Feedback on new app

When this update was released I wrote to Sonos to complain as the previous version was so good. I don’t normally feel inclined to give feedback but as Sonos was so amazing I was shocked that they messed it up so much. Like others I am still using “trial and error” to select a room and finding the bottom menu again. It seems the room selection and grouping have become mixed up and I am always choosing the wrong thing. Every time we look at the new tracks we keep accidentally playing them and messing up the queue. It feels like I need to tread carefully and slowly when I touch the app in case I accidentally stop my music and replace it with something else!! I still like the Sonos though but have too much now to change... but Sonos need to be careful I don’t start recommending something else to new buyers.

Sonos original menu interface was great. SOOO Easy to use. What the hell happened? Navigation is terrible. Select something to play and good luck trying to get back to it to change speakers, stations, etc. Go back to your roots. Sometimes you don't have to change things.

After spending a lot of money over many years on a music system 10xS1, 4xS3, soundbar, bridge, connect, I expect the company and not its customers to resolve my problems.
The update app which i delayed installing, crashes everyday. It fails to see components, won't group rooms, required far more actions to do anything, requires signing in for most actions, such as trying to recover components it can't find, won't accept additional advice (phone, PC) controllers, can't find my NAS, always there before, etc. etc.
Do something!

I, personally, thinkt hat the original “blue” UI was probably the easiest to use (the one that WIndows/OSX still uses). The last version was ok, and the ciurrent version requires, quite often, 3 or more clicks to achieve what used to be done in one or two. The white is also way too harsh at night, a dark/light theme option can’t be that difficult, surely? We have black and white speakers, how about a black or white theme?

I think that if the menu bar along the bottom actually stayed in place, it would solve a large number of the problems on it’s own.

Look at the Sonopad app for iOS, or the OSX/Windows apps for an example of easy to use UI. My partner stopped using Sonos, full stop, with the new app. I installed Sonopad on her ipad, and with no instruction, she figured out how to do everything she wnated in about 5 minutes. The new Sonos app needs a video to show you how to change rooms... Which is more logical?

Z...

I've been using the Sonos system for 2 years, and Sonos is my 3rd server-based digital music management system. We have 6 zones in our house and 5 of them are powered by Sonos Connect AMP units. The other by a Sonos Connect.

It is with this background that I say that the previous UI was outstanding. it was intuitive, quick and a pleasure to interact with. The latest one (introduced in the fall of 2017) is frustrating and inconvenient. It is especially hard to control which rooms/zones you want on and off, and even after over a month of daily use we still find ourselves in loops of going back and forth to the wrong screen to try and figure out how to achieve this. Much like the introduction of NEW COKE, this new structure to the UI is the **answer to the question that nobody asked**, and the head 'architect' behind this upgrade should be sacked.

And on the subject, in this same new app version, when one clicks on 'Pandora' THEN one has to ALSO make an additional click to select "My Stations" — this is the height of annoying redundancy.

Formerly elated, now disappointed,
TH
Asheville, NC

It is interesting to consider what genius decided users would like an extra step to see their list of favourites nor why the playlist need to be screen covering generic icons. It's not even consistent. And after weeks of trying and lots of online help, the phone app still cannot see my NAS while other apps and PCs can.

The people who designed the Apple Music app and the Spotify app which Sonos obviously tried to emulate.

A constructive feedback:

First: I like the new look - the blue was so 2007

Second: The main interface bar at the bottom - good idea in general.

But one important element is missing!

Sonos forgot its core business in the App: Providing a MULTI-ROOM experience!

Choosing and selecting rooms has to be the center of it all. But currently it has same priority than all the other functionality. This leads to a total headache whenever you want to switch between the rooms. Because most often I am in the detailed view of a room also to open the current playlist. From here one only has the possibility to group rooms together, etc. But you can not switch to an other room or select new music! It is actually a totally confusing and useless UI layer. First swipe down, then select the new room, then choose what should be played. This is much too long and chunky!

You could at least allow to swipe left or right to switch between rooms faster or you add a bar at the bottom which can be scrolled from left to right to choose and select the rooms. On top of this you add the bar which is currently at the bottom. Whereas the room button would then show the info of the detailed “current playing” view.
Now you never loose sight which room you are currently in and you choos the functionality easily per room.

But last of all: Please change something! It can not remain like it is now. Thanks

I like the idea of being able to swipe the room side to side to browse between rooms. That's a new one.

And why did someone decide it was more useful to be only able to see two favourites as the default?