With respect to lock screen controls, there are a number of heated conversations about this. The bottom line is that Apple and Google will not allow 3rd party hardware systems, such as SONOS, to implement lock screen controls. At one point SONOS had provided a lock screen hack, but Apple gave SONOS a choice -- remove the hack or the Application will be removed from the Apple App Store.

If you use an App that plays through Bluetooth or Airplay 2, lock screen controls can be available.

Blame Apple for the loss of the lock screen and hard button controls.  Apple doesn’t allow controlling 3rd party hardware from the lock screen or hard buttons, and they cracked down on the hack Sonos was using to get around that rule, threatening to ban the Sonos app from the App Store. 

Edit: @buzz types faster than me. 

Jim,

Both the changes you mention were demands made by Apple, and not choices by Sonos, which was, apparently, threatened by Apple to remove the iOS client from the Apple Store if they didn’t comply, and remove the ‘hack’ that Sonos had made to make both of those features work. If you use AirPlay 2, rather that the Sonos app, they both will function, as you’re fundamentally changing the nature of the connection, from a remote control (Sonos) to playing on the iOS device and ‘casting’ to the Sonos speakers (Apple’s AirPlay 2, which uses a true player on the iOS device, and all the bandwidth necessary for that stream to continue).

If you read this forum, and occasionally read Internet news sites, there is a rumor of an update, at least to the UI/UX aspect of S2 controllers. Speculation suggests this may be tied to the release of the purported Sonos headphones, but being a rumor, there is no guaranty that either may be true, or even the two events being tied together, it is merely speculation until Sonos themselves announce it. 

I use the iOS client for Sonos about 90% of the time I’m interfacing with my Sonos, the rest is a smattering of voice control, and the desktop clients. Perhaps I’m just used to them, but I haven’t noticed any glaring issues. I do occasionally use AirPlay 2, as well, and at that point, am happy to use both the Lock Screen controls, and the hard buttons to adjust the volume on the device playing the AirPlay 2 stream, but at that point, I’m not really using the Sonos software. Although I often will open up the Sonos controller at the beginning of the stream, so I can ‘group’ rooms that I don’t have an AirPlay 2 capable Sonos speaker in. 

But, back on topic, I suspect that Sonos uses a universal code base, any changes to S2 would be carried through to both iOS and Android clients. I suspect maintenance if the codebase would be much more challenging if they had to have separate teams mirroring each other constantly with feature changes.

Edit; it apparently took me a long time to type that. Kudos to both @buzz and @jgatie for being both quicker typists, and less rambling than I. 

Nothing to add…

Just that using the search function of this forum or even a google search might have avoided another thread on the lockscreen/ volume control topic.

LATEST app update v 80.04.30 is killling my love for sonos.  

I cant control speakers, couple them get the arcs to play nicely with apple of my monitors etc without multiple attempts…or keep my apple products from competing with sonos to control my speakers. Everything was working beautiful and then this update!  

I updated all of my gear at considerable expense. Please fix it.  Don't blame apple. Fix it.

You do know you are posting in a thread complaining about the app prior to the new overhaul, right? 

IS 80.04.30 VERSION NOT THE LATEST?

No 80.02.04 for iOS. But as pointed out the complaints in this thread are from before the app redesign 

Ok sorry for the placement  the message remains for me as I do not see the version you referenced  when I search the App Store it tells me I’m uotodate

sent me a link to the new app and I’ll retract if it solves the mess;-)  

thank you

Ok I just logged into the website and poking around I found underneath ‘about sonos’ a link that allowed me to update my downloaded three days ago app from the AppStore -

so what’s up with that?  
 

the AppStore did not provide the update, I had to go and find it on your site to get it?

now I’ll review it  thanks

It can take a few hours for Apple to fully push through new App releases in the App store.

was it hours, or days? For the last few days my android controller has worked and ios hasn’t worked at all? Wasn’t there some notice here that you can’t use app store updates, and you have to manually do ti?