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Workaround(ish): Android App Crashing with Firmware v16.3

Those Android users unfortunate enough to have installed the v16.3 firmware released on 17 July may have encountered a nasty bug that crashes the app over and over. Thanks to an intrepid detective on Reddit, we’ve narrowed down the bug and identified a weak workaround.

The bug causing the crash seems to be triggered by local library music. And the local library music does not need to playing, it simply needs to be in the queue of the currently selected Sonos device.

So if you are encountering this bug and your Android app is stuck crashing ...

  • Using a functioning controller* clear the queuesⵜ on all Sonos devices
  • Start Android app, everything works!
  • Play streaming source, everything works!
  • Play local library music, BOOM CRASH BOOM

… hence “weak workaround” as local library music in your queue will continue to crash the app.

* Desktop app and Web app work particularly well
ⵜ or replace the queues with streaming music

Side note: this bug is not limited to Samsung devices, tho’ it may not impact all Android devices. Samsung devices happen to display the Android OS error message shown below, while other Android devices opt to log the error without a pop-up.

 

98 replies

press250
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

Hey @Bumper, post above may help you out of the latest snafu.

W

Yes, I’m seeing a similar crash with a non-Samsung Android.  Sometimes I can _start_ a library album before the problem begins.

F
Userlevel 6
Badge +8

What do you mean by version 16.3? Mine updated today and is 80.1-55014.

 

 

press250
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

What do you mean by version 16.3? Mine updated today and is 80.1-55014.

Hi @furacaopr, on the desktop app it reports “Version: 16.3 (build 80155014)” so we are both talking about the same firmware.

F
Userlevel 6
Badge +8

What do you mean by version 16.3? Mine updated today and is 80.1-55014.

Hi @furacaopr, on the desktop app it reports “Version: 16.3 (build 80155014)” so we are both talking about the same firmware.

So, another mess Sonos has introduced, different version numbering schemes for the same firmware 😂🤣😅

H
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Wait, so the ‘workaround’ is ‘use your desktop computer’ or only stream music.

That’s awesome. Thanks for your help. Would you like to buy a playbar, two play 3’s, a play 5, and two play 1’s?

controlav
Userlevel 7
Badge +23

What do you mean by version 16.3? Mine updated today and is 80.1-55014.

Hi @furacaopr, on the desktop app it reports “Version: 16.3 (build 80155014)” so we are both talking about the same firmware.

So, another mess Sonos has introduced, different version numbering schemes for the same firmware 😂🤣😅

That is not new: Sonos have always had two version number schemes. the oldest I can find is 13.7-29120 which was also known as 3.2, which was released in 2011.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
press250
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

That is not new: Sonos have always had two version number schemes. the oldest I can find is 13.7-29120 which was also known as 3.2, which was released in 2011.

Yea @controlav, when my Android tablet crashes at the merest hint of a local library file (a queue of local music is enough, it doesn’t have to be playing) I really don’t care about numbering schemes. 

C

Same issue. App repeatedly crashes on 16.3 android if you have anything from your local library added to queue. 

B
Userlevel 3
Badge +3

Confirm on android 12 (Hauwei 2019) app now just closes immediately after loading and playing from local library.

Another tack... latest 16.3 app on Windows & Macbook is fine and allows you to everything as before (16.2 withdrew the update library function yesterday).

Back to the future! 

Y
Userlevel 2

When did having a cup of coffee and listening to a piece of music become something I had to plan in advance?

 

 

B
Userlevel 3
Badge +3

When did having a cup of coffee and listening to a piece of music become something I had to plan in advance?

 

 

Can't agree more. 

I

Dear Press250,

Thank you for your analysis.  What you described makes sense.  It does relieve the frustration to some extent knowing it is not just me …..

In short, I do not stream !!!   I exclusively use my media library ……….

As mentioned, I can engage via the Windows OS software so I’m ok for now.

Thanks again

 

 

D
Userlevel 1

Thanks for your message - saved me loads of time.  I cannot believe that they release this POS for consumption to the public.   Sonos is a shambles if I could leave I would but they know that...

Z
Userlevel 2

OK…..another problem that we can wait a while for a fix.  I have four android devices that we use to control our Sonos system and the Sonos app crashes immediately as soon as they are opened.  Just started today for me I think.  Maybe yesterday.  And yes, I do use it to access my music library on my PC.  I get to use my music library for a couple of weeks and now it’s down again.  Thanks, Sonos.

J
Badge

Wow, pulling my hair out after having this issue pop up, thanks for the “workaround” (if you want to call it that). I pulled up the Windows app, cleared the queue and now it doesn’t crash anymore, now I can at least stream. So much for having a music library…  Do they even test this stuff, this issues seems pretty basic.

 

D
Userlevel 1

I think it is time to email this guy every day until this is fixed….

Get in touch with our CEO, Patrick Spence, at ceo@sonos.com

[Update]  - s***** form letter response… should have know better

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

D
Userlevel 1

Here is another work around that will allow you play your library on your Android device:
 

Use the web app
https://play.sonos.com/

It seems to run faster than the android app.

HTH

 

 

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Honestly, what the heck? This is starting to get even more ridiculous everyday. Pixel 7 user and I just started seeing this too.

As mentioned above it should not be this hard to play music! 

yellowm wrote:

When did having a cup of coffee and listening to a piece of music become something I had to plan in advance?

 

 

 

 

A
Userlevel 2
Badge

Wooooow.

This is happening to me, and using my local library is 99% of my Sonos use. So...now I just can’t control my system with a phone. That’s greeeeeat.

The web app also seems to be all kinds of broken, so now to do anything I have to go to the one Windows PC in the house, start whatever I want playing, then run back to the room where I wanted to hear it. Jeez, great job, Sonos. WTF is going on over there?

S

Thank you for this.  The app isn’t crashing now and at least I can stream.  They need to outsource their software team, or find another.  This is not good.

R

This is BS.  WTF Sonos?!!

Only way to control my system is through the PC now.  Nevermind the missing app features, now it won’t even launch with local music… 99.9% of my listening.

The system was nearly perfect before May, can we just have that back, please?

press250
Userlevel 7
Badge +14

They need to outsource their software team, or find another.

I’m reasonably certain they outsourced development of this app, which explains a lot.

Z

Confirmed. Latest version of app, android, and firmware. Latest desktop version running on Win 10.

E

zero UAT and zero qc. i installed the old android app on my phone so i could get old functionality and that has been working since the trash upgrade. recently i spent hours trying to figure out how to get my pc library to load and finally got it to work. not even a week later it forced me to update to the new android app version which cant handle playing from my library. just crashing over and over. and yes I turned auto update off for android play store, this happened anyways.

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