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Your feedback on the new Sonos App

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Ken_Griffiths

This 

The apps crap dude.

He's either got "magic" internet that defies the laws of physics, direct connection to the Sonos servers or just mocking up a gif. 

But for the network and device blx I've got 2 identical phones with the old and new app. The old is fine, and the new is as described because it needs the internet for every single function and sub function via web services so disconnects, acts randomly and freezes. 

My iOS (iPhone) app loads pretty quickly too, around 7 seconds, or thereabouts, for a system with 25 products / 10 Sonos Rooms and 18 Music Services including a locally held NAS library.

I’m based over in the UK and using a WiFi 6AX Plume WiFi mesh and a 1gig download /100mb upload internet connection.

Here’s my real-time opening of  Sonos App from a fully closed state (see attached). It’s almost immediate if I bring the App into focus from a backgrounded state. So it’s not slow to launch compared to S2.

That said, I do find navigating around some services can be a little slow in places and some more optimisation would not go amiss in some areas, but I can live with that and just want to see the missing features restored that are in the pipeline, as announced previously by Sonos here:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/the-new-sonos-app-and-future-feature-updates

So functionality first and maybe some further optimisation later, would be most welcome.

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T
Userlevel 6
Badge +10

Not good enough sonos! 

 

Well, I see we’ve entered the “Make sockpuppets to spout ire at every post that seems even close to being helpful” phase of the rollout.    

There weren't supposed to be “phases.” The fact that Sonos is gradually restoring software features we once had is on Sonos. They introduced crippled software, with cascading issues of services not working correctly with that software, and are now dragging their heels.

D
Userlevel 2

It is the height of hubris for these twits not to have rolled back to the old app (Yellow Icon) after this utter abomination. I truly cannot understand why you would stick with this piece of sh*t. Didn't discover my old system. That is bad enough. But I tried like 7 times to add a new system and to add my Arc and Move. Do yourself a favor and add only one IF you can get either to stick. Adding the other kicks everything off the “System” and you could keep trying, but it's the definition of insanity to try multiple times and get another result. Turning off Private Relay doesn't make a difference either. If I can have EITHER my Arc or Move, I'll take the Arc because I need it for my TV. Atrocious. Customer care went the way of the dinosaurs. I choose Sonos years ago for the simplicity of adding crap via my wifi connection. When it comes time to dump this ridiculously bad hardware/software combination, I will NEVER EVER buy Sonos again and I will urge anyone who will listen not to do so either. (and don't get me started on the fact that it never worked 100 percent with my Sony Bravia, frequently something from TV speakers to Arc and back again). 
 

Seriously, the management team deserves to be fired over this, no exaggeration. Any idiot can see that the solution a month ago was to take his new app off the store and roll it back

T
Userlevel 6
Badge +10

Really Sonos? No updates, much less a fix, in more than three days. 

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Has anyone else noticed something fundamental, that doesn’t apply only to Sonos either…? When scrubbing through a song, why is the playback time beneath the progress line and not above it? I’ve just tried to move a song forward from 0.00 to 0.24” - but it’s impossible to see the playback time as my finger is over it when scrubbing so I can’t be accurate! 


If the time was above the progress line, my finger would never be in the way. It applies to Apple Music and Spotify too. 
 

Just an observation. Once all the other stuff is fixed (!), it would be great if Sonos took a stand for further common sense on this.

Edit: I get that just being able to play music on my Sonos will be considered showing off at the moment by some!!! ;)

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

This 

The apps crap dude.

He's either got "magic" internet that defies the laws of physics, direct connection to the Sonos servers or just mocking up a gif. 

But for the network and device blx I've got 2 identical phones with the old and new app. The old is fine, and the new is as described because it needs the internet for every single function and sub function via web services so disconnects, acts randomly and freezes. 

My iOS (iPhone) app loads pretty quickly too, around 7 seconds, or thereabouts, for a system with 25 products / 10 Sonos Rooms and 18 Music Services including a locally held NAS library.

I’m based over in the UK and using a WiFi 6AX Plume WiFi mesh and a 1gig download /100mb upload internet connection.

Here’s my real-time opening of  Sonos App from a fully closed state (see attached). It’s almost immediate if I bring the App into focus from a backgrounded state. So it’s not slow to launch compared to S2.

That said, I do find navigating around some services can be a little slow in places and some more optimisation would not go amiss in some areas, but I can live with that and just want to see the missing features restored that are in the pipeline, as announced previously by Sonos here:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/the-new-sonos-app-and-future-feature-updates

So functionality first and maybe some further optimisation later, would be most welcome.

Thanks Ken for well.... Nothing. If you have had the problems caused by the architecture and had overcome them with a workaround or a fix it would be useful but you've just had an 'as if by magic' upgrade and smooth connection that defies the rationality of the new architecture (and others in other forums have tested this and documented it with zero response from Sonos support). It really is pointless just posting "mine works fine". 

I have probably the best internet provider in the UK. And I have 2 identical Android phones with the old and new app. The one with the old app works fine. The new app takes 54 seconds to load the splash screen at it's quickest. If I record this it's too big a file to load and that can't compare with your gifs (and I wouldn't bother uploading a gif as they can be created). I've also recorded the system dropping in and out, again so desperately slowly that recording it involves files so large that they will certainly not upload here.

But the problem is that the controller app now sits on the internet and polls for web services all the time to perform the functions that the local executable used to. Apart from privacy and compliance issues that will definitely be heading Sonos way, how do you listen to music on your 'massive' system without the internet? And are you really happy granting remote access to your WiFi? Maybe you override every safety feature on your router and devices to allow this 'smooth transition'?

Ken_Griffiths

Thanks Ken for well.... Nothing. If you have had the problems caused by the architecture and had overcome them with a workaround or a fix it would be useful but you've just had an 'as if by magic' upgrade and smooth connection that defies the rationality of the new architecture (and others in other forums have tested this and documented it with zero response from Sonos support). It really is pointless just posting "mine works fine". 

I have probably the best internet provider in the UK. And I have 2 identical Android phones with the old and new app. The one with the old app works fine. The new app takes 54 seconds to load the splash screen at it's quickest. If I record this it's too big a file to load and that can't compare with your gifs (and I wouldn't bother uploading a gif as they can be created). I've also recorded the system dropping in and out, again so desperately slowly that recording it involves files so large that they will certainly not upload here.

But the problem is that the controller app now sits on the internet and polls for web services all the time to perform the functions that the local executable used to. Apart from privacy and compliance issues that will definitely be heading Sonos way, how do you listen to music on your 'massive' system without the internet? And are you really happy granting remote access to your WiFi? Maybe you override every safety feature on your router and devices to allow this 'smooth transition'?

Yes I’m fine with external internet access to Sonos - my music services all have access to my system, I run Plex remotely and have a VPN sever so I can take my LAN with me when I travel. I have Home lights, heating, camera security, doorbells, smart plugs and blinds that can all be accessed remotely too. I don’t lose any sleep over such things @TC123246.

If it takes 54 seconds to open your Sonos App, I would say you have SSDP multicast device discovery issue between your controller device and your Sonos system… that would be my initial guess.

D
Userlevel 1
Badge

If it takes 54 seconds to open your Sonos App, I would say you have SSDP multicast device discovery issue between your controller device and your Sonos system… that would be my initial guess.

SSDP device discovery issues with just the new app?

Should be easy to test; just install BubbleUPnP (or UPnP Tool) from the Play store and see if it detects your speakers.

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Why on earth would it be that? And liberally sprinkling a non-answer with what to most people is gibberish again does not help anyone. I've seen your answer for 'lost system' from 4 months ago and I don't have any of the items you mention as causes. It is not a lost system it just takes that long to get over the splash screen, then the system flashes up with 1,2,3,4 devices and more and then they disappear in a random fashion and reconnect at indiscriminate intervals. Just like a bad web app polling for web services without any attention to persistence or connectivity. As I mentioned others have documented this and the internet traffic so if you have a better suggestion to establish some diagnostics I'm all ears (as are the 1000s of others with the same symptoms)? I'm not a network engineer but I have had a career in technology. My installation engineer on the other hand is, and he can't find the source of this issue (again as many other dealers and installers have stated on this thread and elsewhere). 

Ken_Griffiths

If it takes 54 seconds to open your Sonos App, I would say you have SSDP multicast device discovery issue between your controller device and your Sonos system… that would be my initial guess.

SSDP device discovery issues with just the new app?

Should be easy to test; just install BubbleUPnP (or UPnP Tool) from the Play store and see if it detects your speakers.

I can’t think what else would cause any controller App 54 seconds to open - I have the older iPhone XR and both my iPad Pro, the Wife’s iPad 10, plus an Android 64bit Tablet and each one of them open the Sonos App from its fully closed state in under 10 seconds… so there must be something wrong locally if it’s taking more than 5X that amount of time to open. 

G
Userlevel 2
Badge

Hello there, 

Honestly I do not know where to start, where to throw my endless anger because apparently no one may pay close attention to it. While many users there have been going through this nightmare for over three weeks, I only realized the news during the weekend as my Sonos app turned black (how symptomatic) just recently. I first thought this was due to some error in the mobile app not fully functioning so I went in App Store to realize the Sonos app was still the official one and it turned out that my system I paid for had been hijacked by some lunatics taking over the Sonos developers team. I purchased my first Sonos product some 8 years ago and have been living happily since then, growing the Sonos family which I valued for the most important features - Music Library and perfect play queue management. I spent past 30 years doing plenty of DJing and my ideal modus operandi for playing music at home was that I pick tracks of my choice and I add them in queue to play next or at the end and I could do this on album level, artist level, whatever came to my mind. My only music source was, is and will always be my own curated music library in NAS. I do not care about any streaming services because my favourite music does not exist there, the original source (specific release pressing, bitrate) is unknown, and I do not want to live in this online AI-powered dreamworld of music entertainment as a service powered by subscription fees where I have no guarantee that I wake up the next day and my favourites are still there... Few years back I even considered purchasing Bluesound for my cottage but site-by-side comparison of Sonos vs. Bluesound apps had a clear winner at the time. Anyway, to sum up what I am missing in the new Sonos app:

  • Complete queue management (add song/album to play next or at the end of queue, manual queue editing)
  • Music library searching (obviously)
  • Alphabetical sidebar in music library (cause I have 1000+ artists/albums there)
  • Sleep timer (who wants to sleep all night until morning with music still playing)
  • Tracks mixing was also nice feature but I could live without that

Why did you decide to remove what was working correctly and people were happy for having it in Sonos app??? I could understand that over the years we lost the ability to control Sonos with iPhone side buttons and lock screen because you argued this was due to some programming limitations of Apple devices but those functions you removed with the latest update are not the same story, c’mon.

Now can someone explain to me how it is possible that the company which once had a reputation of “Apple of the portable smart audio” did this to their faithful user base. I could understand that users like me who are not into online streaming services may present a minority of your user base but even if we were 5% of all users HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN AND JUSTIFY THAT YOU DELIBERATELY REMOVE THE FUNCTIONS THAT EXISTED WHEN WE PURCHASED YOUR PRODUCTS AND WHY MANY OF US DECIDED TO GO FOR SONOS OVER OTHER COMPETITORS. It is like I would have a CD player where a firmware update which I could not defer would one day result in a player that could only play CD from the beginning but I could no longer select any specific track or skip to the next song. Sonos Board of Directors should realize that THE COMPANY IS NOT A SERVICE PROVIDER TO US, but it is a  manufacturer of a consumer products with some features which we expect you do care about and do not attempt to destroy them. How come that I can find an article in the Washington Post on this topic portraying Sonos company as a terrible example of complete failure in terms of its respect to their user community. Was it really worth to lose so much credibility by this negligence? Someone should be held responsible for this...

I live in Europe but I am so angry now that I will keep escalating my concerns through all available channels, local distributors, because I believe I have been robbed! I purchased all your products from authorized retailers within the EU and I believe this is a legitimate case of serious customer complaint that can result in CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT according to EU legislation. 

Thank you for paying attention.

MHoHo
Userlevel 2

Time will tell if Sonos really listens to the overwhelming critical feedback regarding this release. They really did damage to the brand and the loyal customer base with this. From its nonsensical UI cards to broken and missing functionality, the new app is a dumpster fire of stupidity. Why on earth would you take something that was great and totally burn it to the ground? Frankly, unless they were specifically directed by the board of directors to release this product, regardless of known issues and customer dislike, Tucker Severson and especially Diane Roberts should be held accountable for this debacle. This app release reflects a SERIOUS leadership issue at Sonos, and since they are publicly traded, you can and should use your shares, even if you own one share, to voice your concerns and vote for change. 

Ken_Griffiths

I’m watching England Footie at the moment, but have just recorded a screen-capture video of the App opening on my iPad Pro, just after Kane’s goal …and have shared it here:

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0S5yD7rNUpTFU

It definitely opens in under 10s. 

Added: (It probably takes longer to download the shared video than to watch the Sonos App open.😂 Oh and the time/date is at the top left of the video - so no time to edit anything etc.)

D
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

Here’s my feedback - YOUR UPDATE HAS RUINED MY SYSTEM. Try to ignore your user base and let us know how that works out for you.

The Washington Post blistering your “customer service”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/17/sonos-new-app-update-problems/ 

D
Userlevel 1
Badge

If it takes 54 seconds to open your Sonos App, I would say you have SSDP multicast device discovery issue between your controller device and your Sonos system… that would be my initial guess.

SSDP device discovery issues with just the new app?

Should be easy to test; just install BubbleUPnP (or UPnP Tool) from the Play store and see if it detects your speakers.

I can’t think what else would cause any controller App 54 seconds to open - I have the older iPhone XR and both my iPad Pro, the Wife’s iPad 10, plus an Android 64bit Tablet and each one of them open the Sonos App from its fully closed state in under 10 seconds… so there must be something wrong locally if it’s taking more than 5X that amount of time to open. 

I only have a few Play One speakers and use them in a UPnP setup.

I installed the new app just to see what it was like, but for the first couple of weeks it was awful. If the local Music Library did show up (40% of the time) it would take up to 20 seconds, but something must have improved as it’s much quicker and more reliable now.

Would love to see someone struggling with discovery install BubbleUPnP, as it can’t be SSDP discovery.

What’s annoying is that Sonos must know the cause of at least some of these problems, but are choosing to ignore the community.

Ken_Griffiths

I only have a few Play One speakers and use them in a UPnP setup.

I installed the new app just to see what it was like, but for the first couple of weeks it was awful. If the local Music Library did show up (40% of the time) it would take up to 20 seconds, but something must have improved as it’s much quicker and more reliable now.

Would love to see someone struggling with discovery install BubbleUPnP, as it can’t be SSDP discovery.

What’s annoying is that Sonos must know the cause of at least some of these problems, but are choosing to ignore the community.

I’m not seeing the problems @DivvyBramble  - I’ve shared a video above, made minutes ago (UK time).

D
Userlevel 1
Badge

I only have a few Play One speakers and use them in a UPnP setup.

I installed the new app just to see what it was like, but for the first couple of weeks it was awful. If the local Music Library did show up (40% of the time) it would take up to 20 seconds, but something must have improved as it’s much quicker and more reliable now.

I’m not seeing the problems @DivvyBramble  - I’ve shared a video above, made minutes ago (UK time).

I just said it’s much quicker - for me - now, so it’s defintely something they’re working on.

R
Userlevel 6
Badge +2

Dropping in here to express my discontent with the new app as well.  I am flabbergasted that they released it in the state that it is in.  Truly poor decision making going on at Sonos that smacks of greed, incompetence, and lack of communication both within the company and with customers.  Whoever made the decision to push out the app should be flogged with a wet noodle at the very least. 

Sonos board meeting: 

“Sales are down, folks.  We need to release those new headphones ASAP.”  

“I’m sorry sir, we can’t release them because the current app doesn’t support setting them up.  We should have the new app finished and through beta testing and bug fixes by the end of the year.”

“Unacceptable, we need those headphone sales now! Push the app out next week so we can launch the cans on time!” 

Something like that probably actually happened, and it’s pathetic. 

Ken_Griffiths

I’m not seeing the problems @DivvyBramble  - I’ve shared a video above, made minutes ago (UK time).

I just said it’s much quicker - for me - now, so it’s defintely something they’re working on.

I struggle to think how it would take 54 seconds to open the same Sonos App - unless @TC123246 has a problem with their network, or controller device.

The slowest controller device here is my iPhone XR and so I’ve also added a further time-stamped video from that device too, to that shared folder link, showing the controller opens in under 10s and it shows my Sonos Rooms too - that’s 10+ Sonos rooms (25 products) with 18 music services - so it’s ‘perhaps’ an above-average size Sonos system.

I would personally assume anyone that has the new Sonos App and it is taking much longer than that to open from a fully closed state, maybe needs to look closer to Home to solve the lag issue, rather than blaming the App.

The new App opens here on ‘par’, or perhaps faster, than the previous S2 controller App.

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

If it takes 54 seconds to open your Sonos App, I would say you have SSDP multicast device discovery issue between your controller device and your Sonos system… that would be my initial guess.

SSDP device discovery issues with just the new app?

Should be easy to test; just install BubbleUPnP (or UPnP Tool) from the Play store and see if it detects your speakers.

I can’t think what else would cause any controller App 54 seconds to open - I have the older iPhone XR and both my iPad Pro, the Wife’s iPad 10, plus an Android 64bit Tablet and each one of them open the Sonos App from its fully closed state in under 10 seconds… so there must be something wrong locally if it’s taking more than 5X that amount of time to open. 

It's moving the app to the web that's caused it. The old app works fine and everything 'local' is exactly the same. In fact it's odd that you see no delay. 

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

I’m not seeing the problems @DivvyBramble  - I’ve shared a video above, made minutes ago (UK time).

I just said it’s much quicker - for me - now, so it’s defintely something they’re working on.

I struggle to think how it would take 54 seconds to open the same Sonos App - unless @TC123246 has a problem with their network, or controller device.

The slowest controller device here is my iPhone XR and so I’ve also added a further time-stamped video from that device too, to that shared folder link, showing the controller opens in under 10s and it shows my Sonos Rooms too - that’s 10+ Sonos rooms (25 products) with 18 music services - so it’s ‘perhaps’ an above-average size Sonos system.

I would personally assume anyone that has the new Sonos App and it is taking much longer than that to open from a fully closed state, maybe needs to look closer to Home to solve the lag issue, rather than blaming the App.

The new App opens here on ‘par’, or perhaps faster, than the previous S2 controller App.

Again there is no difference in my home set up, none. 2 identical phones with the same Android version and the old app works, therefore not a local problem. And the only difference is the new app is a web app. 

Z

I used to love this product but now I hate it, the updates are so bad that I feel I am no longer in control of my music, It used to be user friendly where my friends could come over and jump on my system and we could share music and musical experiences, I had the system set up t home, at the batch and in the office, now I cant even get into it and we are using a UE boom when people come over which is a real shame because the updates have made my investment in Sonos redundant. I think I will wait another 3 months and if this continues I will start again with another product, Terrible terrible system 

Ken_Griffiths

I can’t think what else would cause any controller App 54 seconds to open - I have the older iPhone XR and both my iPad Pro, the Wife’s iPad 10, plus an Android 64bit Tablet and each one of them open the Sonos App from its fully closed state in under 10 seconds… so there must be something wrong locally if it’s taking more than 5X that amount of time to open. 

It's moving the app to the web that's caused it. The old app works fine and everything 'local' is exactly the same. In fact it's odd that you see no delay.

I’ve tried my very best to show you the video evidence, I’ve absolutely no reason to lie - if it took ‘any’ App that long to open it would be unusable. I can only assure you it’s not the case here and opens as fast, or even faster than the S2 App.

My thoughts are to maybe check each Sonos device SNR levels and get them above 45dB, which means they each have a good wireless signal from your router/AP. You could also ensure that the devices are using the faster 5Ghz band (where products support that connection). Your setup is only as fast as its slowest device.

I can’t rule out though that something is perhaps running on your controller device, or network, that’s perhaps hindering the discovery of your products, or music services etc. too.

I am fairly sure it must be something local, otherwise why would the App/System here work okay for me?

S
Userlevel 5
Badge +9

Feedback:

My music library vanished from my system today and I had to re-add it. It's never happened before in the 8 years I've been using Sonos.

 

It used to happen to me when they did the swap to from the S1 app I think. It didn’t bother me then but this is magnitudes a bigger deal.

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"
S
Userlevel 5
Badge +9

This 

The apps crap dude.

He's either got "magic" internet that defies the laws of physics, direct connection to the Sonos servers or just mocking up a gif. 

But for the network and device blx I've got 2 identical phones with the old and new app. The old is fine, and the new is as described because it needs the internet for every single function and sub function via web services so disconnects, acts randomly and freezes. 

My iOS (iPhone) app loads pretty quickly too, around 7 seconds, or thereabouts, for a system with 25 products / 10 Sonos Rooms and 18 Music Services including a locally held NAS library.

I’m based over in the UK and using a WiFi 6AX Plume WiFi mesh and a 1gig download /100mb upload internet connection.

Here’s my real-time opening of  Sonos App from a fully closed state (see attached). It’s almost immediate if I bring the App into focus from a backgrounded state. So it’s not slow to launch compared to S2.

That said, I do find navigating around some services can be a little slow in places and some more optimisation would not go amiss in some areas, but I can live with that and just want to see the missing features restored that are in the pipeline, as announced previously by Sonos here:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/the-new-sonos-app-and-future-feature-updates

So functionality first and maybe some further optimisation later, would be most welcome.

 

Mine iPad app spins it wheels and thinks for a while. I suspect it can’t find the recently played from my android phone. My android app doesn’t find my system half the time and has to be restarted.

 

Seems some are lucky.

"I saw the Stooges and the MC5"

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