Sonos 8 and 8.1 are TERRIBLE.

  • 18 November 2017
  • 14 replies
  • 502 views

Userlevel 2
I’m someone who rarely uses forum boards, but I created an account just to comment on how bad the new Sonos controller app is in hopes that voices will be heard. It is not intuitive, forces the user to go in and out of screens way too many times and is just plain clunky. A terrible step back from the simpler process of the previous version.

PLEASE SONOS PLEASE! Bring back a UI that is more similar to the last version or make the flow of this one considerably better (like start from scratch).

- a disappointed user

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14 replies

Userlevel 1
I so agree with you. Such a bad a bad upgrade. What happened Sonos? You went fron Hero to Zero!
Userlevel 2
Complete agreement! Please kill the new UI.
Userlevel 1
Please...
agree - now that i have invested in sonos in every room in my house i am going crazy - TERRIBLE
Completely agree. I just posted the same complaint. I've sat staring at a given screen, unable to figure out how to do a given task, then resorting to using the phone's 'back' button to get to a screen with the option I wanted. Such horrible UX.
I absolutely agree. This new update is horrible and not user friendly at all. Sonos, you swung and missed on this one.
I've been trying to get used to the updated Sonos app (currently 8.2.2) for over a month, and it still confounds me. Every time, I have to pause and THINK about where to go to change rooms, select music for rooms, view current song details, etc., etc. Trial and error get me there. Eventually. We have Sonos in every room in the house including a Playbar and a Sub. If I had to deal with this app from the beginning, I would have seriously reconsidered investing in Sonos like we have. Big UX fail, guys. Love Sonos, but this app is a puzzle. Literally.
Userlevel 3
Badge
I continue to see new forum users who feel so strongly about the 8.xx UI that they take the time to register to give feedback. I should know. I am one of them.

I've used this app for a month now and I still find myself swiping and clicking until I find what I am looking for. Sonos, it may seem simple to your design team to navigate this app but part of the problem is the lack of logical progression. The navigation doesn't make intuitive sense and what occurs is we click/swipe the wrong thing first and then we swipe/click back and then we have to "think" about where we need to navigate to.

These two things 1) initial incorrect navigation and 2) thought process to correct navigation are what create the time sink. I think that's what confounds your UI team. They may think "it's just a click to the left" but we've already swiped incorrectly and then back again and now we have to try to think "wait - was it click?"

Browse and search? Look I get they are different words but they are way too similar to pick the right one without thinking about it.

White background? What works for a website doesn't work for an app. I like(ed) to show off the Sonos app. I don't think I've ever "shown off" a website to anybody.

Back in Black - ac/dc
I have had enough. I cannot switch zones without having to attempt the operation over 5 times before it finally switches or groups. This was working so fine until some idiot at Sonos thought it might be a good idea to screw this up. I am looking for an alternative to Sonos and will be selling this crap very soon. I have everything from a 3 to a playbar. It has cost me thousands of dollars but I don't care. I cannot take the functionality (lack thereof) anymore.
Userlevel 7
Badge +21
It is very clear that the latest updates have not been well received, can't say I like them myself but a Sonos representative, on one of the other complaint threads, has said they are listening and changes are afoot.

I hope these arrive soon but understand software cycles take days not hours to plan and roll out.

So by all means have a rant but why the insults? I don't think the company deliberately intended to alienate people with the latest changes. I still listen daily to my Sonos and consider this a blip in its usability that I hope will be rectified soon.

On the plus side I am enjoying the Alexa integration especially now Spotify works with it.

So stick with us(users), it'll be worth it in the long run.
Shame you feel that way. First. because your problems with the room selection are probably caused by trying to use the 'red room' quick grouping tool rather than the proper Rooms screen (touch Rooms on the tab bar). Secondly because Sonos have said they are making changes in response to feedback, so you may give up on Sonos just before the issues are fixed. But good luck with whatever system you replace it with.
To be fair this has been going on for months now. I am not alone.look at the thread
Userlevel 7
Badge +21
You are most definitely not alone and there are many threads. I think the fact that these changes were rolled out as part of the Amazon Alexa integration probably complicates matters. Let's hope the new year brings some relief.
Userlevel 6
Badge +1
Sonos is in a catch 22 situation I think. After rushing 8.x out the door and likely cutting corners to do so, it took them way too long to take the feedback serious (and possibly still not serious enough). This red room issue is a case in point. It's quite easy to fix by having that link point to the rooms screen, but it didn't get addressed in any of the follow-up releases.

So we are now 3 months later and people are still being confronted with a laundry list of issues on a daily basis - and getting quite understandably more than tiered of it. Sonos meanwhile may have very well figured out that rushing things out the door without proper testing and feedback, isn't exactly the smart thing to do. Especially so when you got your customers to the point that they are looking at every little move you make with a magnifying lens.

So while they aren't ready yet to release a proper fix - a holiday period which staf barely being available never helps - customers are really fed up by now - and having their family highlight the issues with new app during that same holiday didn't help that either.

So it's damned if you do, damned if you don't for Sonos, as that clock keeps on ticking, while rushing it may make things even worse.