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Switching between rooms

  • January 24, 2018
  • 21 replies
  • 6325 views

I would like to be able to switch between rooms (players) by swiping the screen. I seem to recall that this was possible in an earlier version of the controller app but has since been removed. The current way is a bit cumbersome, even after the latest update.
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21 replies

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
The previous method involved swiping down the screen, tapping the Rooms button, then using the grouping facility to tick the required room and untick the current room. All that has happened is that the need to swipe down to reveal the Rooms button has been removed.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Alternatively, just tap the room name on the Now Playing screen, tick and untick, and tap Done. This seems more reliable than on version 8.2 but I still don't entirely trust it!

  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 4 replies
  • January 24, 2018
This is not exactly what I meant. I think you're talking about switching (or transferring) music from one room to another. What I meant was switching between views to see what is playing and what is on the playlist in different rooms. Sorry for the lack of precision in my description.
Like I said, I think this feature was available some (long) time ago but has since been removed altogether. Currently I need to swipe down to be able to select the room I want to see and repeat the process if I want to see another room.

bockersjv
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  • Local Superstar
  • 2633 replies
  • January 24, 2018
shakaree are you on the latest 8.3 build. It has changed in this area, can'tr play with it as i am at work but you may find it better.

  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 4 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Yes, I have the latest build of the Controller software. I have both the Android version and iOS. This feature is not available. Or at least I have not been able to use it in the way I described.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Yes - just tap the Rooms button and you can see all rooms. Tap a room once to select it (so that the controller is controlling it) and then tap Browse, Search or My Sonos to choose music for that room. Or tap the room a second time to get back to the Now Playing screen.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
By 'playlist' I think you mean the queue. There is a toggle button to hide or show the queue on the Now Playing screen.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Ah - maybe you are using a tablet and are referring to the version that displayed everything on one screen - rooms, Now Playing and sources?

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
I do not recall a version where it was possible to see the queues of several rooms at one time. Doesn't mean there hasn't been one. But I cannot see that being feasible given the current app design.

  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 4 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Hei again,
You are right, when I wrote "playlist" I was actually referring to "queue". My mistake. However, I do know how to see the queue for the selected room. And also, I'm using both the phone version of the controller (Android) as well the tablet version (iOS). I do remember the controller version on the tablet where you could see rooms, queue and sources in one view in different "columns".
I don't really need to see the queues for different rooms in at one time. I would just like to be able to more easily go from one room view to the next without going through the specific "Rooms" button. Like I said, this was possible at one point in time but I think it might have been during the latest app overhaul (where Sonos started using more or less the same format that is in use today) that this feature was removed. Hopefully it could be restored during one of the upcoming updates.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
The 'columns' view was only ever part of the tablet version (it is still the design for the desktop version - do you have that?). It seems pretty clear that Sonos have now decided on a unified design across mobile controllers so, personally, I doubt we will see that again.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
In any case, all it takes is a tap on the Rooms button and a double tap on the room to get each Now Playing screen in turn. I'm not sure that's too bad.

ratty
  • 31405 replies
  • January 24, 2018
@shakaree is correct. The first iOS/Android controller (pre 5.0) would let you swipe left/right to change room focus. There was a series of dots at the bottom of Now Playing indicating where you were in the room sequence.

  • 19684 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Ah thanks @ratty - before my time on Sonos. Now that does seem a good feature!

@shakaree - apologies for not getting what you were getting at.

  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 4 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Thanks @ratty. That's exactly what I meant. I've been with Sonos for six years and while mostly all updates have taken the system usability forward this is one useful feature that has disappeared during the process.

Chris
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  • Lead Maestro
  • 17598 replies
  • January 24, 2018
I do not remember there ever being a feature to flip between rooms by swiping sideways. Have always had to hit a room button (or title) and switch between.

It is a good idea though - swiping the now playing screen or bar would be cool to switch between rooms seeing. But I can see people accidentally swiping and being issue.

If they just did it on the landscape view on tablets then you would be able to see all the queues and that seems like it wouldn't interfere with people accidentally doing it..

Of course there is still the desktop version you can see everything as you switch each room.

ratty
  • 31405 replies
  • January 24, 2018
See the dots at the bottom of Now Playing here.

Chris
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  • Lead Maestro
  • 17598 replies
  • January 24, 2018
So it was on the old landscape view. Seems not really functionally needed on that screen when you can just click on the room itself (as desktop version is now).

Thx ratty.

ratty
  • 31405 replies
  • January 24, 2018
On some landscapes there were only two panes, such as here.

Chris
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  • Lead Maestro
  • 17598 replies
  • January 24, 2018
Thanks for the history Ratty!

Chris
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  • Lead Maestro
  • 17598 replies
  • January 24, 2018
It does go back to my comment that it makes sense on landscape tablet screen.