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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: 

 

    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

    2256 replies

    Show previous replies
    kassey22000
    Enthusiast II
    May 18, 2024

    I guess we the users can take heart that this disaster made The Washington Post. The article was not kind. Perhaps that will speed “improvements” in the app. You know Microsoft did the same thing with the release of Windows 2000. Complete disaster. The company caught complete hell from its customers who were bamzooled into buying the product. But they controlled, and still control the majority of the market. Does SONOS have that luxury? How did this go so wrong? Going for speed, forgetting quality? Deadlines over devices? Forgetting the people who use the product now for a new and improved future...what?

    After wasting more hours of time trying to fix the mess Sonos made with this malware and reading a number of tech and national publications on this debacle, I’ve come to this conclusion -
     
    Follow the money. Sonos prematurely pushed out a terrible rewrite of the app that controls all of their whole-home wireless audio systems. Why? Because Spence promised new gear that needed new software to support promises made for quarterly earnings.
     
    So Sonos rolls out a half-baked, awful app, but guess what? Now it's web-based so Sonos can milk another user data revenue stream (their own radio streaming service was not well received) This new approach opens up tons of user data security issues but gives Sonos tons of user data it can sell off - helping out its mostly hardware-driven revenue model.
     
    Damn the loyal customers who used to be the best sales force Sonos could ever wish for! Damn the horrible inconveniences and time wasted loyal users have to endure. Damn the user security consequences. And damn the damage to the Brand!
    As long as the C-suite makes its quarterly bonuses, that's all that matters.
     
    It's supposed to be a wireless home audio system with speakers and amps. Now it's data mining and garbage software company run by the former executive of Blackberry (oh and we know where that ended up).
     
    That’s why there’s no apology from the executives - this was all planned some time ago and they have their mega millions to sit on while we struggle to play audio in our homes and business as promised over and over again by this now terrible company!  
      Ken_Griffiths
      Ken_Griffiths
      May 18, 2024

      All of my playlists have disappeared with the new update. I have been building these on Sonos since 2009. This is my only use for Sonos and you have taken it away. Absolutely rediculous. When will you be bringing this feature back??????????????? 

      Do you not see the playlists now when expanding the category ‘Sonos Favorites” on the main page?

      beynym
      World-Class Superstar
      May 18, 2024

      Do you not see the playlists now when expanding the category ‘Sonos Favorites” on the main page?

      Exactly my problem since Sonos released this shameful new app.

      Ken_Griffiths
      Ken_Griffiths
      May 18, 2024

      Do you not see the playlists now when expanding the category ‘Sonos Favorites” on the main page?

      Exactly my problem since Sonos released this shameful new app.

      Ah okay, I don’t have that many Sonos generated playlists myself, as I create/store them either in the music service, or use .m3u playlists on my NAS and so have just a few only that cross the boundaries of those services. I found those in my Sonos favourites ‘pinned category’. I guess youve tried changing the controllers ‘associated product’? If so and still no joy, then maybe ensure it’s reported to Sonos Support, as the playlists should (hopefully) be safe and still stored on your products. 

      phillydog
      phillydog
      Lyricist III
      May 18, 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.

      • Adding and editing alarms
      • VoiceOver on iOS now properly interacts with individual elements of the Sonos app's home screen.


       

      Coming soon

      • Additional improvements to screen reader for visually impaired customers: May 21
      • Adding to queue and playing next: early June
      • Sleep timer: mid-June
      • Snooze alarms: mid-June
      • Local music library search and playback: mid-June
      • Update WiFi settings: mid-June

       

      Known issues and workarounds

       

      “Fix It” option does not successfully complete new product setup

      • Workarounds:
        • Sign out of the Sonos app, sign back in, and try again.
        • Force quit the Sonos app and try again.

       

      “Sonos needs local network access for setup” looping on the Sonos app for iOS

      • Workaround: Use another mobile device to set up Sonos products.

       

      “No products found” error on systems with a Sonos Boost wired to the router

       

      Unable to play local library content from Folders view

       

      "Sign in as the System Owner" error while updating products during setup

      • Workaround: No workaround currently available.

      Sorry Keith but the way in which Sonos have designed this update to the app is horrendous. You really should never have allowed the re jig out of the trap in the first place! I think you know this, and you are just backpedaling all the time now.Its a disaster mate and you need to fix it all very quickly .. 😣 Get your skates on!!🧐  

        beynym
        World-Class Superstar
        May 18, 2024

        Do you not see the playlists now when expanding the category ‘Sonos Favorites” on the main page?

        Exactly my problem since Sonos released this shameful new app.

        Ah okay, I don’t have that many Sonos generated playlists myself, as I create/store them either in the music service, or use .m3u playlists on my NAS and so have just a few only that cross the boundaries of those services. I found those in my Sonos favourites ‘pinned category’. I guess youve tried changing the controllers ‘associated product’? If so and still no joy, then maybe ensure it’s reported to Sonos Support, as the playlists should (hopefully) be safe and still stored on your products. 

        Yes, my >80 playlists are safe, for in the Windows Desktop Controller (the only piece of Sonos software that's working at the moment, me thinks) they still show up and can be used.

          RobCJohnson
          Avid Contributor I
          May 18, 2024

          Do you not see the playlists now when expanding the category ‘Sonos Favorites” on the main page?

          Exactly my problem since Sonos released this shameful new app.

          No I do not. Luckily I have the old version on my iPad and I can access them there. What has happened to them with the update??   

          beynym
          World-Class Superstar
          May 18, 2024

          No I do not. Luckily I have the old version on my iPad and I can access them there. What has happened to them with the update??   

          It's a disfunctional update, that's what it is. It's a disgrace Sonos published this beheaded piece of software.

            WishYouWereHereXT
            Lyricist III
            May 18, 2024

            “We set out to create a more personalized and effortless listening experience ..”

             

            that is an absolute JOKE when you see how many of us have wasted time to figure out that it was not possible anymore to play local music until a fix is made in a month time !! what  SHAME. What is this manner to release buggy app hoping customers will debug it for you ??? I can even not image the concept … who’s the sick brain behind this brilliant idea ?

              KineticSync
              Lyricist I
              May 18, 2024

              This is professional malpractice. Essential, existing functionality not there and “coming soon” as in “sometime in the next 7 weeks”? After 40+ years using products with embedded firmware, this is the worst case of destruction of reputation and user trust I’ve ever seen. After 40+ years developing and managing the development of embedded firmware, this is...well, professional malpractice.

              After looking at the Play Store and web page blurbs for the new app, the root cause of this problem is pretty obvious: The Sonos App product owners are suffering from main character syndrome--believing the app is the star of the show.

              No. Just no. The app allows the customer to queue music to play on the rather pricey speakers the customer purchased. That’s it. Sonos will make zero sales based on the sexiness of the app. They will, however, lose sales and forfeit hard earned customer goodwill by recklessly throwing out an existing interface used by hundreds of thousands of customers, replacing it with a disorganized hodgepodge of don’t-care functionality, releasing before basic, existing, essential functionality is present and, the worst, pushing this as a regular maintenance update.

              I’ve been fighting another issue with my Sonos system in my RV for about a year that I finally resolved. After I resolved the problem the RV system and the home system worked flawlessly. In my euphoria I replaced my entire home G1 system with G2 and added a Beam and mini sub to the Moves I already had in the RV. A couple of months passed. My wife’s birthday occurred. At her party I go to play music and, gee, here’s a new app that will not even allow me to select tracks from my local file server. Music I’ve been able to play from my local file server, reliably, seamlessly, since my first Sonos purchase in 2009.

              Here’s one half of the solution to this problem, now and in the future. Any release must reliably, cleanly, and clearly support the following functionality:

              1. Select the speakers to play
              2. Find music to play, locally or online
              3. Create a queue or add music to queue
              4. Support searching, adding, deleting and reordering of items in the queue as the music plays

              That’s it. That’s what the bulk of Sonos customers use most of the time. If the app can also search one billion streaming sources while controlling my toaster, great. But it’s gotta get my music to the speakers.

              The second half of the solution is to fully comprehend the place of the app in the lives of Sonos users: it’s a tool to select music to be played. I didn’t buy the system for the app. I didn’t even buy the system for the speakers. I bought the ability to add music to other activities in my life. I paid extra for sound quality, gorgeous industrial design, and a reliable, seamless experience. I had that. Now I don’t. 

              Actually I do. I sideloaded the old app. Which works, but now nags me incessantly to upgrade to the exciting new app. Guys, roll it back. Reflect on core values of your business and how customers actually use this product family. Add a standing quarterly goal for all managers to “maintain and enhance customer trust and confidence in Sonos products”.

              Sonos’ IP moat is the quality, performance, and reliability of the system along with the decade and a half of user trust it has earned.

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