1. This is a users forum.  Sonos reps sometimes post here, but that is not their primary function.  Developers never post here. So you probably aren’t going to get an answer.
2. Here’s the official statement on what’s fixed and what’s coming (don’t shoot the messenger): https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/the-new-sonos-app-and-future-feature-updates

Thanks.

Is there any place to get answers from reps? Emailing support redirects here. :/

If you are asking about the iPhone/iPad Volume widget, the answer is not likely. Apple does not support this. SONOS had been using a hack to display the widget. It has been made clear to SONOS that if the hack was not removed, the SONOS control App would be removed from the App Store.

SONOS units directly fetch and play the music. After the music starts the controllers could be shut down or even uninstalled and the music will continue. Phone/pad Apps, on the other hand, send music via Bluetooth or AirPlay 2. These Apps can modify their stream and display widgets because they run on the device.

Personally, I don’t find Bluetooth or AirPlay 2 to be as reliable as the SONOS approach. Plus, I don’t want my phone/pad/computer to be playing the music because, when I’m programming I may want to reboot the phone/pad/computer and I see no reason to stop the music. Also, if the phone/pad/computer leaves the area, any music playing from it will stop for other listeners.

Not asking about any Apple products. 

Asking about the Android app, which had a functional widget up until the update that ruined everything.
I had hoped this would be self evident, as the widget for iOS has been unavailable since at least last year, well before the new update--which I mentioned as the cause of the missing widget. I realize now that this was not the case. So, in the interest of clarity let me say it again:

Not Apple. Android. 

I also appreciate the Sonos approach. This is why I invested so much time, energy, and money into the system. I understand very well how it works, and also how it differs from other interface options. Again, this is why I bought enough Sonos speakers to cover my entire house. Speakers that now have limited functionality due to the failed rollout of this forced update. The update which removed the widget (Android) that I had come to rely on. Which is of course why I was asking if it would be re-added as the updated app is retrofitted back into (marginal) functionality. The widget, I might add, which works perfectly with my Android phone. 

If you have some work around, or reason why the widget isn’t ideal, I am uninterested in hearing it. That information is not relevant to the question I am asking. 

Thanks and be well.

I don’t recall, but I think Google’s attitude with the widget is the same as Apple’s.

Personally, I don’t have any use for widgets, but I know that they are very important for some users.

I deleted the update and installed the last build. The widget works still great on that one, but i am worried that without the updates the system will start getting buggy/unresponsive. 

I work remotely and the widget makes things much easier when I need to pause or turn volume down. I might just have to give up on it, or hope a third party app comes out. :( 

By the way, I just tested SPOTIFY on my Android. I was able to access a widget by dragging down at the top of the screen or waking the phone with its power button. SPOTIFY is actually playing through SONOS because the music continued after I powered down the phone. Other services may provide this interaction.

I’m sure everything you say here is correct - I just find it a frustrating experience on iOS to have to open the app in order to play/pause/change volume.

When I’m using the Spotify app to playback to my Sonos (Spotify Connect, I believe), the source is not coming from my phone. Once the audio starts, I can force-quit the app and the audio keeps playing.  And when I open Spotify again, it picks up what Sonos is playing and the lock-screen/widget controls come back.  So the music source can’t be the only reason that the widget isn’t supported.  Seems like it’s not beyond the wit of man to provide a similar behaviour for the Sonos app…

But I’m sure it’ll never happen.

/moan

Loads of apps have Android widgets. Spotify, as has already been mentioned, VNC, Sony music player and I am sure others are the same. Thr widget allows control from the home screen, lock screen and even by pulling down settings from the top. Up until a couple of months ago this worked fine on the Sonos app. 

It is intensely frustrating that this functionality has gone. I actually get quite angry about it, given how much money I have handed over to Sonos over the past decade. 

And that's not even my biggest problem with the new app…

Steve

I made it happen by using the home assistant media player widget. It works well if you already have home assistant