Collaborator II

Answered

Why does Sonos force us to update the software?

69 replies
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Over the past two months the sound has stopped working on our ARC SL home theater. After checking out my LG display and Apple TV 4k each time the solution happened to be Sonos updates. Sometimes its firmware, sometimes its a controller issue. In each case we found that doing the update brought the sound back. We have three iPhones and an iMac with controller software, though we never use them. Every time the sound quits, I now have to walk around the house checking devices to see which one needs the update.

With out previous Playbar HT as well as the ARC SL HT, I recall being able to go several full versions of controller software before anything would go wrong with our systems and now we can’t skip even a minor point release release. Once the system was set up and working perfectly, there’s no need to update the software at all. So why the forced update gimmick?

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jgatieAnswer

In short, they don’t. Turn off auto udates and reminders for both the hardware and the app and you won’t even know there is an update.

jgatieAnswer

In short, they don’t. Turn off auto udates and reminders for both the hardware and the app and you won’t even know there is an update.

F

ForstalAuthor

Collaborator II

I have auto updates turned off for every single piece of gear I own. Watches, phones, computers, Apple TV, and Sonos. If you re-read my original post, I’m saying the reason I know there’s an update is that the Arc quits playing sound. Every single time.

J

John B

So auto updated are turned off on whichever app store you use? I don't think you can turn it off specifically on the Sonos app in the Google Play Store, for example.

Turning off auto updates in the app is not sufficient.

S

sjw

Local Superstar

I don't think you can turn it off specifically on the Sonos app in the Google Play Store, for example.

Yes you can, per App (I think this was discussed a few months back maybe):

N

nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

I have auto updates turned off for every single piece of gear I own. Watches, phones, computers, Apple TV, and Sonos. If you re-read my original post, I’m saying the reason I know there’s an update is that the Arc quits playing sound. Every single time.

That really sounds like something is updating. It seems strange that it’s only been happening for a couple of months rather than since you started using Sonos: there’s been more than 10 updates in that time. Do you get any error/warning messages?

AjTrek1

Hi

I know many individuals such as yourself are not comfortable with updating their electronics. Without going into another discussion as to why I’ll offer this fact.

Not all updates are for feature enhancement. The majority of updates are to correct flaws or bugs that are sometimes introduced by the previous update itself. Before you say “ah ha” know that all bugs found in a firmware are not pervasive to each device the manufacturer has on the market. Although every device maybe offered the update not all devices will utilize it to full extent.

For example iOS 16.0.2 is offered for my iPhone 12 but there are specific bug fixes included that my iPhone 12 will ignore as they are intended for the iPhone 14. Also not accepting the update can cause devices to not function properly with apps. The app developer will also behind the scenes make adjustments to their app to work properly with the latest firmware. If the app cannot find the latest version on the device upon which it is installed it too may malfunction.

Bottom-line…sometimes refusing to accept updates may cause device issues later on. Just food for thought and not offered as a solution to your issues.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

F

ForstalAuthor

Collaborator II

I have auto updates turned off for every single piece of gear I own. Watches, phones, computers, Apple TV, and Sonos. If you re-read my original post, I’m saying the reason I know there’s an update is that the Arc quits playing sound. Every single time.

That really sounds like something is updating. It seems strange that it’s only been happening for a couple of months rather than since you started using Sonos: there’s been more than 10 updates in that time. Do you get any error/warning messages?

No warning messages or errors at all. The sound just quits one day and thats it. We have to check every single device for “needed” updates until we find the culprit. When we do, the Arc starts working again.

F

ForstalAuthor

Collaborator II

Hi

I know many individuals such as yourself are not comfortable with updating their electronics. Without going into another discussion as to why I’ll offer this fact.

Not all updates are for feature enhancement. The majority of updates are to correct flaws or bugs that are sometimes introduced by the previous update itself. Before you say “ah ha” know that all bugs found in a firmware are not pervasive to each device the manufacturer has on the market. Although every device maybe offered the update not all devices will utilize it to full extent.

For example iOS 16.0.2 is offered for my iPhone 12 but there are specific bug fixes included that my iPhone 12 will ignore as they are intended for the iPhone 14. Also not accepting the update can cause devices to not function properly with apps. The app developer will also behind the scenes make adjustments to their app to work properly with the latest firmware. If the app cannot find the latest version on the device upon which it is installed it too may malfunction.

Bottom-line…sometimes refusing to accept updates may cause device issues later on. Just food for thought and not offered as a solution to your issues.

I get that, really. But the plain text here is that on my previous Sonos system, which was a Playbar home theater, I skipped dozens of updates including those that forced firmware updates. If I was the customer who bought a couple of Play:1 speakers and set them up in different rooms and I listened to streaming services, then updates might be a thing to do. After I set the Playbar up and ran the room configuration I never touched the controllers again, ever. There was just no need to.

Then one day I was “tricked” into an update, and once that happened the system was locked until I did all updates including firmware. For anyone who would object and say “No way, Sonos would never do that!” keep in mind that Apple themselves used to do that with iOS. If you skipped an update for any length of time more than what they considered reasonable, on random occasions it would bring up a screen that said something like “Remind Me Later or Enter PIN to Install Update” and then had the keypad underneath it so it looked like a PIN query. Most people were so accustomed to entering their PIN to use their iPhone that they automatically entered the number, and then the phone would go into the update regardless of what the customer wanted, and no way to stop it.

I know these are different cases. The iPhone handles a lot of personal and sensitive info, and updates are generally a good thing. Generally. And Sonos is just a piece of consumer gear that offers services you may or may not need or want. So I think it makes no sense to force updates on people. And since updates always cure the dropped sound issue on my Arc - whereas nothing else will do that - Occam’s razor suggest that the dropped sound was initiated somewhere in the food chain to beckon me into an update.

F

ForstalAuthor

Collaborator II

So auto updated are turned off on whichever app store you use? I don't think you can turn it off specifically on the Sonos app in the Google Play Store, for example.

Turning off auto updates in the app is not sufficient.

I don’t know about Google, but in iOS I believe automatic updates from the App Store are opt-in. I have all that stuff turned off for years now and my preferences follow me to my next iPhone, so maybe its changed now, but as far as I know its still opt-in. Nothing installs on my phone without my express approval.

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nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

I have auto updates turned off for every single piece of gear I own. Watches, phones, computers, Apple TV, and Sonos. If you re-read my original post, I’m saying the reason I know there’s an update is that the Arc quits playing sound. Every single time.

That really sounds like something is updating. It seems strange that it’s only been happening for a couple of months rather than since you started using Sonos: there’s been more than 10 updates in that time. Do you get any error/warning messages?

No warning messages or errors at all. The sound just quits one day and thats it. We have to check every single device for “needed” updates until we find the culprit. When we do, the Arc starts working again.

How do you “check every single device for “needed” updates until we find the culprit”? If you <Update System> it’s all automatic; I don’t know of a way to just update one speaker in my system. The whole point is that all apps and all speakers need to be running the same versions. And you say “The sound just quits one day”. Again, it’s very strange that you go to the app on your phone, select a music source to stream to a room, and it starts streaming but no sound comes out and there are no error messages to say what’s amiss.

Have you tried submitting a Diagnostics report to Sonos? What did they tell you was happening?

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