The new Sonos S2 App Sucks

Local Libraries can and do work in the new Sonos App… its quite likely that you just need to perhaps use a higher version of the SMB sharing protocol.

Why would a company release something that’s so unfinished? The original was clearly working. They opted for a design refresh that was clearly all style and no substance. Get back to work, Sonos. 

Ken Griffiths says: In fact so many users kept complaining about the S2 App saying it was over-complicated and had UPnP multicast discovery problems that those complainers encouraged them to move things to this new simplified Sonos App. It will just take time to finish building this App from the ground up and they probably wanted the "real world” data to help them get it right this time, plus I suspect there are some plans to drive things forward with some A.I. in the mix too. (just a guess on my part).

With all due respect, Ken, your comment is an exercise in denialism. True, I did not like the changes to the interface that came when Sonos went from S1 to S2. That was merely what one would expect in any transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar. A minor annoyance, one that quickly passed. But nothing was outright disabling; nothing removed basic functions necessary to my enjoyment of music using my Sonos speaker systems. Nothing required me to waste hour after hour fiddling around trying to get answers and figure out what was wrong and when it might be fixed, if ever.

And I don’t recall ever reading news reports in major publications about countless thousands of Sonos owners becoming outraged and livid because their systems would no longer work when the app transitioned from S1 to S2. I don’t remember Sonos support being overwhelmed with calls and emails and live chat sessions from users at their wits’ end; nor do I recall spending hours with support people who could not address a problem other than to throw up their hands and beg me to ‘be patient.’

The new version(s) of the iOS and Android controller apps are works in progress, not ready for prime time. They never, ever should have been released other than as an option to users who get a kick out of tinkering with new stuff and being involved in software development.

Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of users have had this experimental mess of an app force-fed to them, without a readily available option to turn back to what wasn’t broke and didn’t need to be fixed. Many of us incorrectly concluded the problem must be unique to our own setup, until we discovered we were part of an army of countless thousands of users in the same boat.

I have no idea what ‘UPnP multicast discovery’ is and don’t need or want to know. I just want to pick up my phone or tablet, tap the sonos icon, see my playlists displayed on the screen and commence to listening. 

That was my Sonos experience for going on a decade. That’s what prompted me to buy more and more Sonos products. Sonos wiped that out in an instant, on the whim of a bunch of corporate execs and techies.

That’s not acceptable; nor is it a recipe for Sonos’ continued success.

You’re actually just giving the case from your own perspective. Somewhat differently my update from S2 to the new Sonos App was not an issue - everything worked for playback/control - the majority who flocked to the community here were shouting more about the missing features, alarms, library access and search, voice over control etc.

The August 2020 S1/S2 split was just as intense in the community here, in my view. 

There’s nothing I can do about the new Sonos App anyway @chambolle and you venting here, is not likely going to help you re-configure your own setup if it still isn't working?

As just another user here my advice would be to take up your matter with Sonos Support. There are plenty of things that could be done with your own network setup, but you likely need the help of someone with ‘hands-on’.

Ken, ‘my own network setup’ is working… to the extent the current version of the iOS app will allow. It's the ‘missing features’ that are the problem. And those ‘missing features’ are not the myriad buzzers and bells like voice control and alarms and other stuff I never needed, wanted or used anyway. Gone missing is the most basic of functions for a system intended to play recorded music: the ability to create a list of tracks and/or albums; save and edit such lists with the confidence they will not disappear, possibly never to reappear; and above all, to access the library of playlists I saved as Sonos playlists over the course of years of listening. In other words, the digital equivalent of storing vinyl LPs and compact discs. 

All of that is gone; and no amount of ‘reconfiguring,’ advice from you or others on this forum, or time spent with Sonos support will change that. In the world of LPs and discs, it’s as though they were all stolen or lost in a fire.

As I’ve said before, I have ‘taken my matter up with Sonos support.’ Their answers range from ‘that’s above my pay grade’ (that’s word for word) to ‘those features should become available in a future version of the controller,’ with no assurance when or if that will occur. That’s not the fault of support staff… those folks are in the unenviable position of serving as the messengers who must relate the bad news and take the flak for those up the food chain.

I do not need to ‘reconfigure’ my existing system, which includes ERA speakers I purchased quite recently to upgrade from earlier ‘Play’ speakers I still own and shoved in a closet. My system was troublefree right up to the moment the new version of the iOS app took charge. I’ve done every firmware and software upgrade recommended by Sonos since then, to no avail. I’ve tried various diagnostic and troubleshooting methods recommended by you and others here.

My Sonos playlists are still inaccessible; and I am still unable to recreate and save them, even if I had the time and motivation required — because that basic function is no longer available.

Unless and until that basic function is restored, my Sonos system is of limited utility to me. 

Oh I see, I thought you had different problems, such as speakers disappearing or music stopping during playback etc. you just have the same issues we all have, by the sound of it.

Sonos have published their App development roadmap for the last couple of months and this month for all to see and undoubtedly further features will likely follow after that, including queue editing and playlist saving etc. I think there was mention aswell of improving the App user interface/experience on Tablet controllers too.

Ken, that’s all well and good. But Sonos should have completed development of a new app, including all of the essential features you mentioned, before it irrevocably replaced the existing app that already provided those essential features. It never should have forced all of its users to get involved in the development process, with no warning and no clear path or timetable to the completion date.

I suggest you also read the April press release from Sonos concerning the new app (which most of us, including me, likely never read). It promised that all of these functions would be there on day one. Either that was never the intent — and the press release was an ‘untruth’ — or the app was not adequately tested and was an unexpected failure they are now scrambling to rectify.

In any event, I don’t mean to cross swords with you or others who come to this forum to offer technical assistance; and I appreciate your efforts to help people solve problems that could well be the result of issues in their individual network setup. 

Unfortunately, for many of us — too many, really — it’s out of your hands and ours. As somebody said, ‘above our pay grade.’ Sonos management likely has the ability to resolve much of the current problem almost instantly by giving us a simple way to roll back to the older version of S2; releasing the new version ‘in development’ only as an option for those who want to be involved in beta testing, or who may need it to use a new product like headphones; and only releasing the ‘improved’ S2 to the general public when it’s actually ready.

Anyhow, enough. Basta. I’ve said my piece. It’d be nice if Sonos were listening. It seems not.

Sonos Staff do monitor these pages and to be truthful you’re only reiterating what some others in the community have said already. In some instances users have emailed the Sonos CEO too with comments that reflect your post above.

I’m not sure what might be happening behind the scenes at Sonos,  but it does seem to be be the case at the moment that the old S2 App is dead in the water (which many complained about too by the way) and that Sonos are ploughing ahead to get the features we’ve all talked about back into the new Sonos App.

Even then the new App may still not please everyone, but we’ll have to perhaps wait and see what happens.

If it helps, I suspect anyone reading these posts here, will likely feel your own frustration with the new Sonos App too.

I can’t even use Sonos anymore.  I’ve been using sonos for several years.  When are they going to fix this terrible update

Any news from Sonos on this? It’s been a common topic with other users. It’s really gone to *.

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*