Windows 10 Controller | Sonos Community

Do you have plans to ship a Windows 10 Store app which can be used from multiple Windows devices (PC, Phone, Xbox) to control the Sonos experience?

We are a Windows household and the desktop controller that exists for PC today is heavy and not very touch friendly. The third party Windows Phone app, Phonos, is fills a void, but not nearly as feature rich as the Android or iOS app. This has been requested for several years (https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/support-windows-8-rt-for-surface-tablet-and-windows-phone-8-for-mobile-devices-4593709) and the product management team does not address this gap beyond a blanket we have no news statement. I understand that choices have to be made. If you do not plan to address this in the net 12 months then can you at least make your API public with your apps being first and best examples of how to use that API so others can fill the gap for you?

Instead of a lot of "+1" and "me too" threads please show your support by voting on the poll below so we can get a count of the number of people who are interested in a Windows 10 app.

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Try this one

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/phonos-universal-preview/9nblggh4ns0x?ocid=badge

I just registered, just to participatie in the poll. Now i don' t have Sonos! But i will fil my entire house and replace all equipment i now have with Sonos, as soon as they release decent Windows10 apps. In my house we all have Windows 10 phones, and als we have Windows10 surface pro tablets. All pc's run Windows10 as Well, and a few have Touchscreens. And Yes also the Xbox one and 360's but i agree with those commenting that those are not Nice controllers.

Please Sonos take a wise decission and start Development one! It's not just the Windows Phone users you please, but also the Windows10 pc users and the 'really fantastic' Surface tablet users!

Sonos has stated that they are not going to develop a UWP app. They have decided to concentrate on voice control, which relegates controller apps to a secondary and/or tertiary role. The Windows UWP market is just not big enough for Sonos to dedicate development resources towards a secondary or tertiary app.

@jgatie that was something i read indeed, so Thanks for pointing this out. But we neeed to keep asking Sonos to reconsider.

As i typ this, Windows 10 is running on more than 350 million devices in 192 countries around the world. So i don't know what you call ' the Windows UWP market is not big enough' hence all the other Nice devices as the millions of Surface tablets and ofcourse the phones there is a huge market to gain! I don't know why you begrudge the huge Windows community a Nice Sonos app? It's not just for the phone! And because of the universall app for Windows, developping an App will work on all devices running it. Making an real Sonos app for universal Windows will not be that expensive. Let's say it will cost them 50.000 US dollars. if like 1000 people buy Sonos because they are app-supported, they are making extra profits. It's win-win.

I'm quite sure Sonos has extensive research, based on better numbers, on the possible ROI of creating a UWP app, and they have rejected the project based on that research. Doesn't make them right or wrong, only time will do that, but for sure their decision was made in good faith based on numbers neither you nor I have access to. Also, because of their extensive use of these numbers, I highly doubt posting simplistic ROI scenarios is going to change their mind.

Hi Sonos! I read a lot about your products. I was in the store to buy

1 playbar + 1 Sonos Sub + 2 play 3 + 3 play 1 + 1 play 5 = more than 3430€

but due to the lack of Windows 10 / 10 Mobile, I renounced.

As the previsous comment from Reflodark, I think that is a bad idea to not develop a windows app...

Only with 2 users like us, you could already earn something like more than $6000. Only with 2 people!

And I am sure we are not only 2 to think like that! So you should win to develop Universal windows apps!

There are other good sound solutions so if you confirm your choice to ignore Windows users, I will do the choise to ignore you. And that is really sad because it it a looser-looser deal...

Thanks for considering!

Pierre, from France

Threats to buy a competitor's system would be far more effective if one listed the competing system that support Windows UWP apps. However, since there are no competitors who support UWP apps, I can understand why listing one is difficult. 😉

I have been tempted by Sonos for ages but will not purchase purely because there is no Windows 10 app which I can use on my mobile and Surface tablets. For various reasons I will not use android devices. Reading the views of the Windows opponents is frustrating and there is no point arguing.. Sonos is missing out on my participation, end of ....

There is actually a good alternative - BlueSound allowed a 3rd party app for Windows 10 uwp - and it is great.

If a 3rd party app is all it takes, there is no reason to leave Sonos. Sonos already has a 3rd party Windows app here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/store/p/phonos/9wzdncrcwmqs

This is kind of amazing. I use the Sonos desktop controller on my Windows 10 laptops, and even on an old, underpowered Dell tablet running Windows10. But it's a terrible touch experience.

The reality is that there is a massive market for Sonos to make a UWP app for that would shine for touch, but for some reason they're not willing to do it.

I like the speakers, and was considering getting a play:5, but I think I'm done with them if they can't create a first-class app for Windows touch devices.

There is indeed quite a large market. Forget about the windows phone, that's not the point, here. Win10 is on 350M+ devices. Listen, guys... that's important and because a competitor doesn't do it doesn't mean it's smart not to do it. Think forward. And with that SW development platform, you could develop once and with few changes, have the same app on Android, iOS and Windows............. Come on guys 🙂 Think about it. By the way, I work for Microsoft, so I might be biased but the reality is there are quite a few million potential users out there.

Why not build a plug-in for Groove? I love Groove - use it on my 640Xl, Surface, Desktop, because it's fast, clean and easy to navigate.

They have thought about it. They decided against it. They are concentrating on voice control instead.

They we looking for feedback so I provided same. Demand changes minds. Thanks.

No, I'm afraid the request for feedback was prior to the decision. It's not coming, no matter how much the demand. They stated in no uncertain terms what the future is at the press release in August. They have reorganized their staff and dedicated their resources towards Alexa voice control, home automation, and direct control from native apps.

I'm done with Sonos. simple like this.

Well Sonos just lost all my money. I mean REALLY in todays day and age you are NOT going to provide a descent Windows app? If you did make a Universal Windows App then it would work on all of these devices (WIndows 10, Windows Phone, XBox, etc.). I wish that you could calculate how much money you are losing by this decision because you just lost all of mine.

I'm sure they have considered. Have you considered the fact that not one of Sonos' competitors offer a UWP app? Could an entire market's worth of manufacturers be wrong, yet a tiny number of Windows advocates are right?

Sonos' emphasis is on minimising "time to music", hence handhelds given that just about everyone carries a phone. Windows Phone/Mobile is all but dead in the market.

The windows controller is actually quite good. Not sure why Sonos would bother with UWP when even Microsoft have all but lost intrest. There are some very good 3rd party apps that I used to use. Phonos being one.

Poor Sonos experience on Windows operating systems is limiting the attraction of any further investment in Sonos. I started buying the equipment before touch interfaces dominated. For some reason which Sonos has not adequately explained, they have declined to support Microsoft touch interfaces. The consequence will be that purchasers look elsewhere. For myself, it looks like my multiple £1000 investment was a poor choice, due mostly to a miscalculation regards the prejudices of Sonos. A less risky investment would be with a company that aims at operating system agnostic support. I no longer recommend Sonos because of their attitude to Windows 8 and subsequently Windows 10. (Have you tried using the Sonos desktop app on an HP Stream 7 - clearly no one at Sonos has.)

A less risky investment would be with a company that aims at operating system agnostic support.

Good luck finding one. Maybe Denon will finally get around to releasing the Windows support it promised a couple years ago. 😃

I use the Sonos application on my Microsoft Surface 3 and although it was not an app developed with touch in mind it works very well. Don't see what the fuss is? In fact it is my go to platform when building or amending play lists.

Immediate access to the equaliser is great too.

Yesterday Microsoft announced Windows 10 S. They and other HW manufacturers will be releasing devices which run this operating system. A key difference from other version of Win 10 is that apps are locked to the Windows Store - you can only install apps in the store. So got a new Windows 10 S device and Sonos - what are your options given that Sonos have not put a controller app in the Store and you cannot use Sonos without a controller:

- upgrade to another Windows 10 operating system

- buy an iPad or Android device

- use a third party app which is in the Windows 10 store

None of the third party apps are adequate as controllers - and do not have all the features of the official supported Sonos controller app - such as Submit Diagnostics. I don't know about you, but I think that is a pretty poor set of choices, which ultimately means that Sonos is withdrawing from the Windows market. What's your reply Sonos? Where do you stand on Windows 10 S?

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