New App Upgrade - HORRID
The new interface is nearly impossible to use... it doesn't even make sense how it works in relation to the previous interface which was better than good enough. As someone that has thousands of dollars invested in sonos I have to voice my utter disgust for this new app. PLs comment below and lets get Sonos to roll back from this atrocious attempt at an upgrade.
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This new upgrade makes me want to throw my SONOS out! Please let us go back. It's impossible to figure out. Who decided this was a good idea?
#MYAPOLOGIES YOUR GREATNESS
Anything else?
Anything else?
In essence the controller functionality has remained largely unchanged. A change in layout and arrangement has caused complete meltdown among many users.
Wow.
Yes, the functionality is basically unchanged from two years ago. But consider: two years ago navigating to an album/playlist/song and hitting "play" just worked as you expected, now we get our Sonos systems to perform by learning the vast differences between hitting "play all", "play now" and "play next". Two months ago (or today via desktop app, because "consistent user experience") we just hit "favourites" to get to our favourites, now we visit the many "My Sonos" sub-screens to achieve the same thing, and remember that "artists" are now called "others". And Sonos flat out refuse to address these issues. I can't think why anyone could be annoyed at the state of the Sonos controller software...
Totally agree with everybody. I liked the previous version, and it was the first version I liked.
This is probably the worst app I have ever seen. Nothing is intuitive anymore. It takes me minutes to find the most basic options.
Please return to the previous version and improve that.
This is probably the worst app I have ever seen. Nothing is intuitive anymore. It takes me minutes to find the most basic options.
Please return to the previous version and improve that.
To Our Favorite Sonos Engineers...please listen to all this feedback! Roll back to the last UI....this one is frustrating!! Dramatic move in the wrong direction....but it’s not too late to correct....please roll back....
Userlevel 2
I think it would be a good idea for sonos to start replying to some messages on here befor we start slandering the products and company in a very public domain like Amazon.
Its not hard to acknowledge they have possibly made a few errors and they will fix it soon.
I think, give them a week then slate them. See how the sales plummet.
They might start listening when it hits there pockets. just a thought.
Its not hard to acknowledge they have possibly made a few errors and they will fix it soon.
I think, give them a week then slate them. See how the sales plummet.
They might start listening when it hits there pockets. just a thought.
Thanks for responses and guidance which you all helped me get back to functionality I feared I had lost, but fortunately not. Shame on Sonos for:
1) Changing the layout of navigation so that we had to spend an hour on the support site just to recreate our way to used Sonos before we tapped the "upgrade" button. Hide-and-go-seek is the height of user insensitivity. Why not educate us about the changes coincidental to delivering them?
2) Sonos should be an open platform to play ANYTHING we want to hear through Sonos speakers. The new interface pushes we users to PAID STREAMING SERVICES by the page layout. If we want something else, like my access to Tune-in Radio, there is no easily identified path, or way to save. The site should highlight equal access to user desired content and music/radio services, not file something out of sight in the hard-to-find Browse icon.
For a company that understands the subtlety of sounds coming so beautifully out of their products, it is a disappointment to learn the user experience of those who pay a premium for quality are ignored.
1) Changing the layout of navigation so that we had to spend an hour on the support site just to recreate our way to used Sonos before we tapped the "upgrade" button. Hide-and-go-seek is the height of user insensitivity. Why not educate us about the changes coincidental to delivering them?
2) Sonos should be an open platform to play ANYTHING we want to hear through Sonos speakers. The new interface pushes we users to PAID STREAMING SERVICES by the page layout. If we want something else, like my access to Tune-in Radio, there is no easily identified path, or way to save. The site should highlight equal access to user desired content and music/radio services, not file something out of sight in the hard-to-find Browse icon.
For a company that understands the subtlety of sounds coming so beautifully out of their products, it is a disappointment to learn the user experience of those who pay a premium for quality are ignored.
Userlevel 7
+20
It took me 30 seconds to figure out the new model. Same for my wife. Now I like it, subject to making the bottom tabs permanently accessible, whcih is apparently on its way. I'd go for a couple of other minor tweaks, but they're no big deal.
John B's tutorial covers everything you need to know. The only thing I'd add is that you can change the order of the categories in the 'My Sonos' view by using the Edit button and dragging the categories as you wish (on iOS, at least). This is done on a per-controller basis, so different controllers can have different orderings.
Userlevel 1
Yes, I've sussed it all out, but IMO Sonos have been arrogant in releasing a heavily changed interface without providing help for existing customers.
I suspect everyone who has posted a negative comment here have better things to do with their time than spend it having to find their way around a new interface that has replaced one they were previously perfectly happy with.
Whatever the reasons for the change, it was badly done and Sonos should take heed for the future.
I suspect everyone who has posted a negative comment here have better things to do with their time than spend it having to find their way around a new interface that has replaced one they were previously perfectly happy with.
Whatever the reasons for the change, it was badly done and Sonos should take heed for the future.
I am one of many who have said the nav bar should always be visible. I think that will happen sooner rather than later
Userlevel 2
I showed my wife what to do if any of the speakers didn’t come on, she’s not very tech minded but could understand and use the old app, but now, with this new app, she’s lost! No good asking me wife coz I’m lost too!! Hate it!
Update 11/29: Now there are 6100 reviews with 1 star.
SONOS: LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY
#ROLLBACK
Yea, most users hate it.
Change in Google Play Store reviews from 10/7/2017 to 10/13/2017:
5 star: +7
4 star: -1
3 star: +16
2 star: +97
1 star: +288
I would be interested in stats from the Apple Store. Judging by the newest reviews, the response is similar.
Screenshot from 10/7/2017
Screenshot from 10/13/2017
SONOS: LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY
#ROLLBACK
Change in Google Play Store reviews from 10/7/2017 to 10/13/2017:
5 star: +7
4 star: -1
3 star: +16
2 star: +97
1 star: +288
I would be interested in stats from the Apple Store. Judging by the newest reviews, the response is similar.
Screenshot from 10/7/2017
Screenshot from 10/13/2017
Stop putting in large graphic blocks in the list of albums, keep it just like the artist lists with small graphic and one entry per line in uncluttered text. Anytime I have to scroll 10 pages down to get to the album I want it makes me lose my mind. And don't cutoff the album names, wrap them. How am I meant to tell which copy of "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" is the one I am selecting?
The Sonos interface used to be almost flawless, very simple to use and navigate. Now it's just frustration.
The Sonos interface used to be almost flawless, very simple to use and navigate. Now it's just frustration.
Agree with all the above, new controller app is awful, I have a Play one in the Kitchen, but this longer exists in my sonos world (according to the app) I had to reset my Play one in the bedroom approx 5 x times before the app accepted it. The Play Bar in the living room seems to be OK, but this now only works using a cable directly to my hub. seraching for Music on Spotify has become a joke, all i get is a spinning icon, when it does eventually find a song/artist I'm looking for it will play but then cut out after a 40 seconds or so. I didn't experience anything like this on the old app version. I love my sonos system but the new app is making it unusable. Please sort this out Sonos, I want to keep keep being able to tell my non sonos owning friends what they are missing out but but at the moment, I would say avoid at all costs, just because of the app user experience.
I came to the forum to see if anyone had answers to the new app update and it seems that most people are in the same boat as I am. I feel the new app is as user friendly.
When I want to turn off a zone, I have to group and ungroup the zones to make it happen. I've tried clicking on the zone to bring it up and that doesn't seem to work.
I feel that they can do better with the zone control.
It took me a bit of time to get used to the new layout of everything else but my biggest gripe is with the zone control. It is hard to turn speakers on and off with the current app.
When I want to turn off a zone, I have to group and ungroup the zones to make it happen. I've tried clicking on the zone to bring it up and that doesn't seem to work.
I feel that they can do better with the zone control.
It took me a bit of time to get used to the new layout of everything else but my biggest gripe is with the zone control. It is hard to turn speakers on and off with the current app.
+1 to the complaints. The latest UI is awful. Seriously give some thought to a look and feel more like v7. Also as others have reported many of the music services no longer seem to work as previously.
To cap it all the latest version of the Spotify App has broken Sonos integration! Happy days.
To cap it all the latest version of the Spotify App has broken Sonos integration! Happy days.
Tap Rooms button. Tap room. Tap Browse, Search, or My Sonos and choose your music.
That only sounds easy because it's some high level steps, not what you actually need to do:
Tap room actually means
- swipe down on the now playing screen*, assuming you didn't first click on the rooms thingy
- tap rooms
- (optional) scroll down to the room/speaker(s) you are looking for
- click the room you want to select
- be not really sure you actually selected, because making it darker doesn't feel like you just selected it.
- click the room you won't to select again
* Why always go back to that now playing screen you say? Well:
- it shows what's playing, including the album art
- it contains almost all key functionality needed except for changing rooms (even God doesn't know why) and what's playing, from play/pause, over volume control, to previous and next, favoring, browsing the album or artist, etc
Tap browse means
- swipe down on the now playing screen
- tap rooms
- scroll down to find the source you are looking for
- notice you don't immediately see what you were looking for, so instead you now
Tap search
- tap search
- tap search again to bring out the keyboard
- type in your search
- notice you have no results
- use the tabs to get to playlists
- wait a bit for the results to load
- click on more because what you are looking for is not in the top 3 results
- still don't see your playlist you are looking for. So now you
Open spotify and repeat that same search
- click on the top result because spotify prioritizes your playlists
- click on play
- use devices available (aka that room thingy) to select the room you wanted to hear that playlist in
That's almost 20 clicks - assuming you didn't make a mistake - to get your spotify playlist to play in a single room, and quite some of these click are the direct result of the new design.
Most of us have something else in mind when they think of 'easy',
Userlevel 2
While I appreciate John Bs attempts to help, I find it amusing that he complains about being selectively quoted when he selectively ignores all of lemko_rj detailed post about room selection issues, completely unrelated to the ' swipe down at now playing screen' that we all now know. A glib 'Tap Rooms button. Tap room. Tap Browse, Search, or My Sonos and choose your music.' and the usual link was not in the least helpful in that instance. I'm a long time Sonos fan, their hardware is excellent but this version of the Android app seems to be universally hated. To all the apologists and people taking personal offence to any Sonos criticism, do you really think this version of the app is better then V7? If so please detail why (as you ask everyone else to detail why we don't like it), and if you don't think it's better why are you defending it?
It's 100% aweful. I'm already getting calls.from clients , the old app was confusing enough this new one well.it sucks. That's the only way to put it. No idea who your UI team developed it. It's probably the worst one I've ever dealt with. Im and integrator and sell a ton of your gear. That will 100% change shortly. It's just aweful
WTF is going on with sonos. First they force everyone to upgrade to the new app with new terms and conditions. AND on top of that version 8.1 sucks. AND now everything suddenly stopped working. I can't play any music at all.
This app update is like the perfect social experiment. It shows that many times form wins over substance.
In essence the controller functionality has remained largely unchanged. A change in layout and arrangement has caused complete meltdown among many users.
Wow.
In essence the controller functionality has remained largely unchanged. A change in layout and arrangement has caused complete meltdown among many users.
Wow.
I find it easy. I can get to all the key screens from one of the buttons on the new tab bar. Those screens are are functionally pretty much identical to the previous app. The tab bar needs to be on the Now Playing screen to avoid the need to swipe it down, but I am sure Sonos will fix that.
Ok for all those threatening to not recommend or to switch products because of this.....what are your next options??? Bearing in mind that rational ppl make decisions on balance looking at the merits and demerits across the board. So tell me if not Sonos who???
I have seen this all before. This is not the biggest anti new app protest there has been. The next one will be whenever it goes from v8 to v9. There are some necessary changes and I believe Sonos will make them. But they will have expected this backlash and will ride out the storm. There is absolutely no chance of them going back to the old app.
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