Sonos Staff

The New Sonos App and Future Feature Updates

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 11, 2024
2256 replies
156727 views

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:

New Sonos App Update!

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.

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M

MrMWP

Avid Listener

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: May 21, 2024. See release notes.

VoiceOver on iOS now properly interacts with individual elements of the Sonos app's home screen - and now adds improved VoiceOver support for allowing for navigating and controlling the Now Playing Screen, System View, Output Selector, Queue, Volume Sliders, and Add Product
Improved TalkBack support for the Now Playing Screen, System View, and Add Product
Improved Local Music Library playback of folders
Adding and editing alarms with the ability to Search for content

Coming soon

Continued improvements to navigation for visually-impaired customers: mid-June
Adding to queue and playing next: early June
Sleep timer: mid-June
- Use the Sonos app for macOS or Windows or Sonos Voice Control to set sleep timers today.
Local music library search and playback: mid-June
Update WiFi settings: mid-June
Snooze alarms: TBD

Known issues and workarounds

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

Workaround: No workaround currently available.

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.

You created a load of garbage!

WHY did you think it was good to remove all the features of the old app???

If you’re making a new app, you MUST ensure you include all the features of the old one as an absolute minimum!!

Thousands of pounds worth of hardware that I can’t enjoy as I want.

In short, your redesign is rubbish and needs to be fixed ASAP!!!!!

D

Dirk55

Enthusiast I

We set out to create a more personalized and effortless listening experience with the updated Sonos app.

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.

You have just released a version THAT FORCES A FIRMWAREUPDATE ON OUR UNITS!!!!!!!!!

What the H*** are you thinking?!?!?!?!?!?

Now we can’t even use the bloody App without forcing an update on the system units…

You have lost ALL respect, ALL!

Yup - I fully agree. SONOS is moving fully into share holder value and is simply riding the existing customer base. Some fall out is to be expected. Who ever is left will have to pay extra to make up for the churn of lost customers in this transition to a pay-per-use / pay-by-personal-data / pay-per-advertisement cloud service to continue to use your own SONOS boxes.

Just take a look at who is driving SONOS. Ex-SONY and ex-Broadcom employees. SONOS seems to be working on “expanding portfolio of software enabled hardware and services” - fully in line with making our audio boxes totally dependent on their cloud services. Technically, that requires many changes to the firmware and the app to make every thing got through their central servers.

Looking at what Broadcom did with the VMWare licensing, I have a good feeling what is ahead of us. e.g. recurring fees for using my already purchased speakers.

Well, I cut my boxes from the internet. I will not install any firmware updates. The consequence is, I can not use this new crappy app anymore and use my SONOS boxes only via Airplay. But at least I can still do that and SONOS can not take that away from me.

E

error913

Listener

"Local music library search and playback: mid-June" is coming soon?! I’ve literally just pished my pants reading that. Your entire business was built on playing music from a hard drive and that's how I've been using Sonos speakers for the past 13 years. Now I have a house full of Sonos speakers collecting dust until midJune. Nice move.

Is the new Sonos vision to alienate the customer base and encourage them to find another audiophile ecosystem? If it is, you’re nailing it.

garfieldairlines

I am once again begging for assistance from Sonos devs regarding Subsonic API implementation :

Please fix what you have broken.

https://garfieldairlines.net

P

Pigyard

Another update yesterday and another facility removed. Where's My Music on the LAN? Now I can only stream music. That is not why I bought into the Sonos system. A nightmare 😫

K

Kalle_96

Contributor I

Honestly, I dont have any big issues with the app. I can use all speakers and play music from Apple music but I cant start playing the music through the Sonos app. However, I can pause and manage it once it´s started from Apple music.

I get it´s annoying to not be able to use the speakers, that are expensive etc, but the reactions in the forum are, for me, over the top. I understand if the bank app isn´t working or insurance but music and speakers?

With that said, I am very curious to see how it will work to add my latest Sonos product…

I

IvPo

Enthusiast II

Apart from the known ‘exhaustively mentioned’ missing elements… both new Sonos Apps are just fine here. All speakers and services are still playing music & TV audio, installed subscription services and my SMBv2 NAS library is working and no issues seen with voice assistant services (Alexa in my case).

… a little slow to launch from a fully closed state, but apart from some optimisation, I find the App simple to navigate and use and undoubtedly it’s going to get better with each new update.

Unlike some, my (Sonos) glass remains ‘full’, rather than ‘half empty’.

It is, what it is and I can’t see the (Standstill-2) S2 App making a reappearance and I certainly don’t want to see Sonos fail otherwise we may all end up with paperweights around our Home.

I’ll just wait patiently for any App updates and will be adding the new Ace headphones to my setup too in the not too distant future, as the Sonos hardware build quality and sound have me hooked, moreso than a software controller ‘remote’ App.

If Sonos was paying me a monthly sum, I'm sure I'd be positive about them too. Your opinion about the new app is really here nor there.

Obviously none of us want Sonos to fail, but it's what the company is currently doing. It's failing to listen to their existing customers. And that's exactly the people you are aiming to sell your headphones too.

You might be willing to wait patiently for app updates, but if the company goes belly up in the process there won't be any...

I

IvPo

Enthusiast II

Honestly, I dont have any big issues with the app. I can use all speakers and play music from Apple music but I cant start playing the music through the Sonos app. However, I can pause and manage it once it´s started from Apple music.

I get it´s annoying to not be able to use the speakers, that are expensive etc, but the reactions in the forum are, for me, over the top. I understand if the bank app isn´t working or insurance but music and speakers?

With that said, I am very curious to see how it will work to add my latest Sonos product…

I think you are missing the point. Obviously not being able to play music easily is not the end of the world. But people are frustrated because the software was released premature. And because no one at Sonos seems to be able to admit that it was and fix that mistake or at least give a reasonable explanation.

Just because Sonos isn't handling financial transactions doesn't mean they shouldn't practice proper release management.

K

Kalle_96

Contributor I

Honestly, I dont have any big issues with the app. I can use all speakers and play music from Apple music but I cant start playing the music through the Sonos app. However, I can pause and manage it once it´s started from Apple music.

I get it´s annoying to not be able to use the speakers, that are expensive etc, but the reactions in the forum are, for me, over the top. I understand if the bank app isn´t working or insurance but music and speakers?

With that said, I am very curious to see how it will work to add my latest Sonos product…

I think you are missing the point. Obviously not being able to play music easily is not the end of the world. But people are frustrated because the software was released premature. And because no one at Sonos seems to be able to admit that it was and fix that mistake or at least give a reasonable explanation.

Just because Sonos isn't handling financial transactions doesn't mean they shouldn't practice proper release management.

Not at all, I totally understand that. But let´s see things in their perspectives. We all do mistakes, it´s a part of being human. Is the app perfect? no. Are they working on it? apparently yes. Is the ETA long? sure, and?

Apparently from what I read in some other thread the rumor is that the release was pushed from the leadership. There's a reason I call leadership for leader****…..

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

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LJG777