonos forums) can prevail.

Andrew

Now playing when it is minimized is really a visual button above the row of menu buttons. So really it is the now playing button essentially just with dynamic info. And unfortunately in current version then the now playing when clicked hides the other buttons - which is the major navigation problem.

Now playing when it is minimized is really a visual button above the row of menu buttons. So really it is the now playing button essentially just with dynamic info. And unfortunately in current version then the now playing when clicked hides the other buttons - which is the major navigation problem.

Well, that and the "tap to open, slide to close instead of tap to open/close like every other screen/feature on the app". But at least this one feature works the same way as the music player on my iPhone.

If the nav buttons were at bottom taping would close

If the nav buttons were at bottom taping would close

If there was a "close" button, then tapping would close, like it did way back in v8.0.

Yea then it would go back to last screen true. But if bottom buttons there does about same thing.