To me it smacks of app development being outsourced to a new team who promised the earth and delivered a muddy field.
They’re clearly using a new UI framework, but in doing so have lost all the UI nuances that people have become used to and worse still seem to be stuck on defaults in many places, shown by arbitrary limits in lists depending on the UI component used.
As the core ‘connect to and see your speaker’ function was so badly broken, not much focus has been given to getting back those things that people were used to.
The recent ‘improvement’ of queue editing is a case in point. Someone has obviously written the basic delete item from queue, and move item to new place, but it feels rushed as the only way to use it is more swiping. Even though every song in the playlist has three dots by it, if you press that you find that delete is not in there… how hard would it have been to put one more action in that list? IF the current development team were experienced then they’d know that people with less dexterity on a phone may prefer a more deliberate way to delete and might find swipe only a little too error prone and pressing the three dots gives more surety and the chance to back out.
This is why I’m not sure I believe claims that the development team were shouting and screaming at management, as they’ve had ample opportunity since May to correct some of this stuff. Instead we get basic regressions like knackered indexing and the inexplicable loss of WiFi network strength from the settings page in the latest iterations. Things that should be simple to fix just languish. Also the tablet usage of screen estate in landscape mode is appalling. I used to prefer using the iPad for Sonos, but now prefer the phone as the current iPad layout is infuriating for its lack of use of the extra screen space and just huge expanses of nothing.
After 5 months it doesn’t feel like much meaningful progress is being made and the latest quality charter PR speak just feels like a cynical pre-emptive white wash for the next earnings call so they can say look at what we’ve been up to…
I approach the recently published article about the company rebuilding trust of its customers with mixed feelings, though I genuinely hope Sonos can turn things around. This morning, I counted 23 Sonos speakers in my home. When I started building my system a decade ago, Sonos was the gold standard, and I stayed loyal to the brand until about three years ago. Unfortunately, the system has become unreliable, and I've lost confidence in it. Last month, I even bought a backup Bose speaker for a party, just in case my Sonos system failed. Unsurprisingly, the Bose saved the day. I sincerely miss the quality and reliability Sonos once offered and hope they can restore it.
I am trying to adapt to new Sonos but struggling my system is playing an album in the bedroom, I can hear it and am enjoying it. But artwork shows previous album played and believes I am in Lounge. There I use a port with fixed volume so the album I’m listening to is not registering at all and I can’t adjust volume, it’s a total nonsense.
Totally agree with Ian_S.
This has been a disaster from the start. The messages coming from management are useless.
There needs to be a wholesale revamp as the current app is extremely frustrating still. Sonos has all the comments on what needs to be done. I will tell you, when I look to upgrade my speakers I will be shopping around. This has severely damaged the Sonos brand.
I just wish the company would drop back and punt…..admitting they rushed this and let us go back to the old app until they fix the new one. I am seriously holding off on buying more speakers because of this issue.
The real question is why don't they reinstate the old app until they get the new one sorted out AND tested.
As for the damage to the brand, remember New Coke? Where is it now?
The new app stinks. Don’t buy one more product from these losers
The Sonos brand is crap now, I’m so disappointed because i have over 15 different speakers and amps. It’s completely useless right now, i will be looking into something different and sell everything for what ever i can get. So sad it seams nobody at Sonos is doing anything to fix the major issues such as just connecting to a damn speaker, one day it works and next day it’s gone and can’t see it. Completely junk. Whoever designed this update should be fired!!!
Everything has been working for me for several weeks now. I look forward to a new Sonos Arc!
Although I agree the process has been quite frustrating, and obviously Sonos needs a Program Manager that knows what they are doing, the app have been getting ever so slowly better. Unfortunately it still can't handle more than a single system, so.whenever I go from one house to another, I have to Join Existing System. But at least that is an option now, rather than having to reset the app.
Anyway, looking forward to the opportunity of picking up some 2nd hand equipment cheap.
I've tried three revisions of the new app and I've yet been unsuccessful in playing two playlists in a row. It spins and spins and spins. I keep reverting to the old app and have all automatic updates disabled.
It's kind of hard to believe that we'll ever get back to where we were before this debacle started.
The real question is why don't they reinstate the old app until they get the new one sorted out AND tested.
As for the damage to the brand, remember New Coke? Where is it now?
The new UI (app) is built on top of a new framework that’s baked into the firmware. It’s why this “had” to happen because they announced headphones during an earnings call that obviously could not run on the old app and assumed between the app release and first shipment of the headphones any bugs would be fixed.
i have been selling, installing sonos since they released.
up until this last release it was a fantastic straight forward user interface. it is now a cluttered, disjointed quirky navigation mess. not mentioning the bugs i see.
i am now, for the first time. reluctant to sell it.
installing it straight out with a customer with no
expectations usually works ok.
but any customer with previous gear or experience with sonos s2. its a nightmare
why was it necessary to rip out what worked?
apologies just arent enough imo.
Suggestion, they should keep the new (POS) app for the headphones and revert everyone back to the old app for managing speakers. They did this once before with the S1 version of the older speakers (play5s and other devices).
They definitely missed the boat here with the newer app that is just crap. I’ve gotten used to it now but haven’t tried adding another speaker recently so dunno about that part.
I wished they (sonos developers) would read all these comments!
Too much talk and too little action for too much time.
"Sonos’ May app relaunch will be studied as a business school cautionary tale for years to launch. The home audio firm prioritized netting new customers over its existing loyal fanbase as it added the Ace headphones to its product portfolio."
“...Repercussions are still being felt as October dawns. On Tuesday, however, the company laid out a plan it hopes will go a long way toward reversing fortunes and repairing relationships."
https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/01/sonos-outlines-turnaround-plan-following-app-disaster/
I am on an 09/25 update for iOS.
The search functionality on my music library errors when I try to use it.
There still is no alphabet slider, rendering it ridiculous to try and scroll through a large music library.
It is even more ridiculous when scrolling through albums that include compilations, since the app does not recognize the Compilation tag.
Lack of the ability to find songs by scrolling or searching makes this a near-useless app for me. Still.
I develop software for a living. It should have been easy to at least fix a significant number of the problems—low hanging fruit—in the past several months.
For me, the new app has been improving. My main issue when the new app was released was that it was so slow, and would get stuck. Response time when a new song comes up or when I stop/start/change has markedly improved; although there is still a ways to go.
For me, the new app has been improving. My main issue when the new app was released was that it was so slow, and would get stuck. Response time when a new song comes up or when I stop/start/change has markedly improved; although there is still a ways to go.
Yes, it is getting better. I don’t use it any more, but I do fire it up every month or so to see how it is. I think I’ll wait for it to be fully done before trying it again. Sonopad works fine, and actually has a better UI that the sonos app, imao.
Since the last release the following things have broken:
- cannot stream radio
- cannot listen to podcasts
- sonos record player can no longer be played on any other speaker than the one that it is plugged into.
I’m not sure why things continue to get worse. I’m glad I haven’t spent any more money on speakers but I haven’t found an alternative yet.
I haven’t checked back on this in many many weeks because once I started using Plex amp, it didn’t matter anymore. I absolutely cannot believe that they are still in this level of shit show with everybody who owns their product.
If you use a local library of music. I cannot recommend Plexamp enough. What it’s added to exploring my library through Sonic analysis of my music is unbelievable. Every once in a while, when I need to use the Sonos app to connect machines or hit settings, it continues to amaze me how unbelievably unintuitive their user interfaces to do the most basic shit. And that’s the shit that actually can do which seems to be not everything that used to and not buy a longshot.
this will be a case study that’s referenced for years by business schools on how to destroy company value. What an utter shit show.
I sold my Sonos and got a couple apple HomePods - smartest thing I’ve ever done
He a product that worked seamlessly - updates killed it - adios!
I haven’t checked back on this in many many weeks because once I started using Plex amp, it didn’t matter anymore. I absolutely cannot believe that they are still in this level of shit show with everybody who owns their product.
If you use a local library of music. I cannot recommend Plexamp enough. What it’s added to exploring my library through Sonic analysis of my music is unbelievable. Every once in a while, when I need to use the Sonos app to connect machines or hit settings, it continues to amaze me how unbelievably unintuitive their user interfaces to do the most basic shit. And that’s the shit that actually can do which seems to be not everything that used to and not buy a longshot.
this will be a case study that’s referenced for years by business schools on how to destroy company value. What an utter shit show.
Hi @MattyJake Am I right in thinking that using the Plex solution means that your local library is being streamed through the cloud and back to your local speakers, in the same way that using the Plex service through Sonos does?
And do you have to pay for the Plexamp analysis that you describe?
Thanks
Big improvements but still some way to go. Some services such as calm still in limbo but globally, I can use my app again.
Sonos is terrible and has been for many, many months.
The app is utter rubbish. Yes, it’s improved ever so slightly, but it’s still hopeless.
And the speaker set-up is a convoluted mess. Compare that to an Alexa speaker which just works once plugged in!
I’ve bought 20+ Sonos speakers over the past several years but I won’t buy Sonos again for home or work. And I now tell everyone I know to buy Amazon instead.
From being a “cool” brand, Sonos is now a brand to avoid. Plus it’s very, very expensive for what it offers.
