Sonos iOS update is shockingly bad - first impressions
Userlevel 5
+6
The whole My Sonos feature is confusing. The playlists are confusing, and huge graphics which means hardly any playlists can be shown. Was SO hoping the Mac app would get an update, but no such luck. Wait for more reviews before upgrading..... or am I missing something?
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Hi Andrew. That is a calm and well argued contribution, which is something of a rarity at the moment. The system does more stuff now than when the CR200 was the only controller. And I prefer logical to 'intuitive', which often means 'what I am used to'. And I believe something that needs a little effort can justify it in the end.
These are grey areas not black and white and I respect your views.
These are grey areas not black and white and I respect your views.
I have owned Sonos since 2009. I usually don't wade into these kinds of posts as it is always down to a matter of opinion, and I hate getting dragged into the 'my opinion is better than yours' types of argument.
I say usually, but it's hard not to have a strong opinion (one way or the other) on October's developments.
A good test is if you can hand the app to others to see if they can use it without being shown. If Sonos want an example of excellent design (both visually and from a usability point of view) they need to look no further than their own CR200. It was an awesome piece of kit, and it was very rewarding to see people who had never use it before pick it up and make it do exactly what they wanted.
Regardless which side of the fence you sit on, the same can't be said of the new app. It simply isn't obvious how to get where you want. We can all get there in the end, we will all figure it out after stabbing at buttons for a bit. But that kind of design isn't elegant, it's broken. And when I now hand someone the app, I get asked 'how do i......'. And if nothing else, that saddens me because it wasn't always this way.
So, it is true that some people may like the new visuals --- that is down to personal taste. However I would find it hard to be persuaded by anyone who states the new app has a better interface. My own personal opinion of that is badly designed. And I wasn't expecting that from Sonos in 2017.
Andrew
I say usually, but it's hard not to have a strong opinion (one way or the other) on October's developments.
A good test is if you can hand the app to others to see if they can use it without being shown. If Sonos want an example of excellent design (both visually and from a usability point of view) they need to look no further than their own CR200. It was an awesome piece of kit, and it was very rewarding to see people who had never use it before pick it up and make it do exactly what they wanted.
Regardless which side of the fence you sit on, the same can't be said of the new app. It simply isn't obvious how to get where you want. We can all get there in the end, we will all figure it out after stabbing at buttons for a bit. But that kind of design isn't elegant, it's broken. And when I now hand someone the app, I get asked 'how do i......'. And if nothing else, that saddens me because it wasn't always this way.
So, it is true that some people may like the new visuals --- that is down to personal taste. However I would find it hard to be persuaded by anyone who states the new app has a better interface. My own personal opinion of that is badly designed. And I wasn't expecting that from Sonos in 2017.
Andrew
It takes me less for some (Grouping), more for others (switching rooms). Unlike most though, I don't obsessively count clicks as an end all be all of UI design. I know that is an important piece of datum to those in the field, but it always makes me think of the Jetsons episode taking a subtle jab at the modern world where pushing a button to accomplish a task that used to take hours of manual labor was causing Jane's fingers to cramp.
I'm also old enough to remember the uproar when Word Perfect changed their "intuitive" interface to WYSIWYG, and people complained how difficult it was. Truth be told, the original CTRL/xxx WP interface was about as intuitive as driving a car with your feet on the steering wheel and your hands on the pedals.
It's just that's what people were used to. Muscle memory is real.
As to what have I gained? Well, it declutters my very cluttered sources (now browse), page. The tab interface greatly speeds up going from one set of functions to another, without overlap. The tabs separate like functions from others, so I don't have to scroll down through a dozen or so music services to access alarms, Settings, timers, etc. I group and ungroup a lot during the day, so the quick access grouping is a godsend. That is just a few.
I'm also old enough to remember the uproar when Word Perfect changed their "intuitive" interface to WYSIWYG, and people complained how difficult it was. Truth be told, the original CTRL/xxx WP interface was about as intuitive as driving a car with your feet on the steering wheel and your hands on the pedals.
It's just that's what people were used to. Muscle memory is real.
As to what have I gained? Well, it declutters my very cluttered sources (now browse), page. The tab interface greatly speeds up going from one set of functions to another, without overlap. The tabs separate like functions from others, so I don't have to scroll down through a dozen or so music services to access alarms, Settings, timers, etc. I group and ungroup a lot during the day, so the quick access grouping is a godsend. That is just a few.
Before I answer your questions, this is just an exchange of views. You have every right to express your displeasure, and I have the right to say I find the new app easy OK? So cut the aggression, nobody died.
I'll answer 2 first. Something that really irritated me in the old app was when I went to the main menu my music library was off the top of the screen and I had to scroll up. Now that the contents have been split, logically and sensibly, into sources (browse) and the rest, that no longer happens.
I have gained the Sonos bar, which I really like. I don't have to think how to get where I want, I just head for the bar (as it were). The lack of thinking time is what makes it quicker for me, it isn't just about button presses. It will be better still when the bar appears on the Now Playing screen, as it really should
I find the quick grouping facility useful. Saves a second or two. It is better to use the Rooms screen for grouping sometimes, but that is pretty much as it was.
So my answer to question 1 would be similar time, possibly slightly faster. If the bar goes onto the Now Playing screen it will definitely be faster for me. I have no right to claim that will be true of every user.
I'll answer 2 first. Something that really irritated me in the old app was when I went to the main menu my music library was off the top of the screen and I had to scroll up. Now that the contents have been split, logically and sensibly, into sources (browse) and the rest, that no longer happens.
I have gained the Sonos bar, which I really like. I don't have to think how to get where I want, I just head for the bar (as it were). The lack of thinking time is what makes it quicker for me, it isn't just about button presses. It will be better still when the bar appears on the Now Playing screen, as it really should
I find the quick grouping facility useful. Saves a second or two. It is better to use the Rooms screen for grouping sometimes, but that is pretty much as it was.
So my answer to question 1 would be similar time, possibly slightly faster. If the bar goes onto the Now Playing screen it will definitely be faster for me. I have no right to claim that will be true of every user.
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
1. Does it take you more or less steps to accomplish things?
2. What have you gained?
Could Jgatie or John B take the time to answer there last two valid questions about the new update before they continue people as complainers??
Just an incidental point. Several of the posts I have seen complaining about My Sonos seem to suggest the poster is unaware of the Edit button. Just thought it might be helpful to mention.
I am not suggesting that solves all the issues with My Sonos.
I am not suggesting that solves all the issues with My Sonos.
You make a valid point, but it concerns to that Sonos will ignore comments which are not supportive of the changes using the argument that they probably only represent minority of opinions.
Where is your evidence for this? The last major UI change, they asked for rational input and made most of the changes posters asked for. Well, most if you ignore the absurd comments like "Give us 4.x back again or we are launching a class action suit!!" (yes, some actually posted that in a thread).
I have no real issues either and if you read the amassing threads on this issue there are others too. People don't generally flock to forums to say they are happy with something so its probably best not to the think that all Sonos user views are represented by the relatively small percentage of posters on here.
Count me as another who feels exactly like you. Sure the icons are too big. Sonos usually listens to stuff like that. Personally, it may be too white at first, but the initial shock has worn off and it looks normal to me now. I've been through a couple of these UI changes, and if one thing is consistent, it is that much of the same people who complained about the last UI change (and the one before that) are here announcing that formerly hated UI is now utter perfection that should never be changed. In 4 years, people will be lamenting Sonos changing version 8. Some people hate change, others clamor for it, and others, like me, accept it and move on. This isn't Sonos' first rodeo, they knew what was coming.
It will all simmer down in a few days except for the few die hards keeping up the "Let me go back to 7.x or the bunny gets it" or "I refused to update from version 2.7 and now my BBC stopped working!" posts. That's when it gets less annoying, and more entertaining. The die hards are fun!
I must agree, that the app has some usability issues - like most App users, I have a high expectation that it should be intuitive. A few things I would share. What is my flow for playing music ? For me, it is 'Room' then 'Source' - I know where I want to play it and then I chose what to play. But the app starts with My Sonos, with large icons for 2 playlists and 2 Sonos Play Lists. At the bottom of the screen, I have to use the small central icon ' Rooms'. Then I have a white on near-white experience, and I have to remember this is a list of rooms & select one. Then I go back to the small icon bar at the bottom, to chose either My Sonos or Browse, both which are to the left of Rooms. I'm accustomed to moving Left to Right, so this is discordant. My preference would be for the home page to give me a flow of Room, then Source / Favourites on a screen that supports what I'm trying to do.
The other area for improvement, is the arrow-head-up and arrow-head-down that open & close dialogues. They're so insignificant on the page, that I don't notice them. The down arrow in the top-left corner is so close to the Mobile /Wifi details, that I just don't see it as part of the screen dialogue. Make it much more prominent
The other area for improvement, is the arrow-head-up and arrow-head-down that open & close dialogues. They're so insignificant on the page, that I don't notice them. The down arrow in the top-left corner is so close to the Mobile /Wifi details, that I just don't see it as part of the screen dialogue. Make it much more prominent
Userlevel 4
+13
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
There is a reason you are the ONLY one saying one thing while everyone else is saying the exact opposite
It takes way more work to do the same thing
Also if you were to give a Sonos newcomer the old version and the new version-are you seriously saying that it would be better or faster with the new version??? Didn’t think so
I have no real issues either and if you read the amassing threads on this issue there are others too. People don't generally flock to forums to say they are happy with something so its probably best not to the think that all Sonos user views are represented by the relatively small percentage of posters on here.
You make a valid point, but it concerns to that Sonos will ignore comments which are not supportive of the changes using the argument that they probably only represent minority of opinions.
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
There is a reason you are the ONLY one saying one thing while everyone else is saying the exact opposite
It takes way more work to do the same thing
Also if you were to give a Sonos newcomer the old version and the new version-are you seriously saying that it would be better or faster with the new version??? Didn’t think so
I have no real issues either and if you read the amassing threads on this issue there are others too. People don't generally flock to forums to say they are happy with something so its probably best not to the think that all Sonos user views are represented by the relatively small percentage of posters on here.
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
There is a reason you are the ONLY one saying one thing while everyone else is saying the exact opposite
It takes way more work to do the same thing
Also if you were to give a Sonos newcomer the old version and the new version-are you seriously saying that it would be better or faster with the new version??? Didn’t think so
Userlevel 1
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
1. Does it take you more or less steps to accomplish things?
2. What have you gained?
Userlevel 1
The Sonos app has become unusable. I don't see any upside to the new interface, and every task I try to complete takes more steps than before. There are a few things I haven't figured out how to accomplish. Worst of all, my wife hates it, too, and she was your biggest fan. I'm pretty open minded and will try a new interface with hopes it brings improvements, but I am not seeing any upside here. Please offer an option to revert.
All I can say is it took me half an hour to feel comfortable with it and use it with ease. I just go back to the Sonos bar and thereafter nothing much is different from before. Leaving aside the colour scheme, the Rooms screen looks like the old version, the Browse looks like the sources bit of the old main menu, and 'More' has the rest of it. The search works the same and looks the same.
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
'My Sonos' I'm not so happy with, but it's OK.
All these familiar screens are just a button press on the Sonos bar away.
I am utterly baffled as to why people are finding this difficult.
Until now.
This update is just brutal. It’s absolutely Horrible. I don’t understand why something that worked so well had to be scrambled just for the sake of an update. My wife won’t use it anymore. I’ve had about a week to play around with it now and it’s a real pain. So UN-intuitive. I’ve had major updates to my iPhone, Mac, TVs etc...never have I had to struggle this much to try to navigate.
The look and feel of this version is a huge step backwards.
PS. It had been about 2 years since I’ve wrote on this forum and it took this garbage to make me hunt down my password to comment.
I have 15 and feel the exact same way. A friend who just bought a couple for his new house called to ask me what was going on with the software.
I have to agree with the masses-I have been an avid Sonos user for about 4 years now. I have 19 units and have always recommended them to friends.
Until now.
This update is just brutal. It’s absolutely Horrible. I don’t understand why something that worked so well had to be scrambled just for the sake of an update. My wife won’t use it anymore. I’ve had about a week to play around with it now and it’s a real pain. So UN-intuitive. I’ve had major updates to my iPhone, Mac, TVs etc...never have I had to struggle this much to try to navigate.
The look and feel of this version is a huge step backwards.
PS. It had been about 2 years since I’ve wrote on this forum and it took this garbage to make me hunt down my password to comment.
Until now.
This update is just brutal. It’s absolutely Horrible. I don’t understand why something that worked so well had to be scrambled just for the sake of an update. My wife won’t use it anymore. I’ve had about a week to play around with it now and it’s a real pain. So UN-intuitive. I’ve had major updates to my iPhone, Mac, TVs etc...never have I had to struggle this much to try to navigate.
The look and feel of this version is a huge step backwards.
PS. It had been about 2 years since I’ve wrote on this forum and it took this garbage to make me hunt down my password to comment.
Add what? Or is this you mourning the passing of Favourites? Ah well....
I have not been able to add since the update....
Are you using 7.4 then? There is no Favourites in 8.0. What are you trying to add?
I have given up trying to add to Favorites! Its ridicously complicated!
This is a first for me - posting the same text on more than one thread. But since the same ridiculous hyperbole is being posted on several threads I feel it is justified.
The new app has its flaws (more on that in a minute) but basically it is really simple to use. New things take a bit of getting used to. Most of those who have slammed the new app seem to have based their views on 2 minutes effort. The Sonos bar is key. I want to pick a room? Tap the Rooms button. Then a source? Tap Browse. The one inconvenience is that the bar doesn't appear on the Now Playing screen, but I hope that will change. But I just swipe down and there is the bar (and usually either the Rooms or Browse screen, saving me one of my button presses).
I came in this evening and in less than ten seconds of opening the app had my music library playing in the Living Room. How disastrous is that?
It is logically organised. Instead of a jumble of things on the main menu, Browse contains just sources (wish they had called it Sources), More contains the things I need much less often, like Settings and Setup. Search and Rooms are self evident. 'My Sonos' contains the things I have chosen myself and want to get at quickly. What is so ****** difficult?
Yes, the icons are too big. Yes the Sonos bar should be on EVERY screen. I'd like to see Playlists on the Browse screen and just selected playlists in My Sonos.
But come on guys. Get with it and make a bit of an effort. With a few tweaks this is going to be way better than 7.4. If you want to be left behind, that's your call.
The new app has its flaws (more on that in a minute) but basically it is really simple to use. New things take a bit of getting used to. Most of those who have slammed the new app seem to have based their views on 2 minutes effort. The Sonos bar is key. I want to pick a room? Tap the Rooms button. Then a source? Tap Browse. The one inconvenience is that the bar doesn't appear on the Now Playing screen, but I hope that will change. But I just swipe down and there is the bar (and usually either the Rooms or Browse screen, saving me one of my button presses).
I came in this evening and in less than ten seconds of opening the app had my music library playing in the Living Room. How disastrous is that?
It is logically organised. Instead of a jumble of things on the main menu, Browse contains just sources (wish they had called it Sources), More contains the things I need much less often, like Settings and Setup. Search and Rooms are self evident. 'My Sonos' contains the things I have chosen myself and want to get at quickly. What is so ****** difficult?
Yes, the icons are too big. Yes the Sonos bar should be on EVERY screen. I'd like to see Playlists on the Browse screen and just selected playlists in My Sonos.
But come on guys. Get with it and make a bit of an effort. With a few tweaks this is going to be way better than 7.4. If you want to be left behind, that's your call.
I sm not a fan of the new Sonos app either. Its not very intuitive, the old ap wad so easy to select rooms, group them and select music. This new version is a mess. I am forever bouncing sround to select rooms and music.
It's taking me some time to get accustomed to the new interface, but give it a chance. I had been trying to switch rooms by doing what I think you are doing, which is actually the interface for grouping rooms. To switch control to a different room you need to get to the menu across the bottom of the app and select the "Rooms" menu. Then it should show all rooms and you click on the one you want from there.
I am wondering if some of these controller changes were necessitated by the Alexa integration and possibly future features that are planned.
I will give this a try. Thanks for the info.
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