Disable new “It's time to update to Sonos S2” notification.

  • 21 February 2021
  • 29 replies
  • 3703 views

Userlevel 3

The Android S1 controller app just updated. There is a new notification at the top of the screen saying “It's time to update to Sonos S2. You can schedule an automatic update or do it now. More information”. The notification is large, taking up about 10% of my phone's screen.

 

There is no option to close this notification, unlike previous similar ones. I have decided I want to retain the S1 app and not update to S2. I only use Sonos to play local files from my NAS and have zero interest in any additional features. I previously understood that this is fine; the FAQ regarding the controller says that customers can continue to use the S1 Controller app if they so choose.

 

I've been through all the app menus I can find, but cannot see a way to disable this notification. Does anyone know if there is an option to do this somewhere? Changing the app’s Android notification permissions doesn’t address this problem. Ideally I could permanently disable these notifications: I'm aware of S2 but don't want it. I personally find these notifications annoying and materially detrimental to my Sonos system’s usability. Many thanks for your help!

 


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29 replies

Userlevel 3

My App is iOS (iPad Pro), rather than Android, but are all your devices S2 compatible, or do you also have some S1 (only) devices in the Household?


I believe all my devices are S2 compatible. Thanks

 

So why don’t you want to migrate to S2?

 

Short story: it’s just my personal preference to stay on the old app, and I understood from all the announcements that customers would have the choice to retain S1.

 

Long story: When I bought my original Sonos devices, it all worked easily and perfectly. Which led to me buying many more! However, over time, App and System updates have become a nightmare for me, with many of them breaking my system. This has lead to many long and tedious hours of troubleshooting, resets, uninstalls, reinstalls etc.

 

At the same time, my usage of the system (I only stream mp3s from local NAS) means that I get no benefit from any new features which the updates add. So, I get all the pain from updates, but no gain. I would have been very happy if they had left the app and system unchanged from the day I first bought it: everything worked perfectly then and I didn’t need or want any further functionality.

 

When they announced S1/S2, they presented the idea that S1 “will not receive any of the new software features found in S2” as a downside. However, for me, that was precisely what I wanted: finally an App which they would stop fiddling with and just leave it alone!

 

Anyway, I very much hope they add an option to remove the S2 upgrade notification in an imminent Controller update. I personally find unwanted notifications annoying. Alternatively, I wonder if my only option is to somewhere buy a second-hand S1-only device and add that to my system, as that might stop it?

 

Userlevel 4
Badge +2

My elderly relative has just phoned me up asking why they now have two Sonos apps on their phone, one grey, one gold, and they can’t use their normal S1 grey app anymore. 
 

I asked them what they’d done, and they told me they’d just had an update message from Sonos and just followed the onscreen iOS messages to update.

But this time they said they got two messages, one to ‘update’ followed by other one to ‘get’.  This led me to this thread, so I’m assuming they’ve been bitten by the same prompt. 

I’m presuming that this means that they will have also upgraded their players to S2, however they do have a mix of S1 and S2 players, but tend to power down the players when not using them, so I suspect they’ve bypassed any compatibility checks somehow.

They don’t live locally, so I could have done without having to sort this issue out for them.

Please Sonos take into account that not all your users are tech savvy or might even fit into a vulnerable category, and are being supported by remote family members.

Ideally, please add a way to disable nagging prompts for S2 within S1, or at least provide a BIG WARNING about the consequences in any update messages.

I’m presuming that there is a way to regress their players to S1, an unnecessary process I could have done without, especially that I will have to attempt it with them remotely.  Not impressed Sonos. 

Userlevel 3
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Have to agree, can't believe this company could go any lower, but they have. 

Userlevel 4
Badge +2

Further to my previous post, I’ve now read the instructions about how to revert from S2 to S1 and just realised what a long winded process this will be, and definitely won’t be feasible with my elderly relative over the phone.

I’ve just come back to say that I’m now actually fuming at Sonos for sending such a naive S2 update message, especially as I’d previously selected that we wanted to stay on S1. My relative claims that he saw no warnings whatsoever.  

My relative is of an age where he wants to engage with modern technology, but in reality I need to set up everything for him in a manner which makes things as simple and as uncomplicated as possible.  I then have to coach him in what to do/not do.

Sonos, I find this kind of thing so frustrating as a simple button click has undermined everything I have carefully set up, and has dented my relative’s  confidence.  He takes a pride in using technology in his later years, but is now blaming himself for ‘doing something wrong’.
 

Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Same here, I want to stay on S1, runs fine and I have no issues.

 

 

And - S2 offers no new / improved functionality, yet, over S1, at least for my system. Why update?

I had some luck getting the message to go away.  With only S2 compatible speakers to the system, the only message I would get after selecting the “more information” notification was the Update Automatically or Update Now.  However, I pulled an old bridge out of the closet and added it to my system.  After doing so and restarting the app, selecting the message gave me the “Not Now” option and cleared the notification. 

The bridge is now saved in the system configuration, so will have to wait and see if I need to keep it connected or not to keep the notification at bay.

I am in the same boat as the OP, with a system I enjoy and don’t need or want to upgrade.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Same here, I want to stay on S1, runs fine and I have no issues.

May try picking up an S1 only device to add to our system.

Only takes the wife or kids to press wrong button then we'll be stuck with S2.

In my opinion there should be a Master account with the ability to upgrade the system locked to one user, far too easy for any user to accidentally mess it up.

I'm well aware there is S2, I DON'T want to automatically update thanks..

Userlevel 3

In the Sonos app go to System > System Tools > Compatibility Check > Learn More > Continue using S1


Thank you for the suggestion Smilja. Unfortunately I can’t see that option in the App. When I go through to the Compatibility Check, the only two options available are “Update automatically” or “Update now”.

I can’t see any option for retaining S1 (or my ideal option of “and please never ask me again!”)

Finally was able to disable the super annoying message to upgrade to S2. Thank you for the comments.

OMG I used to praise Sonos, installed it everywhere in my home, recommended it to friends. However, lately this company has become super annoying, invasive, and very poor quality. Constant upgrades, S2 upgrade messages that stay on the screen, UX is not as it used to be….and worst they seem extremely arrogant towards users when I read these messages.

I remember when the company was born - I remember their first investors - Sonos was a gem - not today anymore - they have become too much spoiled.

My App is iOS (iPad Pro), rather than Android, but are all your devices S2 compatible, or do you also have some S1 (only) devices in the Household?


I believe all my devices are S2 compatible. Thanks

Ah that’s probably the reason why then, as there’s no reason for you not to upgrade to S2, at least that’s my guess. In fact I would personally recommend that you do, having now used both Apps myself, but obviously the choice is entirely yours.

As of the latest S1 update (ver 11.2.5), I’m also getting the same “It's time to update to Sonos S2. You can schedule an automatic update or do it now. More information” notification.

One of my speakers is a Sonos 5 Gen 1 which is why i don’t wish to upgrade at this time. Until now, similar upgrade messages could be easily dismissed. I hope this is simply a mistake on Sonos’ part and not what appears to be an intentional and more aggressive “upgrade” campaign.

I’m in the same boat, I’d rather stay on S1. This so frustrating. 

I’m in the same boat, I’d rather stay on S1. This so frustrating. 

I trust Sonos updates so little that I block them completely - that way they cannot get triggered by accident. It means that I can make my own decision whether or not it’s worth ‘upgrading’  - IMHO it usually isn’t.

Personally, I’d be quite happy to go back to 4.x, before they (again, IMHO) messed up the interface - particularly on large tablets. Trueplay is excellent, but as I don’t possess an iDevice (that Sonos still supports) it’s of no use to me.

For my purposes (I fully accept not everyone’s) Sonos software has simply deteriorated over the years.

Userlevel 3
Badge +1

@Sonos  we need help removing the notification, why is there no solution?

0123456,

Not sure if this helps...

If you were finding the Sonos firmware updates were causing you network connection issues with your particular router/network-setup, then the fix ‘most widely’ mentioned for that in the community here, is to reserve all the Sonos devices IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table, to ensure all get their originally assigned IP address on reboot - it means the devices have nowhere they can go on your network other than the IP address you provide them.

I’ve setup all my Sonos products high in the subnet, starting at 192.xx.xx.150 —> onwards (I just had to watch a YouTube video to find out how to do that with my router), but once I had reserved one IP address, I found the others were really simple to do and I’ve not had an update issue since. 

So, if you perhaps haven’t tried that already, it might be worth exploring and then you can (hopefully) update your devices without any problem.

Userlevel 3

0123456,

Not sure if this helps...

If you were finding the Sonos firmware updates were causing you network connection issues with your particular router/network-setup, then the fix ‘most widely’ mentioned for that in the community here, is to reserve all the Sonos devices IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table, to ensure all get their originally assigned IP address on reboot - it means the devices have nowhere they can go on your network other than the IP address you provide them.

I’ve setup all my Sonos products high in the subnet, starting at 192.xx.xx.150 —> onwards (I just had to watch a YouTube video to find out how to do that with my router), but once I had reserved one IP address, I found the others were really simple to do and I’ve not had an update issue since. 

So, if you perhaps haven’t tried that already, it might be worth exploring and then you can (hopefully) update your devices without any problem.


Thanks for this Ken. I have actually already set-up fixed IPs, but I appreciate you taking the time to describe this and I trust someone else will find that your message fixes their issues.

Userlevel 3
Badge +1

My App is iOS (iPad Pro), rather than Android, but are all your devices S2 compatible, or do you also have some S1 (only) devices in the Household?


I believe all my devices are S2 compatible. Thanks

 

So why don’t you want to migrate to S2?

 

I’m in the same boat- all my devices are S2 compatible, I just don’t see the point. From what I can tell, there’s no added functionality in S2 for my and my household’s use case.  Plus we’re a multi-generational multi-user household and I don’t want to have to play “tech support representative,” again, for something unnecessary. 

My question is, why is SONOS trying to push me to do something I don’t need, by making it increasingly frustrating to use something that has worked for years?

My question is, why is SONOS trying to push me to do something I don’t need, by making it increasingly frustrating to use something that has worked for years?

 

We’ll obviously, they aren’t going to continue to grow as a company if they never change.  It was understandable that the hardware of some of their legacy products were holding back what they could as a system...but that’s all been discussed to death.  I would agree though that notifications to upgrade to S2 are nothing but annoying at this point...8 months later.  Everyone who has an S1 system already knows that S2 exists, and would logically look under the system menu if they ever decide they want to upgrade.

Userlevel 7
Badge +23

I get this new message despite having two Gen 1 Play:5s. The S1 app is broken. And annoying.

Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I managed to disable the “update to S2 now” nag banner by following Ken’s instructions from 22 days ago, with no problem (iOS) as I am on S1 and wish to stay that way, 7 components and only one is S2 compatible, running FLACs from NAS, plus Spotify and Amazon streaming. I also use analog in for vinyl and have a Bluetooth receiver also on analog in, so have everything I need including anything I can play on my phone, podcasts etc.  So no need for S2.

 

In the Sonos app go to System > System Tools > Compatibility Check > Learn More > Continue using S1

Userlevel 3
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No, tried that. The message stays. 

In the Sonos app go to System > System Tools > Compatibility Check > Learn More > Continue using S1


Thank you for the suggestion Smilja. Unfortunately I can’t see that option in the App. When I go through to the Compatibility Check, the only two options available are “Update automatically” or “Update now”.

I can’t see any option for retaining S1 (or my ideal option of “and please never ask me again!”)

In the S1 App, choose "Settings/System/System Tools/Compatibility Check” ... in the opening screen choose the option  ‘Not Now”. (See screenshot). Finish going through the screens and then  ‘fully’ close and reopen the S1 App.

Userlevel 3

In the Sonos app go to System > System Tools > Compatibility Check > Learn More > Continue using S1


Thank you for the suggestion Smilja. Unfortunately I can’t see that option in the App. When I go through to the Compatibility Check, the only two options available are “Update automatically” or “Update now”.

I can’t see any option for retaining S1 (or my ideal option of “and please never ask me again!”)

In the S1 App, choose "Settings/System/System Tools/Compatibility Check” ... in the opening screen choose the option  ‘Not Now”. (See screenshot). Finish going through the screens and then  ‘fully’ close and reopen the S1 App.

 

Hi Ken

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately I do not see the options included in your screenshot. When I go to Settings/System/System Tools/Compatibility Check, the only two options are “Update automatically” or “Update now”.

Perhaps we are using different versions of the controller App? I’m on Android 11.2.5, which appears to be the most recent version for my phone.

I attach a screenshot to show the options visible to me:

 

Thanks again!

My App is iOS (iPad Pro), rather than Android, but are all your devices S2 compatible, or do you also have some S1 (only) devices in the Household?

Userlevel 3

My App is iOS (iPad Pro), rather than Android, but are all your devices S2 compatible, or do you also have some S1 (only) devices in the Household?


I believe all my devices are S2 compatible. Thanks