The new UI (User Interface) for IOS released in 10/2017 is a step backward

  • 5 October 2017
  • 23 replies
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Userlevel 3
Please fix the new UI so it is easier to identify my devices and favorites on IOS. The old UI was extremely easy to identify my devices - the new one is horrible - at best...

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23 replies

Userlevel 2
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It's insanely backwards - nothing intuitive at all in the UI. Never seen such a backwards "upgrade" - even after using the new interface last evening, I ended up repeating the same dead-end gestures in the navigation this morning to (finally!) find my Spotify playlists. You know it's a UI gone wrong when your brain doesn't register it after one or two interactions. Give me back the old controller!
I hate hate the new interface!
Userlevel 1
Agree 100%
Userlevel 2
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Wow was showing a friend the "power" if SONOS by trying to change volume in a group then select a bunch of devices etc etc - fired it up and WTF could not find anything! I had to fumble around.. and finally got it but looked ridiculous in the process - not sure I convinced him that SONOS was as great as I had been saying.. Like all interfaces I'll likely get used to this but it really is a jarring change. I agree it does not seem to be as intuitive as the old one. I like the old darker theme - easier to read. Wish there was more control over theming and/or an option for returning to the legacy interface. Also with the control stuff being at the bottom - my S8+ toolbar pops up and blocks functionality... annoying and troubling. With phone interfaces I've gotten used to pulling stuff from the top of the screen.. this is going to take a while. Should have saved the APK so I could roll it back. sigh.
Userlevel 1
Yeah, having owned Sonos equipment for last 4-5 years, this latest app release (for IOS atleast) is a huge step in the wrong direction when it comes to usability and design. Frankly its quite disappointing that Sonos - which I bought for its simplicity can delivery such messy app.
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So I see what they are doing with all the stuff at the bottom - it's easier to access with one hand. I'm not sure I like the default favorites screen - I prefer to see the "all" list instead of 2 favorites in large boxes. Some of the flow seems incongruous. Hard to intuitively tell just by looking at the play screen what to do. FINALLY figured out that you can swipe down on the play screen to get back to whatever you selected.. wasn't obvious to me at first but to be fair I'm kind of oblivious most days.. also prefer darker themed apps.
I echo everything being said. This is one of the worst UI updates I have ever seen. The old interface was intuitive, and easy to follow. There is nothing about this new look that makes sense. Can I go backward?
Userlevel 2
New interface - what a mess Sonos. Completely non-intuitive. I cannot get out of a location to other menus. Sonos, eat crow and reissue original system.
I absolutely hate the new interface. I loved Sonus for the old one, but if this doesn’t change, I am going to sell all of my Sonus units on eBay and move to a system with a better interface. Alexa et al may not have such good sound, but the UI is so much more important. What do you all recommend?
Dear Sonos - this update is awful. All I wanted to do today was pick a Pandora station to play in two of my five rooms. What a mess! Your UI has always been intuitive and easy to use. The new one makes no sense! Please fix!
Userlevel 5
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Please allow us to go back to the old software. This update is bad-real bad. My wife is actually pissed and refuses to use the Sonos now-which is a waste since we have 19 units. If people got together in a room and said “how can we stir up the intuitive software and make a solution when there isn’t a problem?” Or they said “it’s time for a change; let’s just throw a couple things together and see what happens”.

Caused me to look for my password to this forum after over 2 years away from it and to post a review on the Apple store, which I NEVER do....

Please allow us to have the option to roll back!!
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I agree - the new interface is unintuitive. When I used previous versions I did not even have to think about it. I now cannot easily find my way around. Please change it!
Userlevel 1
I've been a loyal fan for years and I have to say this new interface is quite upsetting. Here are a few suggestions:

When opening a playlist why can't I change the order of songs right there without having to click around to two more sublevels?

The gigantic icons everywhere waste so much real estate on my phone screen. Maybe smaller icons allowing us to see more icons without scrolling so much would be nice.

The double method of selecting rooms: 1) through the rooms button in the toolbar and 2) with the selectable Red room name at the bottom of the screen is confusing since one is for selecting rooms or grouping speakers and the other is only for grouping speakers.

Why can't I see the duration of songs (other than the one playing) and the total duration of my playlists? Would be so useful.

Maybe add a darker theme, not a fan of the new white background.

Thanks for considering these suggestions.
Userlevel 1
I have to use my Mac rather than my phone to make any sense. Absolutely appalling upgrade guys. I used to sell Sonos and would had the prospective customers my phone to show just how easy it was to use. Wouldn’t be doing it now
Horrible interface!! Loyal user and if this is the direction of Sonos, I am ready to dump it. I worked for hours and still cannot find some basic functions that were very easy before. If I have two different songs playing in two different rooms - how the heck do I get to a screen for each room? I select the room but it still shows the previous. I think it is actually a horrible design and full of bugs. There is no excuse for this.
To answer your question, don't use the quick group utility on the Now Playing screen. On the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, tap the Rooms button. If the nav bar is not visible then just swipe down the screen to reveal it.

Double tap any room to take control of that room.

Swipe down the Now Playing screen again to choose any other room for control.
I loath and detest this interface which has absolutely no redeeming features.
SONOS WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE UI? IT WORKED FINE BEFORE. PERIOD. HOW MUCH DID THAT USELESS CHANGE COST YOU?
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I have owned Sonos equipment practically as soon as it came out. Always loved the hardware design, and the mobile app when it came out some years ago, and have recommended it to many people who have since purchased it. My wife and I were discussing last night how confusing the new interface is, and were wondering how Sonos made the decision to change it to this. I decided to look online to see if anyone else thought the same; not suprised to see all these comments. The old interface wasn't perfect, but seriously guys, this is what you came up with? Did you do any usability tests with anyone? The new UI is an exercise in frustration and poor usability in my opinion.

I`d certainly would love to hear from Sonos here about these decisions and if they are taking the comments in this community seriously before I throw my phone against the wall in frustration trying to figure out how to do anything with this app! Ugh.
Interface became completely unusable! It takes 30s and 30 clicks to just put the volume a bit louder.
Chances are that the sound will completely drop away when you want to make it louder to listen to news item.
After a month neither myself or any of the family members have figured out what is the deal and what Sonos is trying to resolve. I am starting to think they are promoting those old remote controllers again instead of the use of smartphones.
I have stopped recommending Sonos and will sell all my 6+ pieces of equipment of this is not amended asap!
Dear Sonos,
The previous UI was great; it was intuitive, quick & EZ to control. The latest one (introduced in fall of 2017) is annoying and inconvenient. It is especially hard to control which zones you want on and off, and even after over months of daily use we still find ourselves in loops of going back and forth to the wrong screen to try and figure out how to achieve this. Much like the introduction of new Coke, this new structure to the UI is the *answer to the question that nobody asked*, and the head 'architect' behind this upgrade should be fired.
I just want my favorites back. "My Sonos" forces an alphabetical organization for my playlists, so to play my favorite morning playlist now takes 3 taps, a swipe, and 2 more taps because it's buried so far down! Totally crappy.

Would also be a great to give us a way to order by "recently added" for albums and playlists, etc.
Userlevel 5
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I just want my favorites back. "My Sonos" forces an alphabetical organization for my playlists, so to play my favorite morning playlist now takes 3 taps, a swipe, and 2 more taps because it's buried so far down! Totally crappy.

Your favourites are still there on the "My Sonos" screen. Except for your favourite Sonos playlists, which get mixed in to the "My Sonos playlists" list of "all your Sonos playlists regardless of whether they're a favourite". Oh, and favourite Sonos playlists tend to get listed twice. At least you can probably game the alphabetical listing by adding magic characters to the names of actual favourites. Or just be brutal and clean out unused playlists to shorten the list and work around the unfinished "My Sonos" UI...