SONOS are you reading this? Please put the controller queue function back how it was!

  • 12 September 2016
  • 353 replies
  • 15981 views


Show first post
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

353 replies

Userlevel 5
Badge +11
I agree. I loved the old queue. Now if I want to queue up more than 2 tracks it doesn't work, it adds a whole album/playlist between the first 2 tracks (play next) and the third which the only option is to add to end of queue. I hate it. What is the benefit? I just don't see it.

Only if you persist in trying to use it the old way. you can still do what you want only that it is now done differently.
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
I don't mind the one touch so much, but please include the "add to queue" as well so we don't have to have an entire album/ playlist added.

It's alreay there.
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
I want to say that the notion of having your Sonos perform as a CD player isn't that bad. I actually like it!!! BUT, with the advent of techology surely there is a way to allow users APP BEHAVIOR OPTIONS. And how much memory would it require to just auto-save a queue, say, the most recent one(!) so everyone who lost theirs wouldn't be so ticked now. I did lose mine and it's annoying to have to go back to a saved version and rebuild, especially finding all the dang kids songs I had stuck in the middle.

It's not a bad idea here. One annoying feature of the old controller was that you couldn't just pick one song and get continuous music, because it played and went to the end of the queue. That's wasn't so good always having to pick more songs to play afterward or going in and editing the queue by moving the current last track before some others where you wanted it to pick up. So in one regard I consider this better. I think with one touch it should immediately start playing, and then maybe a box could pop up (after playback has started- no delay) asking if the user wants to add only that track to the queue, the whole album (perhaps just starting with the selected track), or even to playback the album outside the queue without adding all tracks to it, etc. Then, EVEN BETTER, give the user an option to make one of those choices the default behavior. ...something like that. Then also have Sonos keep a list of at least the last few hundred played tracks or so regardless.

Yes, no one is differentiating lists from queues anymore.

I mean for this to be positive feedback about this new playback idea, but don't see why it has to be one without the other. And for crying out loud, don't surprisingly delete everyone's queues with probably a thousand songs in them each without warning. I have to admit that was a HUGE blunder.

I'd probably care a little more but my queue got wiped out by power outage a couple weeks ago anyway. (Another reason to just auto-save current queue... is memory really so limited?)


Excellent idea. An "undo" option would be perfect.
Whoever said to ignore the bait was correct. I apologize for falling for it.
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
Whoever said to ignore the bait was correct. I apologize for falling for it.

You live you learn! LOL!
I haven't followed this and other threads closely because I am indifferent to the change - so here is a question with that rider: Are those that are annoyed with the change using Sonos largely for NAS play? Is it possible that the change is targeted to better meet the needs of streaming service users, that Sonos believes - rightly or wrongly - are now 90% of the user base?
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
I for one primarily use Deezer and Apple Music and still quite annoyed by the change. What are you seeing or theorizing as the difference though?
If you read any posts from BoredofBalham on other threads then you will realise that he/she is just trying to bait you. Just ignore them and let's continue with the constructive conversation on the problem that the long term users are facing with the latest update where our way of using the app has been changed. I've had Sonos for about 9 years and am not happy with the change. If this is the future for Sonos then I hope they either address this in the next update keeping functionality for both types of user or quite simply release 6.3 as a separate app for downloading for the classic users. If this is the future then I will probably start to look at what else is out there in the market.

Whereas you have an opinion and you are right and no one dare have an opinion that challenges your one? My opinion is different to yours.
Your opinion is argh! Something has changed and I hate it. My opinion is oooh! It's changed, how do I make it work for me now. I consider my way, no matter how flawed you tnink it is, is the way that moves forward because my money is on it isn't going to change.
Naturally, you will not think so.


There you go again, trying to get a reaction! If you read my posts then you will see that I would like Sonos to implement a solution for new and old users alike. I'm in the 'lets sort this out for everyone camp' and not just saying that my way is best.
I haven't followed this and other threads closely because I am indifferent to the change - so here is a question with that rider: Are those that are annoyed with the change using Sonos largely for NAS play? Is it possible that the change is targeted to better meet the needs of streaming service users, that Sonos believes - rightly or wrongly - are now 90% of the user base?

I would say I am 90% NAS, 5% Amazon Prime and 5% TuneIn and I don't see that changing very much in the foreseeable future (at least the next 5+ years). On the other hand I also don't use app based controllers at all so I'm not too concerned about UI changes as long as they don't screw with the zone player firmware or PC controller and CR100 controllers.

My real concern is that the new UI design will influence the way Echo integration works which is something I do plan to utilize when available. If the Echo integration only focuses on Streaming services that I don't use and ignores the needs of NAS users the way the app based UI does then that will be a real problem.
I for one primarily use Deezer and Apple Music and still quite annoyed by the change. What are you seeing or theorizing as the difference though?
No idea, sorry; the way I listen to music, it hasn't made much difference to me, so I can't say. I was merely trying to see what target segment was the focus of the changes, because it isn't often one gets to see what looks like a big misfire from Sonos.
I use the Mac controller for playlist management; the android version only for volume and grouping and perhaps that is why I still have to accidentally delete a playlist. In fact, I found the new shuffle all addition to the view for albums and playlists to be handy. I have no idea how common is this style of controller use of course.
Well, just 'upgraded' to the latest version.... Not impressed at all...

Sonos - you've lost the plot.
Userlevel 7
Badge +15
I haven't lost the queue for a week or so now but yesterday interrupted it unintentionally about a dozen times.
When just looking at a track on screen you need to have prior knowledge of how you reached that screen so you know what will happen if you just touch it. Lots of times I got the 'Replace queue' warning (where I then had to go to the 3 dots and select the old function to play it next - why the hell would I want to push it and lose the entire queue?????) - and many others it just interrupted the whole flow because I'd reached the track as a result of a search. Bad design by any standards.
I've had my Sonos for about 12 years and still have the old controller you needed before iPhones were out. Sonos had a really good queue system from the very beginning. When they started out with this there was no queue on iPods at all - why do they now think they should copy Apple's afterthought of a queue?

I have two major problems: when a queue ends and you pick a song and select Play now, it plays it but adds it to the beginning of the queue, which is mad. I can't see who thought this made anything easier.

The other is what everyone here is talking about - why do you think I want to replace the queue with an album if I tap a song?

Frankly I think the NAS v streaming debate is interesting but I use both and was very happy before and now find the whole thing a mess.

Sonos - Please put it back to the simple elegant way it worked before.
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
If you read any posts from BoredofBalham on other threads then you will realise that he/she is just trying to bait you. Just ignore them and let's continue with the constructive conversation on the problem that the long term users are facing with the latest update where our way of using the app has been changed. I've had Sonos for about 9 years and am not happy with the change. If this is the future for Sonos then I hope they either address this in the next update keeping functionality for both types of user or quite simply release 6.3 as a separate app for downloading for the classic users. If this is the future then I will probably start to look at what else is out there in the market.

Whereas you have an opinion and you are right and no one dare have an opinion that challenges your one? My opinion is different to yours.
Your opinion is argh! Something has changed and I hate it. My opinion is oooh! It's changed, how do I make it work for me now. I consider my way, no matter how flawed you tnink it is, is the way that moves forward because my money is on it isn't going to change.
Naturally, you will not think so.


There you go again, trying to get a reaction! If you read my posts then you will see that I would like Sonos to implement a solution for new and old users alike. I'm in the 'lets sort this out for everyone camp' and not just saying that my way is best.


What! After you start your post with I am inly trying to bait people. Why? By stating that I like the new way and many posts do not seem to be aware of how the new way works.
Yes, you want a solution for all but an immediate opening salvo at me isn't the way to get a point across. That you got my point back is replying to your bait.
I bought SonoPad a few years ago, didn't care for it much. Noticed it updated recently, have been playing with it for a couple of days. Not bad at all. An inexpensive alternative for those with iPads.

I too would like Sonos to undo this update. Worst "improvement" I have encountered so far.
Not much activity here over the past several days. I guess people have pretty much accepted the change. Certainly not enough unhappiness expressed to motivate Sonos into action if it looks like they can just wait it out.
I think most of us are waiting to hear what the next update from Sonos will bring, but we all know that they operate a silent approach on development. I can understand this for their usual road map but not when they have pissed off many of their loyal customers. We jut want our classic functionality back!
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Not sure myself if the our issues are getting any traction at all with the development team. Of course we will never know until we know as Sonos never comments on these type things.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
I would assume 3rd party integration and echo support are higher on their list
I would assume 3rd party integration and echo support are higher on their list

Personally, I couldn't give a toss about either of them.... I'd quite like them to change the navigation back, though...
Voice control is not something I would use. Even the Apple TV is not intelligent enough to play from the many apps available (e.g. IPlayer) unless they are endorsed by Apple so I do not know how well Sonos will cope. It is becoming clear that Sonos want to move towards this as they are proabably not shifting enough boxes to maintain a decent profit margin. This is clear from the recent layoffs and slow innovation over the past few years when previously they were market leaders. Such a shame.
Userlevel 3
Badge +1
Save your queue. Problem solved.
Show your daughter how to play one song. Problem solved. (Just as you showed her before)
Saved queue. Load it again. Problem solved.
Tell/show people how to add a track. Problem solved. (Just as you told them how to before)


That's just the point. Why the extra step of saving a queue? Why the extra step of showing someone how to play a song? Every child who could read could do it with no training before. Why the extra step of re-loading the queue after a child or guest plays a song? Three extra steps for zero reason. And one slip, and the queue could be wiped out. We don't want wiped out queues, and we don't want our guests seeing error messages about deleting the queue. We just want to play music.
Userlevel 3
Badge +1
Not much activity here over the past several days. I guess people have pretty much accepted the change. Certainly not enough unhappiness expressed to motivate Sonos into action if it looks like they can just wait it out.
Sonos can wait if it wants to. Soon enough, thousands of customers with professionally installed systems are going to update. Those folks don't know anything about wiping out a queue by playing a song. Sonos is going to ruin all their high-class parties. They might not like it when we enthusiasts complain, but wait until they lose the pros and their mansion-owning customers.
In some ways Sonos reminds me of Donald Trump right now. There are tons of enthusiasts who believe in the core values of the brand such as SonosNet, the queue, and the ability to index all of your local music sitting in different locations on your network. Unfortunately as hard as the faithful work to defend Sonos from detractors on this forum and elsewhere, Sonos keeps coming out with some new bit of insanity to make it harder to justify that support... wiping out the queue if you try to add a song, needlessly adding a Wi-Fi option so folks can scramble themselves into some non-functional mixed mode state, claiming they can't support older devices despite the fact that third party apps like SonoPad have no problem doing so, and so on. I wonder if this is all going to catch up to them at some point?