Sonos App is Complete Garbage - for mobile or desktop

  • 2 September 2023
  • 37 replies
  • 1621 views
B
Userlevel 2

Sonos speakers are great, but everything about the apps is garbage, and gets worse with each update.

Almost everyday, Sonos “forgets” where my library is. I have to go into settings and add the folder again, even though it is already there. Sometimes, I can just start playing something I played recently through the app, even though it says there’s no music library!

On the mobile app, when I search an artist, it can’t find the song files I have stored locally on my phone! I’ve checked permissions, I’ve updated… everything. For a while, I could fix this by toggling between new and classic search and now that doesn’t even work. 

This system is way too expensive for such * software.

If I find a better app that can work with these speakers I will absolutely never use Sonos apps again.

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

37 replies

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Sonos speakers are great, but everything about the apps is garbage, and gets worse with each update.

Almost everyday, Sonos “forgets” where my library is. I have to go into settings and add the folder again, even though it is already there. Sometimes, I can just start playing something I played recently through the app, even though it says there’s no music library!

On the mobile app, when I search an artist, it can’t find the song files I have stored locally on my phone! I’ve checked permissions, I’ve updated… everything. For a while, I could fix this by toggling between new and classic search and now that doesn’t even work. 

This system is way too expensive for such * software.

If I find a better app that can work with these speakers I will absolutely never use Sonos apps again.

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

The app is terrible and confirm it is absolutely NOT a network issue. Constantly does not recognize the other Sonos speakers. In the 6 months I have ARC and Sub Mini I have had to reset almost 20 times!!! I recently added the Move 2 and opened 12 suport tickets. Complete garbage app that is unstable and needs to be rewritten. 

Ken_Griffiths

@Seamur88,

6 months and you’ve reset your devices 20 times..? I haven’t reset my system for over 6 years, so you really must have problems that lie elsewhere - I suspect you may have a multicast device discovery issue across your network segments, or wireless interference, or quite probably both. I would maybe research those two things by searching the community here, as there are numerous ways to begin resolving those.

Wireless interference is usually less problematic to resolve, so perhaps start with that. Here is an initial document to maybe help get you started: 

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/reduce-wireless-interference

 

G
Userlevel 1

I used Sonos products for more than 3 years now. Had to reset them only once and that was after I took them to a family gathering (so they were on another wifi network). You definitely should contact support as this is not normal. Network issues can be very complicated. Obviously, Sonos would be out of business if everyone had your experience.
 

Btw My kids don’t like the app either, they play directly to my system from Spotify. And when I listen to Apple Classical I need to use Airplay2. So much options with Sonos.

melvimbe

How does my £100 UE Boom manage all this flawlessly? To the point I can barely be bothered with my Sonos system.

 

Your Boom is a bluetooth speaker, capable of connecting to your phone and that’s about it.  It’s not subject to whatever issues you’ve got on your WiFi network.  It doesn’t need updates, because it doesn’t do anything complex or get any new features.

Danny
G
Userlevel 1

The foundation is a good network. Wireless networks are a pain. At work we have big problems with implementing one that needs to cover every spot and that’s with professional equipment and people…

At my former residence , I wouldn’t dare to use network speakers ( because of building materials at point of entry and network interference from 5 neighbours) Often I had better or only reception of neighbours wifi 😔. Also crappy solutions like wifi boosters/repeaters etc. wouldn’t work.
 

Even at my current location: as I am typing this, with the AP in the next room, network quality is already down one bar. on my terrace, like 10m from the AP, reception is very poor, it won’t work at all. 
 

where I can, I use cabled network on my Sonos equipment.

ratty

Sonos app crashed again today and need to reinstall system again. Really not making this stuff up. I would want nothing better than to just listen to music but once again it fails.

Steps taken:

Checked network = ok 

Restarted router = ok

Checked internet connection = ok

Double-checked correct network (2.4ghz) = ok

Restarted android phone (s23 ultra) = ok

Reinstalled Sonos app = ok

Looking for system = cannot find it

last step of course is going back to pairing mode and starting all over. BUT WHY DO I NEED TO KEEP DOING THIS?!?!

 

You don’t. I never have, in 16 years. 

Your network is most likely the culprit. Possibly your phone, if it has software such as VPN installed.

If you’d like assistance I suggest you open a fresh topic, away from this rant thread. In that post you could describe your network in detail and how the Sonos system is connected.

 

jgatie

Daily issues now. Sometimes just restarting the app will work, even when it can’t find the system initially. It is very flaky, consistently frustrating.

 

Connection problems which appear suddenly are often caused by network problems, not Sonos problems. The typical cause is duplicate IP addresses. These often show up after an update or power outage because a reboot requires the device to request a new IP, and the router, having lost track of current IP assignments, issues a new IP that is in use by another device. Rebooting the router may offer a temporary respite, but in reality it exacerbates the situation because the reboot simply loses track of the IP assignments all over again. You need to do a complete refresh:

Reboot/power cycle your devices in the following order:

Modem
Router
Switches or hubs
Wired Sonos units
Wireless Sonos units
Computers/printers
Wireless devices - phones/tablets etc.

Allow each device to come back up before proceeding to the next. Note that you can permanently prevent duplicate IP addresses by assigning an IP to each device's MAC address in the router setup. See your router manual for details.

D

Have to say, Sonos keeps needing to be reset. And it wont recognise Sonos One products unless they are connected via a cable, which is the polar opposite reason for buying a Sonos wireless product.

My ERA 300 is fine. The Sonos One speakers are not picked up by my network.

I have no VPN, no network issues and my phones are fine.

Any solution ideas gratefully recieved.

People rant because nothing should be this complicated!!

N
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Sonos speakers are great, but everything about the apps is garbage, and gets worse with each update.

Almost everyday, Sonos “forgets” where my library is. I have to go into settings and add the folder again, even though it is already there. Sometimes, I can just start playing something I played recently through the app, even though it says there’s no music library!

On the mobile app, when I search an artist, it can’t find the song files I have stored locally on my phone! I’ve checked permissions, I’ve updated… everything. For a while, I could fix this by toggling between new and classic search and now that doesn’t even work. 

This system is way too expensive for such * software.

If I find a better app that can work with these speakers I will absolutely never use Sonos apps again.

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

The app is terrible and confirm it is absolutely NOT a network issue. Constantly does not recognize the other Sonos speakers. In the 6 months I have ARC and Sub Mini I have had to reset almost 20 times!!! I recently added the Move 2 and opened 12 suport tickets. Complete garbage app that is unstable and needs to be rewritten. 


 

So you’re not asking for any help or suggestions about configuring your system to improve reliability? You’re just making your opinion known? 

I had problems too, many years ago. Advice given to me (and many others before and since the time of my troubles) fixed my system and has resulted in many years of trouble-free play since then. 

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

OK, so you just just complain instead of asking for help, which might bring a solution?

ratty

Any network device, including Sonos, is only as good as the network it is attached to. The vast majority of issues reported on these forums can be attributed to network issues. 

While I appreciate this may be the case I think it would be fair to say very few of us purchase Sonos thinking we need to resolve network issues just to hear premium sound. There must be a better way to avoid these issues. 

A month back I suggested your network was the root cause of your woes. I see you opened a new thread, but to date it appears we still don’t have a clear description of your network structure. 

FWIW Sonos’ requirements are set out here. 

S

I have an 11 zone Sonos system. Have been a Sonos user for over 15 years. Have “sold” Sonos to dozens of friends that have been at my house over the years… I was a fanboy. But the reality is that Sonos has software issues now and my user experience has been poor for a few years now. I don’t have network issues or anything else… so please don’t try to explain away my experience.
Sonos mesh network technology just hasn’t kept up with the proliferation of devices on a LAN. It is sad and I write this with disappointment. Former fan turned disappointed user. Bottom line is that your UX has fallen woefully behind. 

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Actually Sonos is discouraging use of their SonosNet mesh and recommending folks switch to WiFi, They even recently discontinued the Boost unit and released speakers that won’t connect to SonosNet.

S

Any network device, including Sonos, is only as good as the network it is attached to. The vast majority of issues reported on these forums can be attributed to network issues. 

While I appreciate this may be the case I think it would be fair to say very few of us purchase Sonos thinking we need to resolve network issues just to hear premium sound. There must be a better way to avoid these issues. 

A month back I suggested your network was the root cause of your woes. I see you opened a new thread, but to date it appears we still don’t have a clear description of your network structure. 

FWIW Sonos’ requirements are set out here. 

I’m having the same issue, Sonos customer service has confirmed that it 100% is not a network issue. They ran a diagnostics test on my speakers, no issue on their side they said. I wonder what the issue could be then. The ego on the people here is ridiculous.. 

also, the only reason they keep having so many issues with their garbage app, is because they don’t put focus into it. It has nothing to do with the network, it has to do with archaic technology that’s poorly implemented.

The simple fact is, Sonos are speaker manufacturers, not app developers. Their app is trash, and it’s not a network issue.

Airgetlam

Not really enough information to give a single answer, but my guess is network issues of some kind. Most likely either wifi interference of some type, or possibly duplicate IP address issues, although normally the latter should be eventually cleared by settings on your router. Unfortunately, Sonos, being networked speakers, are dependent on the network they’re connected to. And there is little that Sonos can do to rectify the network itself.

You could certainly test the latter possibility by unplugging all your Sonos devices from power, then performing a reboot of your router. Once the router comes back up, plug back in your Sonos devices. If that makes a material change in the situation, I’d encourage you to make that more permanent, by assigning reserved IP addresses in your router for the Sonos.

However, you might get better suggestions on how to ‘fix’ this issue if you were to submit a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of experiencing this problem, and call Sonos Support to discuss it.

There may be information included in the diagnostic that will help Sonos pinpoint the issue and help you find a solution.

When you speak directly to the phone folks, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system.

Bruce
S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Sonos speakers are great, but everything about the apps is garbage, and gets worse with each update.

Almost everyday, Sonos “forgets” where my library is. I have to go into settings and add the folder again, even though it is already there. Sometimes, I can just start playing something I played recently through the app, even though it says there’s no music library!

On the mobile app, when I search an artist, it can’t find the song files I have stored locally on my phone! I’ve checked permissions, I’ve updated… everything. For a while, I could fix this by toggling between new and classic search and now that doesn’t even work. 

This system is way too expensive for such * software.

If I find a better app that can work with these speakers I will absolutely never use Sonos apps again.

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

The app is terrible and confirm it is absolutely NOT a network issue. Constantly does not recognize the other Sonos speakers. In the 6 months I have ARC and Sub Mini I have had to reset almost 20 times!!! I recently added the Move 2 and opened 12 suport tickets. Complete garbage app that is unstable and needs to be rewritten. 

At this point I inclined to return it all because of the frustration. I have wasted too much time. 

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Sonos speakers are great, but everything about the apps is garbage, and gets worse with each update.

Almost everyday, Sonos “forgets” where my library is. I have to go into settings and add the folder again, even though it is already there. Sometimes, I can just start playing something I played recently through the app, even though it says there’s no music library!

On the mobile app, when I search an artist, it can’t find the song files I have stored locally on my phone! I’ve checked permissions, I’ve updated… everything. For a while, I could fix this by toggling between new and classic search and now that doesn’t even work. 

This system is way too expensive for such * software.

If I find a better app that can work with these speakers I will absolutely never use Sonos apps again.

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

The app is terrible and confirm it is absolutely NOT a network issue. Constantly does not recognize the other Sonos speakers. In the 6 months I have ARC and Sub Mini I have had to reset almost 20 times!!! I recently added the Move 2 and opened 12 suport tickets. Complete garbage app that is unstable and needs to be rewritten. 


 

So you’re not asking for any help or suggestions about configuring your system to improve reliability? You’re just making your opinion known? 

I had problems too, many years ago. Advice given to me (and many others before and since the time of my troubles) fixed my system and has resulted in many years of trouble-free play since then. 

Obviously I am saying this after reading and trying different methods to resolve posted here. 

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

@Seamur88,

6 months and you’ve reset your devices 20 times..? I haven’t reset my system for over 6 years, so you really must have problems that lie elsewhere - I suspect you may have a multicast device discovery issue across your network segments, or wireless interference, or quite probably both. I would maybe research those two things by searching the community here, as there are numerous ways to begin resolving those.

Wireless interference is usually less problematic to resolve, so perhaps start with that. Here is an initial document to maybe help get you started: 

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/reduce-wireless-interference

 

Thank you Ken. 

R

I mean, he’s right. It sucks.

Every time I open it there’s some issue. Something’s disconnected that was connected yesterday.  Something needs uodating. Whatever the issue is it always feels like something that I shouldn’t be being bothered with. 


How does my £100 UE Boom manage all this flawlessly? To the point I can barely be bothered with my Sonos system.

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Have to say, Sonos keeps needing to be reset. And it wont recognise Sonos One products unless they are connected via a cable, which is the polar opposite reason for buying a Sonos wireless product.

My ERA 300 is fine. The Sonos One speakers are not picked up by my network.

I have no VPN, no network issues and my phones are fine.

Any solution ideas gratefully recieved.

People rant because nothing should be this complicated!!

Honestly don't even bother with Sonos support -- nice people but it wont help. I have opened 6 tickets and only had them partially resolved where it worked for a few days but then back to full reset. I have had great people here like Ken Griffiths try to help (and he has been amazing) but still no luck. I have the Arc and Sub Mini that I luckily connected to the TV when i last set up but weekly they are never recognized by the app. I am sick of seeing the message 'Unable to find your Sonos system. Let's fix it.' which never works. Now I just keep the Arc and Sub Mini settings as they are and use my TV remote for volume. As for my two Move 2's, i have given up ever getting those working together again. Useless as a pair because, as mentioned below, I only use as Bluetooth now because the Sonos app which can be setup as a stereo pair is lost connection weekly. For such expensive and amazing speakers the app is absolutely terrible. I begged them to rewrite with a new developer team but they never respond to me which tells me this is not a priority for them. I wish I could help but maybe the way I have them set up might be best for you too unfortunately 😞

BTW. insult to injury is the Black Friday deals they keep sending me. 🙄 

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

@RMMPP Then it is still not the app that sucks, because it is just a remote to the system.

Why does your system only need updates when you play music. I have set updates to install in the middle of the night. I’m not ever confronted wit( these updates.

S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Sonos app crashed again today and need to reinstall system again. Really not making this stuff up. I would want nothing better than to just listen to music but once again it fails.

Steps taken:

Checked network = ok 

Restarted router = ok

Checked internet connection = ok

Double-checked correct network (2.4ghz) = ok

Restarted android phone (s23 ultra) = ok

Reinstalled Sonos app = ok

Looking for system = cannot find it

last step of course is going back to pairing mode and starting all over. BUT WHY DO I NEED TO KEEP DOING THIS?!?!

 

Suggestions? 

P

Daily issues now. Sometimes just restarting the app will work, even when it can’t find the system initially. It is very flaky, consistently frustrating.

Airgetlam

Any network device, including Sonos, is only as good as the network it is attached to. The vast majority of issues reported on these forums can be attributed to network issues. 

Bruce
S
Userlevel 1
Badge

Any network device, including Sonos, is only as good as the network it is attached to. The vast majority of issues reported on these forums can be attributed to network issues. 

While I appreciate this may be the case I think it would be fair to say very few of us purchase Sonos thinking we need to resolve network issues just to hear premium sound. There must be a better way to avoid these issues. 

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