Complaints about the app


Controller app

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10 replies

Poor site. Downloaded the latest controller app. Just about impossible to find the method to change mode from iPad, laptop, and line in. Used to be near the top of the app. Now appears to be deep into lower folders. What a hopeless update. Also had difficulty in registering these comments. Hence my comments entered 'second hand'.
I will never buy another product that needs a community to keep it working. My brother bought Bose speakers in 1975. They work every time. No discussion, no community, just speaker A or Speaker B. My system has been glitchy since I bought it. Now the only thing that works is my play bar that's wired into my tv.
I will never buy another product that needs a community to keep it working. My brother bought Bose speakers in 1975. They work every time. No discussion, no community, just speaker A or Speaker B. My system has been glitchy since I bought it. Now the only thing that works is my play bar that's wired into my tv.
Bose have been selling wireless speakers since 1975?
Nope. But the frustration of $1500 dollars of speakers not working suggests Sonos shouldn't be either.
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
Hi JAM99999, if you're having trouble the support team is happy to help get things going. You can find their contact details here. If your Playbar is able to play the TV audio without trouble, likely you're looking at some network or environmental interference causing trouble which they're great at helping clear up. Sonos devices are much more than just speakers, it's a computer that is designed to play music, which means there are a lot of things happening in the background which you might not see. We can help make sure everything's working smoothly.
Yeah, here's the thing Ryan, four years ago the controller app was an absolute delight. The integration with the hardware, integration with streaming partners, and ease of use surpassed not just every other vendor in the home media space, but every other mobile vendor period. Absolutely beautiful. Like magic. I can assure you that based on that experience in the first six months I alone sold a dozen Sonos systems to people just like me. Many more would follow. The same can undoubtedly be said about my wife. It didn't require some crappy referral incentive program or bribery. I felt like I was doing people a favor.

I can tell you in all honestly I have not recommended Sonos to anyone in over a year. And I sincerely regret the recommendations I made in the year before that. It's pretty damn obvious that the app has become bogged down trying to become "more" and frankly doing it very, very badly. It didn't have to be this way. At the very least you might have considered giving some of us the choice to opt out of "smart speaker hell". I admit to talking to my dog. But I have absolutely no desire to talk to my house. Nor to have my house listening to me and my family. By allowing marketing propeller heads and oily product managers to take control, your app has become temperamental bloatware that I find myself avoiding more and more with each passing month and 50mb security update.

I now find myself contemplating selling out now before the re-sale value is driven into the dirt by Ikea.
Well done gang. This is why we can't have nice things.
Userlevel 1
Badge +2
Constipated Duck, I agree with you 100%. I've had Sonos for 5 years. I have 12 speakers of various sizes. I have bought 8 more as gifts for friends over the years. The application has made this almost completely unusable and a very frustrating experience when I do. I also regret recommending and buying speakers for others. I'm also considering getting rid of mine before Sonos crashes. I've worked in software development for > 30 years. They are making so many mistakes, and producing such garbage. They do not listen to their users. I agree that it's most likely their marketing and product managers making the poor decisions. Unfortunately, my guess is they're not going to change. From what I've seen, even if they do, it's going to take years.
Userlevel 2
Badge +2
Constipated Duck is spot on. Sonos used to be intuitive. My wife loved it. now? Not so much. I won't buy a speaker with a microphone, sorry.
Fortunately, Sonos provides a whole slew of speakers that don't have microphones. In fact, even the ones that do has a physical switch so that you can turn off the microphone. It can't be done via software, but only physically, most likely in order to please people like you.

I can't help you with your issues about the controller. I understand what you're saying, I just don't have the same issues as you. I'm sure it's a preference thing.