I can only speak for myself, but the SONOS app before 8.0 was near perfect. It was ultra fast, selecting room and what music to play was super intuitive. Everything important was on the same page screen. I've had lots of friends ask me about why get SONOS instead of competitors like HEOS and such. Even though HEOS and others can offer a wider variety of physical connections, sound formats DTS etc...there was before 8.0 an extremely easy answer to this: The APP. It is super fast, never buggy. You come home from work, go into the sonos app and within 2 presses there is music in the living room. It doesn't matter how great the hardware is if the software doesn't work, but with the SONOS app, it just works, always, and so EASY.
But now that argument is gone. The new sonos app, with all the stuff on the home screen, and now you have to go into seperate tabs to select room and search for music......you RUINED it. You downgraded the app to something similiar to HEOS' already awful app. What were you thinking?
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Just to somewhat give a little bit of praise to Sonos for fixing certain things in the app!
-Black /dark background fixed
-Menu/tab at the bottom always visible
-Room Selection buttons make more sense
-No longer buggy as hell
We still liked the previous version better where everything could be accessed from one menu, but at least they fixed the Ui changes that made the app confusing as hell and buggy. It now works most of the time and the kids are able to select correct rooms etc and the boss is also happy.
So thank you to Sonos for taking feedback from its users and changing the UI. If not a complete rollback, at least it's a step forward!
-Black /dark background fixed
-Menu/tab at the bottom always visible
-Room Selection buttons make more sense
-No longer buggy as hell
We still liked the previous version better where everything could be accessed from one menu, but at least they fixed the Ui changes that made the app confusing as hell and buggy. It now works most of the time and the kids are able to select correct rooms etc and the boss is also happy.
So thank you to Sonos for taking feedback from its users and changing the UI. If not a complete rollback, at least it's a step forward!
When the ceo leaves, MacFarlane, and then the guy in charge of product development, Whitten, leaves and the company decides to not have anyone at all in charge of that. And now they are talking about an IPO... I think Sonos is in trouble. Real trouble.
I don’t know if they are losing key staff in other areas besides management. But I would bet money in Vegas that they have in their app development department.
I don’t know if they are losing key staff in other areas besides management. But I would bet money in Vegas that they have in their app development department.
I agree that the 7 versions were substantially better than the 8 versions. And as if today , feb 2018, still are. How I wish I’d never updated!
They have taken something that was nearly perfect and took it back 2, no 3 steps. How silly and frustrating. Not what I would expect from Sonos.
I agree that Sonos has not improved the app. Sonos v8.2 on Android is horrible. It works fine on Windows 10 PC's, an iPad, an IPhone and a Windows tablet but on the Android app I cannot get to the screen to see all of the Pandora channels. I have tried looking into the support forums but others agree this is a problem they haven't figured out how to navigate around either.
Just please tell me how to get back to TV sound after listening to music. The old app had a TV button that would switch back to TV sound and that button is gone. My workaround is to turn th me TV off and back on to get TV sound. There’s got to be something in the app but I can’t find it.
I have 3 zones. I’ve found the when switching zones by clicking and unclicking takes a few tries for the right zone to be selected.
Maybe I was just used to the old layout and functionality but I struggle with the new UI. Hopefully some tweaks here and there will fix, but I need to know how to get back to my TV sound 🙂
I have 3 zones. I’ve found the when switching zones by clicking and unclicking takes a few tries for the right zone to be selected.
Maybe I was just used to the old layout and functionality but I struggle with the new UI. Hopefully some tweaks here and there will fix, but I need to know how to get back to my TV sound 🙂
I was so happy with my Sonos , specially the app .... it went smood and easy in use . But this mornin i woke up and became in a nitemare ..... what were you thinking , who were those beta testers that accepted this app .???
If it Aint broke Dont Fix it !!
It is hard to find anything
It doens't play the songs i select ...... it starts playing the second above i selected ......
Please Sonos .........tell me this was just a dream and wake me up with the former App
Normally "now comes Keep up the good work " But 'im gonna skip this for now :P
best regards
jst4kx
If it Aint broke Dont Fix it !!
It is hard to find anything
It doens't play the songs i select ...... it starts playing the second above i selected ......
Please Sonos .........tell me this was just a dream and wake me up with the former App
Normally "now comes Keep up the good work " But 'im gonna skip this for now :P
best regards
jst4kx
Userlevel 1
As a family, both children and adults find the new app an absolute pain to use. In fact we've started using the spotify app, because its actually way easier to control. If different generations find the app bad, then that's really saying something.
Can't help wonder if that is Sonos strategy - encourage people onto spotify etc.. by making the app barely usable, then gracefully retire the app (and all the costs that go with it). Would be inline with the strategy of retiring the original Sonos controller.
Can't help wonder if that is Sonos strategy - encourage people onto spotify etc.. by making the app barely usable, then gracefully retire the app (and all the costs that go with it). Would be inline with the strategy of retiring the original Sonos controller.
I never worked with the sonos app, i don't like it, i use mediamonkey on a pc, but now they made some update that i can only play the songs that are on the mediamonkey library, let's say i have a pen with some mp3, in the old days i could play it to my connect amp using mediamonkey, take teh pen to work, bring it back play it again, now i can't, don't know how to reverse to previous firmware, but i would if i could
Userlevel 7
+20
1) Not an intuitive layout. What an earth is "My Sonos"? Appears just duplicate Browse, but in a less accessible manner, because of:
2) Icons have all grown too large for my phone. EG the bottom of the Spotify app screen falls off the bottom and needs scrolling up every time I access "My Music", which is nearly every time I use Sonos.
Note that you can edit the order of the categories on the 'My Sonos' tab. It's not a duplicate 'Browse', it's what used to be Sonos Favourites.
The app is pretty good and more logical than the previous version, but needs the following UX tweaks:
- Bottom tab bar visible in the 'Now Playing' view. I believe that is coming.
- More compact use of screen real estate in the 'My Sonos' top-level view, and in the Rooms screen. Not holding my breath
I'm ambivalent on the white background. It's more in tune with modern mobile apps, though I did quite like album art backgrounding of the previous version. Not holding my breath that Sonos will offer a dark theme option.
Another simple thing Sonos might consider is merging the My Sonos tab into the Browse tab instead of creating another section for it.
I hate it:
1) Not an intuitive layout. What an earth is "My Sonos"? Appears just duplicate Browse, but in a less accessible manner, because of:
2) Icons have all grown too large for my phone. EG the bottom of the Spotify app screen falls off the bottom and needs scrolling up every time I access "My Music", which is nearly every time I use Sonos.
1) Not an intuitive layout. What an earth is "My Sonos"? Appears just duplicate Browse, but in a less accessible manner, because of:
2) Icons have all grown too large for my phone. EG the bottom of the Spotify app screen falls off the bottom and needs scrolling up every time I access "My Music", which is nearly every time I use Sonos.
Been using the new app for a week, still it's buggy and slower. We lost contact with some of the speakers. The app is still HORRIBLE. I know I said this wouldn't affect Sonos in any big way in the long run, but I withdraw that statement. In addition to our Sonos system at home, we have Sonos at work, and everyone at work has Sonos at home and they're all complaining daily on how shit the new sonos update is. Not just the user interface, but bugs and speakers dropping out. So this might actually be a nail in the coffin if this Alexa thing doesn't turn out to be the next big thing. I'm currently thinking about selling the speakers while they still go for a high rate on the used market.
Userlevel 1
I think changes were made to accommodate Amazon's Alexis and I do believe Amazon had some impact. iOS latest update going to only 64bit completely changed Control4 - creating a hardware change now to stay compatible.
Userlevel 7
+17
I don’t think apple or amazon have any power over front end design of the sonos app whatsoever - design / UI choice is totally up to Sonos
Userlevel 1
I've been a Beta user for Sonos for 3 years... with this update given out to the Beta community a few months ago, our house backed out of the Beta program. On my exit I sent them copious notes on specifics - noting a lot of "if it aint broke", don't let Amazon change your UI, and relating multiple stories of New Coke from the 70's.... not surprisingly...ok, a little surprisingly, the loosed this turd from the stables anyway.... I don't know how much iOS and Amazon affect product development at Sonos, but its a damn shame that another dog's tail is wagging their dog... I have to assume anyways, because this update is such a turn from what I consider intuitive interfacing at its best.... Shame...
I shall reserve full judgement until I have used it for a while
I am one of those. Would still prefer 5.0 - best version ever.
7 was a downgrade and 8 is even better.
TBH all the user problems could be sorted with very little effort by Sonos.
1) Choice of Skins
2) Open pages on List (now in more) rather than HUGE Icons
3) One tap on a song ads to queue (maybe double tap for instant play? Personally no need)
4) My Sonos to be TOTALLY customisable ------------there is a clue in the name !!
I totally agree. The app update is one of the worst updates I have seen in any app. The other one worked fine and was intuitive. This is one of the least intuitive I have ever seen — it's just awful. Come on Sonos!
Oh god, not another one 'sighing' all the time
How about devoting more space to the room on the playing now menu, my kids are now turning music on and off in all the wrong rooms. The problem arises because when you re-enter the app it defaults to where you left off. I'd like to see this changed to always default to the room view or user selectable.
Swipe down the Now Playing screen, tap rooms button if necessary, double tap required room, hit play. Takes me about a second. Is that really so demanding and difficult? Is that really ruined? I cannot put it anything like as strongly.
Takes a couple of seconds to do it, but how long did it take you to find out how? Be honest! Like others, I am a long time serious user of the hardware, but hate the iOS app and cannot understand this continual upgrading for no real purpose.
By the way, have you read the release notes?
Long time user....definitely a step back..icons need to be much smaller, colors are stark and distracting and the selection methodology is not intuitive. Allow selection of playlist and then room and vise versa..My family is turning music on/off in all the wrong rooms now. With a family of 5 and 9 zones with dozens of playlists there is way too much scrolling and switching back and forth between menus that we weren't doing before. I agree with simonlesley, after recommending this to all my friends who are now Sonos users this update takes one of those reasons to recommend Sonos off the table.
Sigh.
99% of users don’t want customization; they want a product that “just works”, which Sonos does better than just about everyone. Too much customization was one of the things that killed the Squeezebox. It was simply far more complex than the 99% wanted.
This would be a good point, If 8.0 worked better than previous builds; the reality is that it doesn't.
At the very least it requires customisation options for colour and icon size.
A better option would be to have a choice skins back to the wonderful 5.0 through to 8.0. Everyone would be a winner and this can not be rocket science surely ... except with an arrogant company that refuses to believe that it could ever be wrong.
#Sonos$uck$
Nope, can't agree with 99%. Maybe half; who knows? But there's no reason that Sonos can't give it their best UI and your users can leave it just the way it comes; I think of MediaMonkey with massive options. Totally agree with Sonos ease of 1-2-3-4 you're up and running design.
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