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Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
October 2, 2017

Now Available, the New Sonos App

Related content:Software



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.
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527 replies

Contributor I
November 7, 2017
I do not like the new Ap. I would prefer to go back to the previous Ap. This should be a possibility if one does not like new ap.
I have many Sonos devices. When you want to change from one sonos in a room to another you have to check both rooms and get that working then remove the room you do not want. You cant just jump from room to room.

It is dificult to find streaming stations you want. The old Ap had much friendlier selection process.
pwt
Virtuoso
November 7, 2017
I have many Sonos devices. When you want to change from one sonos in a room to another you have to check both rooms and get that working then remove the room you do not want.

Actually, you don't: you're using the room grouping shortcut on the 'Now Playing' screen instead of the room selection function in the 'Rooms' tab. This is a usability defect that Sonos should address in the next update or two. Seems like a lot of people are confused by it, and I can understand why.

What you need to do instead: Leave the Now Playing screen (swipe down or down arrow), then from the bottom tab bar, choose Rooms, then select the room you want. All other actions then apply to this room.
4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300
Lyricist I
November 7, 2017
Ever heard of the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" - I find the new app to be a major disappointment. I used to group rooms and select music for different rooms with no problem. Now I find myself changing music in different rooms without intention. And where is my list of Music Services! 😠
jgatie
November 7, 2017
Group using the Rooms tab, it brings up a screen like you are used to. Sources are under the Browse tab, the same screen as before without the clutter of Alarms, Settings, etc..
Trending Lyricist I
November 7, 2017
Please make it possible to revert back to 7.3. That version is excellent already: Intuitive and dark, a charm to use daily even hourly. On top of that free from any voice recognition services (hooray!). From 8.0 and up it got really bad, even so to a point I (and my family) use Sonos far less. If it takes a lot longer for a severe skin-fix or possibility to go back to 7.3 I fall out of love with Sonos and will sell my devices. Sorry for being so blunt, but this update feels bluntly enforced (no warning ahead) so I just fire it back.
Contributor I
November 8, 2017
Hi. Trying to upgrade my controllers to the latest 8.1.1 with the bug fixes. Was successful with my Android Phone but having some difficulty with my Windows 8.1 Controller. I am prompted to "Let's Do It" or "Later". When I select "Let's Do it" Sonos just crashes. Has been doing this for two days every time I try to Update. Ideas? Anyone else had the same issue.....haven't seen it dealt with explicitly in forums?
Trending Lyricist I
November 9, 2017
I've used the new version, and checked my attitude, and tried to forget the past but ... like many, I still want an option for a darker background -- or reversion to previous UI. ... PLEASE?
Renowned Enthusiast II
November 10, 2017
You know what I would love to see? Those persons claiming they can't get anything done in the new app sit with those who claim that it is rather straight forward. I would like the former group to demonstrate the causes of their frustration i.e. show why things are so difficult. I would love to sit with one such person - because I am very curious to see the nightmare expressed and DEMONSTRATED!!!
(1) Play 1, (1) Play 3, (2) Play 5s Gen 1, (1) Play 5 Gen 2, (1) Connect Amp powering a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1, (2) Echo Dots.
Trending Lyricist I
November 10, 2017
You know what I would love to see? Those persons claiming they can't get anything done in the new app sit with those who claim that it is rather straight forward.
Burt, I can't speak for others, but my request for a darker (and possibly reverted or multi-skinned) interface stems from an eye condition that makes bright light painful. The stark, mostly white new interface is literally a pain in the brain for people like me. Even those who don't have this condition make a good point about the annoyance of using the app in darkened rooms (it's brighter than my flashlight app), and general eyestrain when on extended searches, playlist creation, etc.

I doubt people mean they literally can't get anything done, but the new UI isn't as user-friendly as the previous version so most actions take us longer to perform.

Hope that helps your perplexity a little.
Enthusiast II
November 10, 2017
Amen, MoxyP. I seriously don't even want to turn on music at night from bed because of the BRIGHT WHITE screen! Don't get me started on the complete waste of space and HUMONGOUS icons! Ugh. Sonos is awesome, but I HATE the app. 😞