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Keith N
Keith N
Sonos Staff
May 11, 2024

The New Sonos App and Future Feature Updates

Hey all, today we're sharing a message from our chief innovation officer, Nick Millington in the announcement here. Going forwards we will update that topic and we therefore close this one for further replies.

 

 

We set out to create a more personalized and effortless listening experience with the updated Sonos app. It was rebuilt from the ground up to ensure it could support future innovation in the years to come. For its initial rollout, we focused on how we could answer some of the most common requests from our customers, including increased reliability, performance, and faster access to music.


Many of you have shared valuable feedback on both the improvements that have made your experience better, as well as the areas where we fell short. We are listening to all of your comments and working to address them as quickly as possible. Over the coming weeks, we will reintroduce the below features, while fixing bugs and performance issues. Thank you for your engagement and we look forward to building upon this first step to create a listening experience that meets everyone’s needs.
 

 

Available now

 

To access these changes, check for updates in the iOS / Android app store to download the latest version of the Sonos app. Make sure your Sonos products are also up to date.


Last updated: Oct 28, 2024. See release notes.

The update has the following version numbers:

 

80.11.38 - iOS
80.11.32 - Android

 

In this update:

 

  • Support for the all-new Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4
  • Music library improvements*
  • Improvements to product setup
  • Improved performance when browsing content in Home and in Browse on Android
  • Improvements to multi-system support on iOS
  • Fixes for multiple settings including Bluetooth display, EQ, and Sub bonding on iOS
  • The ability to schedule System Updates on iOS
  • Continued Voiceover improvements on iOS

 

* Requires player update - 81.1-58074 (or higher)

 

 

You can also follow along with updates in this article: 

 

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    2256 replies

    Show previous replies
    chambolle
    Enthusiast II
    July 12, 2024

    @Rhonny: Just out of curiosity, given that the user interface has changed in a number of ways that are neither intuitive nor obvious to the casual user, is there some documentation or self-guided instruction that Sonos has offered to the public that explains how the new controller works… if and when it works as intended?

    I’ve not seen anything; but may have missed it. Seems like something the seller of a music playback system marketed as ‘user friendly’ would make available.

      Mark Hood
      Lyricist III
      July 12, 2024

      @Rhonny: Just out of curiosity, given that the user interface has changed in a number of ways that are neither intuitive nor obvious to the casual user, is there some documentation or self-guided instruction that Sonos has offered to the public that explains how the new controller works… if and when it works as intended?

      I second this request.  Where’s the user manual?  This new controller UI is inscrutable. 

      Apparently we are intended to just randomly swipe and poke at the damn thing and see what happens, which I have done, but which often leaves me scratching my head.  It’s usually impossible to tell if the result of the action is a bug or or is actually part of the UI design.

      If I have a specific goal to achieve, like setting up a group, it’s very frustrating to have to fiddle with the app for hours trying to get there and not knowing if it’s not supported or just broken.

      Rhonny
      Prodigy III
      July 12, 2024

      @Rhonny: Just out of curiosity, given that the user interface has changed in a number of ways that are neither intuitive nor obvious to the casual user, is there some documentation or self-guided instruction that Sonos has offered to the public that explains how the new controller works… if and when it works as intended?

      I second this request.  Where’s the user manual?  This new controller UI is inscrutable. 

      Apparently we are intended to just randomly swipe and poke at the damn thing and see what happens, which I have done, but which often leaves me scratching my head.  It’s usually impossible to tell if the result of the action is a bug or or is actually part of the UI design.

      If I have a specific goal to achieve, like setting up a group, it’s very frustrating to have to fiddle with the app for hours trying to get there and not knowing if it’s not supported or just broken.

      To set up a group, you tap the single icon (showing two speakers) at the bottom of the screen. Then tick the speakers you want to group. It shouldn’t take hours. Edit - Unless you mean create a group? (Settings - Manage - Groups).

      chambolle
      Enthusiast II
      July 12, 2024

      @Rhonny: Just out of curiosity, given that the user interface has changed in a number of ways that are neither intuitive nor obvious to the casual user, is there some documentation or self-guided instruction that Sonos has offered to the public that explains how the new controller works… if and when it works as intended?

      I second this request.  Where’s the user manual?  This new controller UI is inscrutable. 

      Apparently we are intended to just randomly swipe and poke at the damn thing and see what happens, which I have done, but which often leaves me scratching my head.  It’s usually impossible to tell if the result of the action is a bug or or is actually part of the UI design.

      If I have a specific goal to achieve, like setting up a group, it’s very frustrating to have to fiddle with the app for hours trying to get there and not knowing if it’s not supported or just broken.

      To set up a group, you tap the speaker icon at the bottom of the screen. Then tick the speakers you want to group. It shouldn’t take hours. 

      I gather from Rhonny’s response the answer is ‘no, Sonos has not provided a straightforward guide to the new controller interface’; we’re expected to figure it out by trial and error.

      But rather than answer the question Mark Hood posed, Rhonny insulted Mark’s intelligence. Nice.

      Rhonny
      Prodigy III
      July 12, 2024

      Seems like something the seller of a music playback system marketed as ‘user friendly’ would make available.

      ‘User friendly’ by its nature wouldn’t warrant a user manual. (When did you last buy tech that comes with a user manual?)

      The app isn’t sufficiently user friendly though as evidenced by the number of times I’ve needed to tell people how to play music on a speaker and group speakers. However, all people need to do is practice and use their memory. A bit like I have…

      Bumper
      Bumper
      July 12, 2024

      They have an online guide, what one might call a user manual here

      https://www.sonos.com/en-us/guides/sonosapp

       

      Even has visuals for those who work with pictures better than words 🤪

        Anonymous
        July 12, 2024

        From my own first play with the app, it literally took minutes to figure it out.   The system-name (I’ve changed mine but I think the default was ‘Sonos’) has a drop-down arrow which reveals the list of rooms / zones to choose from.  Select one and swipe the list back down.  Everything else on screen are your sources.  I’m not saying it would win any awards or that it is without issues, but I don’t see it being inherently difficult, and it certainly doesn’t need a manual.   Everyone’s experiences are different, of course. 

          Mark Hood
          Lyricist III
          July 13, 2024

          They have an online guide, what one might call a user manual here

          https://www.sonos.com/en-us/guides/sonosapp

           

          Even has visuals for those who work with pictures better than words 🤪

          Thank you, that was what I was looking for!  I wasn’t able to find that guide from the site.

          So, from the guide, I see that the Output Selector is where you set up an ad-hoc group, and System Settings is where you can set up preset groups that you can then use back at the Output Selector.  And apparently the only function of the Apply button is to get you back to the previous screen. 

          At least the actions to take and the expected results are described definitively, which is important, since now I know for sure that if a speaker refuses to play or unexpectedly joins or leaves a group that it’s not because I misunderstood the UI. 

          Any product of sufficient complexity should make available an accurate description of its behavior and intended use (the “user manual”) because we all know that sometimes things just don’t work they way they should.  I’m definitely one of those people who reads the entire manual before playing with a new device, if available.

          FreeAir
          Avid Listener
          July 13, 2024

           

          “The most obvious way to get back to current state parity is to provide access to the v16.1 app.  No need to rush development and testing on the v80.x.  Let those for whom the new app works continue.  Let those for whom the new app does not work migrate when core feature parity is achieved.  The last thing you want is to make the above promises and introduce new bugs.” 

           

          Well said.  Astounding that a company that had the enviable market position as first-mover and innovator screwing it up with a poorly executed software release, and doesn’t have the chops to make such an obvious short-term fix.  But that would mean adding action to a hollow admission of error and probably cost someone their job.  My son cancelled his planned Sonos purchase when I relayed the problems with the app.   Even though they show so little respect for the current user base, one would think credibility with prospective customers might be a concern.

           

            Tellme
            Avid Listener
            July 13, 2024

            We set out to create a more personalized and effortless listening experience with the updated Sonos app. It was rebuilt from the ground up to ensure it could support future innovation in the years to come. For its initial rollout, we focused on how we could answer some of the most common requests from our customers, including increased reliability, performance, and faster access to music.


            Many of you have shared valuable feedback on both the improvements that have made your experience better, as well as the areas where we fell short. We are listening to all of your comments and working to address them as quickly as possible. Over the coming weeks, we will reintroduce the below features, while fixing bugs and performance issues. Thank you for your engagement and we look forward to building upon this first step to create a listening experience that meets everyone’s needs.
             

             

            Available now

             

            To access these changes, check for updates in the iOS / Android app store to download the latest version of the Sonos app. Make sure your Sonos products are also up to date.

            Last updated: Jul 1, 2024. See release notes.

            • Added multi-product setup for professional installers for iOS

            • Improved accessibility for configuring alarms with VoiceOver and TalkBack

            • Added autoplay setting for analog devices using line-in for Android

            • Added support for SonosNet channel selection for Android

            • Added timezone settings for iOS 

            • Added the option to forget a system in order to connect to or create a new system for iOS

            Coming soon

            • Local music library search and playback: July

            • Improved playback settings including Play Now: July

            • Create and edit local music library: July

            • Improved Autoplay settings: July

            • Improved Sub audio settings with Amp: July

            • Snooze alarms: TBD

            Known issues and workarounds

            Our latest update resolves some of the most critical known issues, but know we have more to do. We hear your feedback and are working hard to deliver the experience you expect and deserve.

            The updates that are planned fo July we suppose to be out in June. This is simply taking too long and in the meantime you have destroyed what use to be a wonderful musical experience.

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