8.2 Is Completely Frustratingly Awful

  • 17 November 2017
  • 67 replies
  • 2680 views

Userlevel 4
I created an account here so I can vent. This latest version of the app is horrible. There appears to be rhyme or reason about where anything is located. For some bizarre reason I cannot search for music from the music tab. On the search tab there are buttons at the bottom... but the actual search icon is a dim thing at the top. BTW, what is with unreachable buttons at the bottom? When I am holding my device my thumbs point up, not down. On a scale of 1 to 10 the usability of this version is about minus 3.

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67 replies

Userlevel 1
I agree, everything worked "ok" but now nothing works, another great update for Sonos. #wantmy$back
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
Thanks for the feedback, we're making sure to share with the team.

Just a note on search. If you press the search tab button at the bottom twice, it'll pull up the keyboard and you can start searching right there.

@Y2kExp, if you're having trouble, we'd love to help. I'd suggest giving us a call on our support line.
Thanks for the feedback, we're making sure to share with the team..

Such "sharing" is all well and good, Ryan but what are you actually planning to change?

You are losing your loyal customers' goodwill with the mess that's been made with v8 and I'm already investigating alternative solutions for my new house due to this update...

What Sonos need to do is be more open about what you're planning to change, you're usual approach of not providing details just isn't enough now with the mess you've made (IMO and that's all I care about as a customer).

e.g. Are you going to remove (or provide an option to avoid) the white-on-white interface?
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
We usually are quiet on what exactly is being worked on in many regards. When it comes to software there's a lot that can impact plans and timelines, so we try not to overshare.

The team has heard your criticism from the community and other places around the color changes. The contrast and colors are being looked into, but since I'm not certain what the final plan is, we can't speak to what will happen. It does have a lot of attention, however, and there are several options being reviewed and tested. That process takes time, and incorporating all feedback is important at every stage of development. With all app changes, we get lots of both positive and negative feedback. The team takes the time to review it all and design based on that.
Userlevel 1
I agree about latest App UI. I can't even remember what v7 looked like, but I don't ever remember struggling to know how to navigate, like I do regulary with v8. Feels like one of those cases where UX designers are trying too hard to simplify and took away some o the basic intuitive navigation. It's also really hard to see which speakers are playing different sources, and I don't like that when multiple speakers are in a group, sometimes I can't see the name of a grouped speaker at all. I have to first search the whole list, then realizing it is not there, start searching the groups to see which one it is embedded in.
Userlevel 7
Badge +16
I honestly couldn't recomend the system to my friends in good faith, the hardware is excellent but completely ruined by the mess that v8xx was and has become.

Every week you cling onto this app despite all the complaints from loyal and paying customers the brand is being devalued.

Dread to think what comes out of the software "development" office next..
Userlevel 3
Badge
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(
Userlevel 4
Badge +3
Thanks for the feedback, we're making sure to share with the team.

Just a note on search. If you press the search tab button at the bottom twice, it'll pull up the keyboard and you can start searching right there.

@Y2kExp, if you're having trouble, we'd love to help. I'd suggest giving us a call on our support line.


I've tried the double tap thing... Doesn't seem to do anything.
Userlevel 4
Badge +3
Actually, sometimes it does pull up the keyboard. But quite often not. Not sure when or why there's a difference.
Actually, sometimes it does pull up the keyboard. But quite often not. Not sure when or why there's a difference.In fact I think it is really two taps. First to highlight, second to get back to Now Playing And a single tap if the room is already the highlighted one. You may just have to refine your tapping technique!
Edit. Sorry didn't read thread carefully enough. My comment relates to room screen

I have found that tapping Browse or Search generally takes me into my last Browse or Search. A second tap takes me back to the 'root' Browse or Search
Userlevel 4
Badge +3
Oh, yes! A series of taps on the search button walks you progressively back through your previous search 'journey'. Difficult to find but good when you know how!
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

These remarks continue to amuse me. How deep into the dinner party was this? Would everyone been able to pass the stand on one foot test??? 😃
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

All jokes aside. You would need to first go to “Rooms” tap on Family Room. Now that we have navigated that most complex task we would need to go to “Browse” and select the source for your Radio station - be it iHeart Radio, Tunein or whatever and you find your station as common sense would dictate. If you had it as a favorite you would also be able to access it through My Sonos. So “Browse” for looking for desired source or “My Sonos” for quick favourites.

Phew that was bloody difficult. :D:D
Userlevel 6
Badge +1
Phew that was bloody difficult. :D:D

What you are not getting is that most people don't think like a programmer. Let alone they are actually keen on doing so for something as simple as turning on the radio.
Sonos - please fix app as this is most un-intuitive user interface .. What have you done .. Hope you are working on a fix .. Pandora use to display a great UI on IPAD .. Now un-usable ..
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
Phew that was bloody difficult. :D:D

What you are not getting is that most people don't think like a programmer. Let alone they are actually keen on doing so for something as simple as turning on the radio.


Stop. That hardly requires the mind of a programmer. As I keep saying I am not saying that the new app is better than the old app. What I am rejecting is the notion that it is now unusable. That is hyperbole. The way some people are behaving you would swear with the old app all you had to do was think about something you wanted to hear and it would start playing. It required steps as well to get something done. It is partly about muscle memory. A simple effort to retrain your brain and you will find yourself skipping around the app as I am now.

That does not mean you have to agree with the changes. Like I still do not agree with some of the queue management changes made earlier.

But oh “I rate the app minus 3”, “I can’t figure out how to do anything”. “I am going to sell all my units”. “I can no longer recommend this product”. People are free to opinions but come on. It hasn’t made a fine system all of a sudden awful. I still hold that the changes here are more form than substance. Some of these things can be fixed.

Let’s wait to see what Sonos does with some of the useful feedback and not puerile comments.
To use this app with little practical difficulty, you need to remember the following:

1. I use the tab bar to navigate. If I am on the Now Playing screen I need to swipe it down to see the tab bar.
2. To select a room, I tap the Rooms button and then the room. The Rooms screen also allows me to group rooms
3. To select music for that room, I tap Browse, Search or My Sonos, depending on how and where I want to choose my music.

That's it really. I hope that helps.
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

Get a Dot.
“Alexa, play station KMHD in the family room”
OK

Done
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

Get a Dot.
“Alexa, play station KMHD in the family room”
OK

Done


There you go. That works too. Options Options!!!
Userlevel 6
Badge +8
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

Get a Dot.
“Alexa, play station KMHD in the family room”
OK

Done


There you go. That works too. Options Options!!!


No, it ducks the rest of the house and evertone is unhappy.
Userlevel 3
Badge
I honestly couldn't recomend the system to my friends in good faith, the hardware is excellent but completely ruined by the mess that v8xx was and has become.

Every week you cling onto this app despite all the complaints from loyal and paying customers the brand is being devalued.

Dread to think what comes out of the software "development" office next..


When people show interest in SONOS I don’t recommend, nor condem. I simply tell them to spend around an hour here reading forum posts, then decide.
I wonder how some folks get out of bed in the mornings, lol. How do you make it through the day? Must be terribly frustrating to tie your shoes if such a well designed UI causes this much consternation!

BTW, have a look at Tidal's UI. It's nearly identical. And very well reviewed...
Userlevel 3
Badge
At dinner the other day I asked my wife to select and play a radio station in the Family Room zone. Gave up after five minutes. :(:(

These remarks continue to amuse me. How deep into the dinner party was this? Would everyone been able to pass the stand on one foot test??? Because a child would figure out the things that you guys all of a sudden can’t fathom how to do. :D


I didn’t insult your wife, please don’t insult mine.
It's a shame this has got rather personal. It is clear that some users are struggling to do the basics with the new app, such as selecting a room and some music to play in it. That doesn't make them stupid.

@penzzz - it really is straightforward to do what your wife wanted to do, once you know what is required. I think I have an idea why people are struggling, but let's just concentrate on what is needed.

(This may not be the reason your wife could not get Sonos to do what she wanted, but I offer it as a possibility.)

IMO, you need to avoid using the room selection thing that is on the Now Playing screen. Instead, just swipe down that screen, tap Rooms, then tap Living Room. That is the room selected.

Now for the music. Tap Browse, then Radio by Tunein, My Stations, then tap the station. (Assumes the station in in My Stations.)

The key thing is to use the tab bar to get to where you need. And use the Rooms screen for all your room selection and management.

I hope that helps.
In addition, I've found that getting around is much easier if one doesn't keep going back to the full now playing screen. Keep it down at the bottom and tab, tab, tab from Rooms to Browse to My Sonos. After the music is playing, then extend the now playing to full screen.