Sonos version 8.0 is introducing a brand new controller for iOS and Android. The new Sonos app makes it even easier to navigate, access, and control your music throughout your home. This new app comes side by side with voice control through Alexa devices, more about that
here.
Check out our blog for the
Remastered Sonos App. Full details on the new apps can be found
here on their respective product guide pages. Let’s take a look at the new app:
Introducing Navigation with Tabs:
The Sonos app now has five tabs visible at the bottom when not in the full playing screen. The tabs are My Sonos, Browse, Rooms, Search, and More. See here:
Now your most used options are available with just one click, and Now Playing is always just one tap away.
My Sonos
We’ve consolidated all your personally curated Sonos Playlists, music service playlists, and Sonos Favorites into one, easy to use page on the Sonos app. You can edit fields to move around the order, or delete them entirely. You can now have up to 40 favorites total, up from 32.
Browse
Browsing your music is even easier as it no longer hides your other options. You can browse and move to different rooms all while keeping your place in the browsing menu. There’s also a dock on the bottom of the app that gives you easy access to the navigation tabs. You can swipe it up to reveal it at any time, then back down. We’ve separated browsing your music and the menu for Settings, so it’s even easier to find what you’re looking for.
Rooms
The menu starts highlighted on the active room, featured right on the app so that it’s even easier to see what’s playing in each room. There’s now an icon on that screen to show you where the music is coming from too. That includes if it was started by Alexa. The active room has a Group button to have it add others to the party.
Search
It hasn’t changed, just moved to an easy to find spot.
More...
All the settings and options are in here. You can add services, make alarms, get some help, and access all your settings. We think this will make it a lot easier to find what you’re looking for. And speaking of settings…
Explicit Language Filtering
Within Settings > Parental Controls, you can set a system-wide setting to filter songs with explicit content. Right now, this is working for Apple Music, and we’re hoping to add it for more services soon. Once the setting is on, Apple Music songs with the explicit tag will no longer play on your system.
Long Press to Group
Making it even easier to play music. With 8.0, you can press and hold the Play/Pause button (or mute on older players) to have your player join the most recently active player as a group. First, you have to start playing music on a player, (it can be from an alarm or any other source), and then just hold the button for a few seconds on another player. That second player will join the first one’s group and start playing the same music in sync.
There's another function of the long press, and that's being able to move recently stopped music to another room. First, stop playing music in any of your rooms. Then, press and hold the play/pause on another player for a few seconds. (Make sure that you don't start playing music anywhere else.) The queue or source will move to the unit you held the button for and start playing. The players won't group together and any existing queue will get whiped out in place of the new one.
iOS 11 and Android O Support
Lastly, version 8.0 has support for the latest operating systems from Android and iOS. This includes iOS 11 support for Trueplay on Sonos. Trueplay isn’t available on Android at this time.
Thanks John B. Guess I was thinking wrong. Wanted to create the list repository first, then add tracks to it.
Here's another: I have an old music service, "Amazon Music Library". If selected, it results in an error message, "Please remove this service and add the new Amazon Music with Prime features. Learn more about new features here: faq.sonos.com/amazon"
Ok, no problem. Services change. But I can't seem to find where/how to remove the service. I know how to add one. But removing isn't obvious. I've tried a long tap from the Browse tab, but no go. Nothing under "...More"
Never mind...just found it. "...More/Settings/My Music Services"
OK that's good. That one does take some tracking down!
Would love the ability to play through the speakers without using the app. Id be using them much more
Like these that are available at this time?
Once a playlist is loaded, stop/start.
Skip to next track.
Volume change.
Group speakers.
Have music follow to another speaker.
This App is so terrible. Even after two months I can’t get used to it. Don’t see any stations because of two incredible huge playlist icons in my Sonos. It all makes so absolutely no sense at all. Sonos 7 was not great but compare to V 8 it was heaven! 13 Sonos speakers in our house - but meanwhile I wish I had never bought one. I hate to use it.
It’s like buying a Porsche and one fine day someone removes the steering wheel and gives you a joystick to drive your car that makes it turn right when you push to the left. Of course you can drive like that, but boy would this really be more fun and be better than before?
What’s up with Sonos developers? Hundreds of them working since two years on audible integration and one is trying so make a better app?
Is there a way to see the Pandora stations in alphabetical order, like they were before? I also think the new app is somewhat convuluted in that there are more steps needed to play music.
I have been using Sonos for 4+ years and have been a big fan. I also have a ton of Sonos gear (7 controllers, etc.). This 8.0 upgrade is terrible. I am in the software business so I see what has happened. Your techos got carried away with lots of new graphics and features and missed the fundamental aspects of making it easy to do the fundamentals, like turn on different types of music and to manage multiple zones. Features that used to be easy to find are impossible to find, and sometimes I get stuck and have to kill the app to reset it. Why aren't the bottom tab buttons available on every screen? I'm not in the business of learning all the navigation nuances of your new software; I simply want it to work and work easily. I don't care about all the complexity you are adding, when you have obscured the fundamental functionality that I need to run my system. I'm not a happy customer.
Sorry, but this is an appalling example of software. Totally non intuitive. What were you thinking.
Sorry, but this is an appalling example of software. Totally non intuitive. What were you thinking.
I don't think you need to apologise, it is the UX designers who came up with this abomination, assuming they still work for the company.
Sorry Sonos, but after more than 2 months of use, I must admit that I totally dislike the new organisation of the app. I have six rooms set-up and it would be too long for me to describe each and every nuisance that the new app brings to the user experience. My problem is more than just simple muscle memory. The number of taps, the dispersed locations of the series of taps on the iPhone, etc. all reduce the ease of use and frankly brings some frustration when moving from room to room. I now go to my laptop to use the controller. I've talked to some other users who have 2-3 rooms setup and we pretty much agree that the new app is not user friendly at all, or more precisely not an improvement over the previous version. Not a satisfied customer anymore. Sorry. 😞
Something is off with the new app (Android). Since the upgrade I am struggling and I thought maybe I am just too old for this smartphone stuff, but I see in this community that I am not the only one.
Two minor changes that may make the app more functional:
(1) Link room selection between app and widget. Having selected and controlled a room in the widget and then opening the app with a different room is super annoying.
(2) Make the navigation tabs persistent on the controller screen (or at least provide that option). Having to switch screens to control rooms or music is clunky
New poster here (long time lurker; I've had my four room Sonos system since 2011). As others have already commented, the comments about the change from dark to bright are nothing new: there was a similar brouhaha when it changed from bright to dark a few years ago. Also not new is Sonos ignoring requests to make it controllable by the user. I would guess that a simple choice between a dark theme and a light theme would satisfy over 90% of the users. I don't understand why the many requests along these lines have been apparently ignored, for years. From observing comments on another site (ars technica) about the dark vs light interface: some folks want dark (and hate light) and some folks want light (and hate dark) and each camp disagrees strongly with the other. In my case, I'd prefer a light interface on my computer and a dark interface on my iThing: so, the exact opposite of what I've got now. It's not a showstopper by any means, but it does make the system less pleasant to interact with.
Like many, I was initially confused by the new UI but I'm warming to it. It does seem more logical than its predecessor. I don't like hidden state in user interfaces, so I agree completely with the suggestions to make the navigation tab at the bottom permanently visible.
And voice control? No thank you. I'm already paranoid enough about my privacy without installing equipment that has a microphone permanently listening to what's going on combined with an internet connection. I'm happy that Sonos are providing that facility for those who want it; I'm just never going to be in that category.
Finally, a big, big, thank you to the development team for their continuing support of the CR100 controllers (of which I have two). Those things are just bombproof. I've lost count of the number of times my iThings have complained that they can't find any sonos devices and, at the very same time, the trusty CR100s have just got on with the job of letting me listen to music. I'm sure it must be frustrating trying to shoehorn new software into hardware that must feel it like it was developed by the Victorians, but please don't stop doing it.
Hi, I never really post on forums complaining about things but the amount of money I've spent on these products I feel I have too. I've spent well over £1000 getting my music setup just how I want it and for the most part I was really happy, that was until the last major app update. I find it really confusing and counter intuitive. So much so so that I've resorted to not using the sonos app at all and either using Google play music to cast what I want to my setup or use Alexa to play my radio. Please for the love of God go back to something resembling the old app! I'm a software developer and a UX designer, and if I find it difficult to use then you must have a lot of confused customers!! Yours most frustratedly, John.
More extreme drama. Do you stomp your feet and hold your breath in real life too when you don't get your way? As written ad nauseum, Sonos will be adjusting the app. Until then it only takes a few minutes to figure out its nuances and use it until the update. Until then, as a software developer (which I question because of your rant), if you want to cut off your nose to spite your face, enjoy your Google Play music.
PS: My wife figured it out and she's not a software developer nor a technology person at all.
@bcm. Sigh... If it's not an option that matches mine then it's not valid. Maybe you have plenty of cash to splash around and not care. Sadly I don't and I believe in value for money, and if that means letting people know where they can improve (in my opinion) then I will. Providing feedback to the developers (whether it matches our experience or not) is how can they judge if their heading in the right direction. I shouldn't have to remind myself how things work every time I use it, it should be obvious. That's just good design. I stand by my comments.
No argument there. Had you researched the myriad of threads on the subject you would have saved yourself some aggravation. I do agree with you, but I've also been with Sonos long enough to know they will adjust it properly. Has nothing to do with having money or not. Guess I just appreciate what I have and trust that the powers that be will fix their shortcomings.
You're in software. You know developers put out updates with the best intentions. If something doesn't work, what happens? An update is provided to fix what is driving the complaints. I understand your complaints, but as a developer, you should know the protocol.
Indeed I do know the protocol. Had it been a bug I would submit a bug report. But usually software direction is determined by upper management or influential leaders. And upper management is usually guided by user opinion rather than bug reports hence the post in a forum and not an issue tracker.
I also sadly don't have the time to check everyone else's opinion before voicing my own. If an improvement is in the pipeline then I welcome it of course!
Other than my recent gripe, happy with the products I have have purchased.
Should also mention that the trueplay feature has improved my sound 10 fold so credit where it's due in that respect 🙂
Indeed I do know the protocol. Had it been a bug I would submit a bug report. But usually software direction is determined by upper management or influential leaders. And upper management is usually guided by user opinion rather than bug reports hence the post in a forum and not an issue tracker.
I also sadly don't have the time to check everyone else's opinion before voicing my own. If an improvement is in the pipeline then I welcome it of course!
Other than my recent gripe, happy with the products I have have purchased.
Should also mention that the trueplay feature has improved my sound 10 fold so credit where it's due in that respect :)Hi John. That is a fair and balanced post. There are certainly a fair number of users confused by the app, but I found that if I stuck to a couple of rules it became quite easy to use. I'm not saying better than before, or even as good, but perfectly OK and not a barrier to my enjoyment of my system. The rules are:
1. Come back to the tab bar for all navigation. (Swipe down the Now Playing screen if need be)
2. Don't use the 'red room' thing on the Now Playing screen for anything. Use the Rooms screen, by tapping 'Rooms' on the tab bar for anything to do with Rooms (selecting, grouping etc)
This may also be of help:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mI9AOixsZpxDrxVnsnzYQbPZ23bSV-EG
I recently discovered that the app is a knock off in many way of the Apple Music app, and I think users of the latter will be less confused with the change. I also realised that using the app needs a slightly deliberate approach and rushing through the taps ends up in the classic more haste less speed outcome. Apart from the cluttered/clumsy My Sonos page and lack of seeing only favourite Sonos playlists there, I have no issues with it.
> But usually software direction is determined by upper management or influential leaders.
Which makes you wonder; what on earth was management thinking?
Which leads to: I wonder there is an open position on the management team?
Did you ever wonder what happened to the VP who dreamed up New Coke?
:S
Indeed I do know the protocol. Had it been a bug I would submit a bug report. But usually software direction is determined by upper management or influential leaders. And upper management is usually guided by user opinion rather than bug reports hence the post in a forum and not an issue tracker.
The beta program supposedly had hundreds of users using and reviewing the app and providing feedback.
Should also mention that the trueplay feature has improved my sound 10 fold so credit where it's due in that respect :)
Oddly, it did nothing discernible to mine.
Indeed I do know the protocol. Had it been a bug I would submit a bug report. But usually software direction is determined by upper management or influential leaders. And upper management is usually guided by user opinion rather than bug reports hence the post in a forum and not an issue tracker.
The beta program supposedly had hundreds of users using and reviewing the app and providing feedback.
Should also mention that the trueplay feature has improved my sound 10 fold so credit where it's due in that respect :)
Oddly, it did nothing discernible to mine.
Me neither it just set the EQ to mid range/default....
Me neither it just set the EQ to mid range/default....
Trueplay tuning doesn’t affect the EQ settings.
Thanks for the tips John B, I shall try your 2 rule approach this evening when back home :)
With regards to trueplay, I have to say that my speakers aren't placed in acoustically optimal positions due to the room layout (in alcoves and on top of high cupboards etc) so those that have theirs well placed may not see as dramatic an improvement.
For me it worked wonders and definitely improved the listening.
John B, tried your 2 rule approach and definitely makes more sense. Thanks 🙂
Not a good release. Need to make the bottom bar always stay active. Your customer base is pounding you on this poor releSe and it’s been over a month.
No excuse for not testing with part of your customer base that has multiple players. That would have easily allowed you to prevent the massive amount of people posting negative reviews.
Not a happy customer or a person that installs your product. 😠
