New App Upgrade - HORRID


Userlevel 4
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The new interface is nearly impossible to use... it doesn't even make sense how it works in relation to the previous interface which was better than good enough. As someone that has thousands of dollars invested in sonos I have to voice my utter disgust for this new app. PLs comment below and lets get Sonos to roll back from this atrocious attempt at an upgrade.

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108 replies

Userlevel 4
Badge +3
I agree - it's an insult to all my investment too. No extra features, but all of them are harder to find! I hate the bright white light theme also - bring back the black!
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
To sum up-very few longtime users like the update-most hate it including myself
Please allow us the ability to go back to the better/older software that made sense
Userlevel 4
Badge +1
Yea, most users hate it.

Change in Google Play Store reviews from 10/7/2017 to 10/13/2017:

5 star: +7
4 star: -1
3 star: +16
2 star: +97
1 star: +288

I would be interested in stats from the Apple Store. Judging by the newest reviews, the response is similar.

Screenshot from 10/7/2017


Screenshot from 10/13/2017

Userlevel 2
Personally this latest update feels like a real step backwards in user friendliness.
The 'MY SONOS' tab... Use far too much space displaying content, I always have to press 'show all' button to see what I need to, so why bother with the new BIG look?!
The 'ROOMS' tab. Again, the new layout uses to much space and makes it much more difficult to see what's playing in each room at a glance (which is surely the point?) Now only shows 3 rooms on screen, a completely unnecessary waste of space when the old layout showed much more. I would like to be able to see many more rooms/speakers.
'SEARCH' & 'BROWSE' tabs - why are there two tabs for an almost identical function?!

Another slight annoyance is when on the expanded playing screen... The new tabs across the bottom VANISH (on my phone) so there's barely any point having them if they're supposed to be short cuts... I still have to hit the tiny arrow in the top left corner to get anywhere!
On a plus, the quick grouping of rooms does seems slicker/better, but overall I'm pretty unimpressed!
Userlevel 2
I agree this is a huge move backward. If I didn’t have so much money invested in my system, I would move to something else.
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
Terrible upgrade. Made me actually post on the App Store-and I NEVER post on the App Store!!
Userlevel 2
I never make the effort to sign up to things usally to complain. i love my sonos speakers. But this new app has driven me to it. I hate it. Not user friendly. Bring back the old. So much better. Please sort it sonos.was considering getting a new speaker but might look else where if i have to live with this sh#t app.
Userlevel 1
Agreed, terrible! Changing rooms in now a real pain. Roll back please.
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
I hope the rep who is from SONOS that comes on from time to time takes the PAGES of threads on the dislike of the new app back to SONOS.
Userlevel 7
Badge +16
I was forced to update this morming to 8.0 while adding a new Play1 for upstairs.

The "My Sonos" page is just a shocking waste of screen space, why have they not either got a list view option or small icon option.

I'm not a moaner normally but this app is very badly designed compared to 7.4.
Userlevel 1
The upgrade is absolutely awful. I can't find my playlists, can't find genres, can't find anything! Fix it asap.
Userlevel 2
The new interface is nearly impossible to use... it doesn't even make sense how it works in relation to the previous interface which was better than good enough. As someone that has thousands of dollars invested in sonos I have to voice my utter disgust for this new app. PLs comment below and lets get Sonos to roll back from this atrocious attempt at an upgrade.
Userlevel 2
Absolutely agree, I’m now left scratching my head and frustrated not knowing where anything is anymore, it’s a dreadful update. Why on earth add new icons to make things more difficult to navigate! I’m so annoyed with myself for updating all three of my iPads, thank goodness I haven’t updated my phone, so at least this still has the old app on it and I can use it to operate my Sonos. Please Sonos take us back to the old app, it was so much more user friendly.
Userlevel 1
I just signed up to this forum so I could also share my views on this terrible update .... beat me to it.... terrible update. 😠
Userlevel 2
I will second–no, thousandth–the sentiment of this thread. The new app sucks. I'm often listening to music and when I want to switch my speakers to the TV, I have no idea how to. And when I manage to, I have no idea how it even happened like I'm just mashing buttons and making it work through sheer will. Nothing about the app feels right.

As an experience design professional, I loathe to be the person who put this steaming pile together. Test the damn thing before you release it!
Userlevel 1
The new interface is nearly impossible to use... it doesn't even make sense how it works in relation to the previous interface which was better than good enough. As someone that has thousands of dollars invested in sonos I have to voice my utter disgust for this new app. PLs comment below and lets get Sonos to roll back from this atrocious attempt at an upgrade.

The WORST and MOST FRUSTRATING UPGADE EVER!
I also concur. Over the last 3 years I have promoted Sonos, to many of my friends and associates, who then also adopted the company's products. The app, prior to the update in September (ish), was so easy to use. The ease of use, combined with the amazing sound from the little speakers, was what sold me.

Now I really struggle to change music in different rooms in the house. I'm in the family room and want to change the music in the living room, but it doesn't want to allow me to have different music in different rooms. I have to fiddle for 5 minutes to get this set, and I'm at the point of so much frustration, I'm considering not purchasing any more Sonos products. I'm already in almost $2K of product purchases.

People want great sound, but don't want to have to *(&^% around with stupidly designed software. I want to relax and listen to good music, not get frustrated by a very poorly thought out and poorly tested software release. I shouldn't have to take tutoring to figure out how to change the music to my speakers.

FIX THIS NOW, PLEASE!
At least you can access your music. It won't connect to my external music drive. I've uninstalled and started again, the firewall is fine, in fact nothing has changed with my set up apart from this new update. Quite why it's changed is beyond me.
Userlevel 2
If you look at the VP of UX's LinkedIn profile, they tout:

"App: with an App store rating of 4.5 stars & over 47,000 reviews, we have set the standard for the best way control your sound system. "

Impressive! Even more impressive is how quickly you just made that bullet point irrelevant. 😛
It's 100% aweful. I'm already getting calls.from clients , the old app was confusing enough this new one well.it sucks. That's the only way to put it. No idea who your UI team developed it. It's probably the worst one I've ever dealt with. Im and integrator and sell a ton of your gear. That will 100% change shortly. It's just aweful
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
Ok I get that people prefer the previous app. To an extent I do too. But don’t give me this whole it takes me so long to figure this and that out. It remains very clear how to do anything you need to do. Very clear. It’s different but still pretty straightforward.

I guess the question that everyone has for Sonos is why this is at all necessary. I get that because these changes do no alter how anything is really done - it just lays it out differently.
Userlevel 2
Ok I get that people prefer the previous app. To an extent I do too. But don’t give me this whole it takes me so long to figure this and that out. It remains very clear how to do anything you need to do. Very clear. It’s different but still pretty straightforward.

I disagree. The reaction to the app amongst users is testament to to that. It would be nice if they would acknowledge the issues people have and reassure them that they care. A little empathy goes a long way to customer satisfaction and building an app they will like in the first place.
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
Ok I get that people prefer the previous app. To an extent I do too. But don’t give me this whole it takes me so long to figure this and that out. It remains very clear how to do anything you need to do. Very clear. It’s different but still pretty straightforward.

I disagree. The reaction to the app amongst users is testament to to that. It would be nice if they would acknowledge the issues people have and reassure them that they care. A little empathy goes a long way to customer satisfaction and building an app they will like in the first place.


Ok the things that I understand.
1. The “My Sonos” tab is not well laid out and wastes space with the large icons requiring scrolling. I have to admit I probably hardly venture into that space because of it.
2. There is great hate for the white background. This is an aesthetic thing largely. Not sure what drives it. But I have observed that a few music Apps use it - most notably Apple.
3. The bottom navigating menu should be visible on all screens including “Now Playing”. I think this a reasonable suggestion. Again this in’s currently treated in the exact same way as it is for the Apple Music App and Deezer. As I have mentioned in another thread. Sonos has moved in the direction of make its app look and feel like some of the popular streaming services.

The above aside I quickly worked out that a session should begin with picking your room from the rooms tab and then picking what to listen to by interacting with the other tabs on the bottom menu. All tabs are pretty well understood in a short time. What I am saying I understand that in the previous setup things may have seemed a bit more at arms length than this compartmentalized view. I am not meaning to not show empathy at all but I do not get the Armageddon reaction with threats to move to another product etc.

A number of the concerns are fixable even if Sonos doesn’t have the greatest record of responding to these concerns at this stage of release. People also need to be more specific in saying and describing what they find more difficult to do and how so. As I said I cannot in good conscience say that I find anything unclear even if I force myself.
Userlevel 5
Badge +7
Agreed, terrible! Changing rooms in now a real pain. Roll back please.

It would be helpful for you to elaborate a bit more on how changing rooms has become difficult for you.
WTF is going on with sonos. First they force everyone to upgrade to the new app with new terms and conditions. AND on top of that version 8.1 sucks. AND now everything suddenly stopped working. I can't play any music at all.
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
The new app is horrible. It makes my Sonos system harder to use! Up until now I've been content to recommend Sonos to my friends and colleagues but until there's either a roll back or a new version with a user interface more like the old I won't be recommending.

And let's have the (option of a) dark interface back. I often listen to music in low light. I don't want a torch turned on in my face when I want control.

I understand the need for changes as cooperation with Amazon for voice control proceeds but the interface change seems to me to be change for no good reason. Please stop messing with my music interface!!