New SONOS app: many features no longer available!

U
Userlevel 6
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Think twice before you install the new SONOS app as at least the following features are no longer available (temporarily or permanently):

  • Sleeptimer has disappeared completely. Either you sleep the entire night with music on or you wake up to switch off the music… Quite defeats the purpose.
  • Alarms: creating and editing an alarm is no longer possible. You can only toggle an existing alarm on and off.
  • Local music library: make sure you don’t remove it as it is no longer possible to add a local music library stored on a NAS or shared device. Also the search doesn’t work on the local library any longer; it only searches the online music services. Sonos seems to have finally let down its initial user population that made Sonos big before music streaming services existed…

Either this is a deliberate choice by Sonos to reduce the functionality or someone validated a pre-beta release for production to meet some preset deadlines… In any case, don’t upgrade if you need these features.

170 replies

M
Userlevel 4
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Ok, got out of bed. Went downstairs to the basement. Booted up my computer. Downloaded the Mac version of the Sonos app. Installed it. Created the alarm I needed. Came back upstairs and back to bed. Woke my wife up in the process. Thanks Sonos.

N

FYI. I was able to use Alexa as a sleep timer. Can’t believe they would release an app without the basics though. 

X
Userlevel 2

Disaster. I wish I had read these comments before update. Alarms have completely disappeared from iOS. What are they thinking. 

C
Userlevel 1

A pathetic and embarrassing effort from a company selling itself as a market leader.

No sleep timer or alarm is amateurish to say the least. Like numerous others I’m totally fed up with this level of so called service. A potential fire sale if my huge system is on the cards. 

B
Userlevel 2

Do these people actually want to destroy their product and lose business?? Crazy self destruction. No more Sonos for me.

BennyB0Y
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

The Update is a “RUSH JOB!” - I can only think someone’s finger slipped too early on pressing the RELEASE button. Sonos App Development better have plans to put the Timer, Alarm and Local Music Library features back in! This should’ve been a BETA release!

Come on Sonos! Please don’t only just listen to your customer base, act on it too. Thanks.

R
Userlevel 2

Fully agree with everything being said above i this thread.

Typical rush job, “we’ve got to release by end of this week...” kind of management.

 

There are some good /useful new additions so …

 

But I do hope they’re going to release, quickly,  an interim update with the top 10 urgent fix !

I vote for :

1- sleep timer

 

Sonos product manager should  publish such a list .. just saying 😐

R
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

I am sure there are reasons that a decision was made to release a substandard app with fewer features and functionality than its predecessor, but as a SONOS customer for 15 years, the reason escapes me. 

 

7th May saw the 2nd quarter results announced to shareholders, which began with a statement from the CEO about the day seeing the launch of the new software and its importance to Sonos’ continued success. They couldn’t postpone launching it, whatever condition it was in. 

C
Userlevel 5
Badge +1

7th May saw the 2nd quarter results announced to shareholders, which began with a statement from the CEO about the day seeing the launch of the new software and its importance to Sonos’ continued success. They couldn’t postpone launching it, whatever condition it was in. 

Well, of course they could have postponed it, it was their decision to link the release of the new update to their quarterly results announcement. It is not like it would be the first time for a publicly traded company to announce delays, especially for a software release which customers were not really eager for (until Sonos started hyping it up by e-mail two weeks ago).

I do not think they acted in the interest of their customers… or even in their own interests.

F
Userlevel 3
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Does anyone know how to mute a song if listening to it on the new Sonos app? 
 

this new app is shocking. Disgusting.

S

 

floresep
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

Unless they sort this out ASAP, then they won't sell many of their new headphones, or any other devices.  

Your signature is HILARIOUS and has me in stitches! I had to scroll back to re-read it a few times.

floresep
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

If you've read this far, and want to prevent the app update from loading on your devices:

Turn off automatic updates

iOS:

https://www.lifewire.com/turn-off-auto-update-iphone-5206079 

 

Android:

https://www.lifewire.com/turn-off-automatic-updates-on-android-5192496#toc-how-to-turn-off-automatic-app-updates-on-an-android-phone 

(Scroll a bit further to next section titled "Stop Automatic Updates for Specific Apps")

M
Userlevel 2

Any follow up from Sonos would be appreciated. Use alarms and timers in all rooms with music. 
 

this update is seriously making me consider abandoning my entire Sonos system.

 

 

Alohaboy1960
Badge

Monumental miscalculation. Sleep timer has been integral. I’m going to figure out how to downgrade until they fix it. 

You are welcome in advance
C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Unless they sort this out ASAP, then they won't sell many of their new headphones, or any other devices.  

Your signature is HILARIOUS and has me in stitches! I had to scroll back to re-read it a few times.

I thank you on behalf of Marty 😁

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
G
Userlevel 1

Removal of features that worked and that many in the community enjoyed makes absolutely no sense and only serves to drive customers to alternate products.  Sonos what were you thinking?  I too enjoyed the use of the Sleep timer with music and audio books.  Consider soliciting feedback from the community before doing something like this and bring back the features that were taken from your customers.

M
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Just spent the last half hour trying to find the alarm in the new app. After searching everywhere over and over again I came to the forum to find out where the alarm setting is. 
 

from this thread it appears it’s been removed completely. Why would they remove the ability to add or edit an alarm?  Makes no sense. How am I supposed to change my daughters alarm from 7am to 6am tomorrow when the option has been removed?

M
Userlevel 2

Missing features :

  • adding things to the current playlist (without removing everything else)
  • saving the current playlist as a new or an existing playlist

Harder : changing the sound of only one speaker when in a group

I’m back to the previous version and blocking future updates. Let's hope something will be done fast.

F
Userlevel 3
Badge

How did you roll back versions?

M
Userlevel 2

How did you roll back versions?

My android phone is rooted, and I had a backup of app + data.

The app update also changed the data. I first only restored the app, but it was starting like a new install.

On android, you can get the apk of the previous version (16.1) on apkmirror https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/sonos-inc/sonos-for-android/

You can tell the play store not to upgrade this app, but I had previous case where it did update nonetheless.

You will have to reconfigure all your system, because of the update making the data incompatible.

F
Userlevel 3
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Will take them months to sort this filth out of an app

G
Userlevel 1

Please bring back alarm feature !

Unrealistic that I cannot manage anymore this basic feature since the app update...

S
Userlevel 2

SONOS, you’ve missed the point.

First you remove the ability to play music from the controlling device, so I built and populated a NAS with several hundred albums.  

Now you remove the Music Library from search results, forcing me to scroll through the library to find the music I want to play.  That simply isn’t tenable.

Apple Music doesn’t have HiDef versions of the much of the music I have on my NAS and the difference in sound quality is obvious.

 

Then there’s the depreciation of:

  1. Alarms
  2. Sleep timer
  3. Adding a music library
  4. Access to EQ from the volume control 
  5. Queue editing
  6. Playlist editing
  7. Music resolution badges
  8. What else will I find in the coming days and weeks?

I wouldn’t be surprised to read some or all of these features have a small user base, but it’s likely that user base has championed your products over many years;  I’ve done so for 20 years, resulting in all of my siblings and many of my friends buying and enjoying your products.

Please restore the missing features so that I can continue to champion your products and so that I can continue to enjoy the playback quality your products are capable of.

S

The new app is complete crap. Full of bugs and missing features. How can they offer such crap to the customers?

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