We want SONOS App dark mode back!

I agree! This white theme is much too bright!

Hi all, I signed up to the forum just to add my opinion here in hopes of SONOS reading it.

After updating, I was horrified to see an all white theme. I thought maybe they were trying something new and turned this OPTION on by default, so I immediately went into settings to toggle to a dark theme, but as you've all stated, there is NO option to do so.

The white interface looks HORRIBLE. The album/song artwork icons look so awkward and out of place as if they are floating in white mass. And small dark text against an all white background is way more difficult to read than light on dark. When you think of media, you think of dark and sleek interfaces, just like the hardware (stereo systems) that these apps have ultimately replaced. I use my iPad Mini (magnetically affixed to my fridge) as my SONOS music control center, and now there is a garish white box glaring off of my graphite/grey refrigerator. It looks awful.

I loved using the SONOS app because it was so much better to look at than the Apple Music App, which is abysmal in every way. So imagine my horror when I learned that SONOS ultimately copied all the worst features of the Apple Music app.Just because Apple did it, doesn't mean it's good and should be copied. I love Apple and have been buying their products religiously for 20 years, but their UI design completely sucks these days - especially all of the white themed apps and lack of buttons/icons.

I do not like when developers overhaul apps without user options - they do not know better than me when it comes to aesthetics, so leave options in the app. If you want to try something new, fine, but give the option to use dark or light - let the user decide. What's more, save a new feature or two, the app isn't any more intuitive than the previous version, so I am not sure why so much time and effort was put into this new version. There has got to be a way to better streamline the functionality of this app. So many clicks.

As a huge SONOS fan (my entire apartment is 100% SONOS with eight Play:1s, three Play:5s, two SoundBars and three SUBS), so the app shouldn't be the kill-joy whenever I decide to put on some music (which is every day and night when I am home).

Truly un-inspired 'upgrade'. The white background is far too bright and left to right scrolling of favourites more clunky than up/down scrolling. I suspect this is just change for change's sake with no real end-user testing.

Sonos proved with the previous update that they don't care what users think. The version 7 software was widely derided for replacing people's entire playlists with a simple tap on a song, and Sonos never even compromised on that by giving people a choice. We're not asking for users to decide everything; we're just asking for options. But you're right--it appears that Sonos sees the same interface every day and simply gets bored with it; they then blow it up seemingly for the hell of it. That would be cool if they would improve it, but they just FUBAR it even more each time.

+4 in this family #bringbacktheblack

I started this thread because I had just recently set up Sonos just a few weeks ago. I was so glad to find that the app was easy to see in all ambient light conditions and also very easy to use. Then the update happened and those two most basic qualities were undone.

Sonos Tech, could we please have an option for dark background app, or maybe to go back one version and keep it there?
There must be many users, possibly even the majority of them, who feel the same but not speaking up about this.

Thanks for building the beautiful speaker systems.

Thanks for all the replies.

I invested in SONOS shortly after it launched and have found most software updates to be generally speaking, improvements. However the decision to make the app all white and change the navigation of it in such a radical way is the biggest blunder ever. I tend to listen to music in the evening in a slightly darkened room as I'm sure many people do but now I find myself having to constantly adjust my iphone to compensate for the brightness of the app. Up until now the app has been pretty classy, easy on the eyes and a pleasure to use but this update is just dreadful. I haven't read any comments about how wonderful this update is.

So SONOS please please listen to your users voicing their displeasure at this update and at least give us the option to use a Dark Mode. Can't be too difficult can it?

Thanks for the feedback everyone. We hear you, and I completely understand your frustration. Sometimes the app can be too bright. Turning the screen brightness definitely helps, but it's not the same.

We've been sharing with the development team so they can look into this. I don't have any specifics to share, but I want to assure you that this is just the start of the new app. You'll see it improve in a number of ways as we go. As soon as there's any word we can share with you all, we'll let you know!

(1) A big +1 to way too bright (2) wow the redesign is ugly. Plus the Google Play integration is still very poor. What on earth were Development thinking?

I've been a Sonos customer since almost the beginning and it's disapointing that they still struggle with UX and software. Fortunately for most things we can now use the Spotify app to control Sonos.

agree with everyone here, as well as the comments about scrolling left to right. Unintuitive, and a huge pain in the ass. And I would add that now just using the app makes me frustrated to the point that I no longer even want to try switching stations because it's such a headache. I love to sit and enjoy a bourbon and read and listen to music. Good luck trying to switch stations or playlists with 55 year old eyes and a healthy buzz with this shitshow of an app. Everything about this upgrade is a miserable failure.

The bright background on new SONOS app release is not an improvement.
It's too bright in a dark room, intrusive, hard too see in a light room, and it eats my battery.
Don't like it.

Users speak up. If enough people ask, maybe the app developer will listen.

Brighter is not better.
Please give us back the dark background theme.

The room is unbearably bright due to the white background. I have no choice but to turn off the display completely - waiving the praised new attributes of the software. In this sense, the so-called progress for me means a loss and huge disappointment!
There is another disturbing detail: The font below the CD cover (title, album, artist, etc.) is disproportionately small and barely legible even at a small distance. I therefore suggest to improve the proportions. Maybe I'm not alone with this wish.
I ask for an option for variable font sizes in the title display, because despite my relatively large screen, these notes are quite difficult to read (it is not due to lack of visual acuity).

It would not have to be (other companies live it), that one gets dictated as user the outfit. I urge you to establish self-service elements by the customer.

Same here, I have an iPad mounted in the kitchen and it's become either a beacon or the sun! Just downloaded SonosPad cleaner and darker....

HELLO?? ROLL BACK! PLEASE! What the hell were your designers thinking?? DARK UI is a MUST have option for most of your users! 😠

Just wanted to add to the list of users that hate the white colour. Along with a number of other annoyances with he new interface. Just doesn't seem either as quick to change rooms or as intuitive to use.
😞