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Ryan S
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

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    BCM
    BCM
    November 11, 2017
    I think its amusing that those complaining about the pain inflicted by the bright white actually sit on this site typing their missives on a mostly bright white screen. Gotta love irony.
      amun
      November 11, 2017
      I can understand that point of view. I think users' perceptions may be highly influenced by whether they previously used the tablet form of the app, which had everything on display on one screen, or the phone version, which didn't. It seems Sonos have tried to 'harmonise' the apps along mobile app lines. Thus it seems a much bigger adjustment for the tablet users than for phone users. It may also explain the mutual incomprehension between those who have struggled to understand what the fuss is about, and those who think the new app is a huge step backwards.

      I just put that up as a theory. I am sure it isn't the full story. I am sure there are unhappy phone app users out there too. And on this occasion I am not trying to take sides. I just think it might explain some of what has happened. What do others think?

      I think that's very true - I use the PC and tablet versions of the apps most - and in a dimly lit environment when we have friends round then I use the tablet only. Day to day, I just use a phone to play/pause the music - nothing more complex.
      So, to me, the last really good versions of the software were 4.x - subtle, good to use in dim lighting and comprehensive - all available from a simple three pane screen. Others see that as dated, as bright and shiny seems fashionable now.
      Luckily the PC version hasn't changed (yet), but the tablet app has become very irritating, wasting screen space and being far too bright even when making simple changes (e.g. selecting more music) - and I'm still on 7.x!
      It seems likely that Sonos monitor the types of device used and found that more and more people are using their phones, hence the focus on designing for small devices - so we end up with a UI designed to work on the limited real estate of phones that seems way out of step with what can be (and has been) achieved on a tablet sized screen.
      John B
      November 11, 2017
      I think its amusing that those complaining about the pain inflicted by the bright white actually sit on this site typing their missives on a mostly bright white screen. Gotta love irony.To be fair, if they want to contribute, they don't have much choice.
        Kumar
        November 11, 2017
        I think its amusing that those complaining about the pain inflicted by the bright white actually sit on this site typing their missives on a mostly bright white screen. Gotta love irony.
        Lol. I came across this just when I was reflecting that if I get up to open and look at the Mac at night with unadapted eyes, it is truly painful for a while, needing squinting; the app on my phone is nowhere as bad. Maybe because I have my phone brightness dialled way down always, to extend charge life among other reasons. Maybe not - it is a puzzle as are the complaints that the system is broken. Perhaps the white is more of an iPad problem.
        John B
        November 11, 2017
        [t seems likely that Sonos monitor the types of device used and found that more and more people are using their phones, hence the focus on designing for small devices - so we end up with a UI designed to work on the limited real estate of phones that seems way out of step with what can be (and has been) achieved on a tablet sized screen.I think that is right. I can see an argument for a unified design. For new users, everything looks the same, and they don't come with our 'baggage'. Or if they do, the baggage looks like the phone app. But as you say, this way you don't take full advantage of what a larger, landscape screen can hold. I am not going to make a judgement.

        I also think that Sonos could have softened the blow by not changing the visuals at the same time, and by offering more explanation.
        camillo777
        Headliner I
        November 12, 2017
        In all these correct advices, what really gets me mad is why (and the same is for the spotify app) why the bottom toolbar is not visible always.
        Who stated that it is better?
        Who is the genius who wrote this guideline for all android apps?
        It is really annoying and counter intuitive.

        And please focus on:
        Better volume management, fade in out, granular controls
        Black colors

        Do not copy spotify app
        Do not copy spotify app
        Do not copy spotify app

        Thank you
        dmylrea
        Enthusiast I
        November 12, 2017
        App seems an improvement on the last, but will burn my eyes out when listening in the dark / subdued light. Please can we have a dark mode back?
        We hear you, a night mode is a good idea for the future, no specifics on if or when, but I'll make sure to pass your interest on to the team to add to the list of people interested. This is just the start of the new app, we're hoping to add even more to it over time.

        This is hilarious, SONOS. You make is sound like a dark theme (what you call "night mode") is a new brilliant idea! In case your memory is bad, your last version of the app was in "night mode" (aka dark theme) already!!! I also don't understand what is so difficult or time consuming about giving us a choice on UI theme colors (blindingly bright white and black themes)???
          User957959
          Enthusiast II
          November 12, 2017
          It is highly amusing to see all the requests for a staid always visible bar...when we had exactly that a while ago on the tri sectional blue app...a version that was as far as possible perfect for what this is. a MULTI ROOM MUSIC SYSTEM..upon opening that app it gave you instantly the rooms available,sources of music and now playing....all in one screen....one tap,to choose a room....one tap to choose source and one tap to play....every version since then has added more and more layers. why?..no reason just because change is good whatever the result...I can understand that point of view. I think users' perceptions may be highly influenced by whether they previously used the tablet form of the app, which had everything on display on one screen, or the phone version, which didn't. It seems Sonos have tried to 'harmonise' the apps along phone app lines. Thus it seems a much bigger adjustment for the tablet users than for phone users. It may also explain the mutual incomprehension between those who have struggled to understand what the fuss is about, and those who think the new app is a huge step backwards.

          I just put that up as a theory. I am sure it isn't the full story. I am sure there are unhappy phone app users out there too. And on this occasion I am not trying to take sides. I just think it might explain some of what has happened. What do others think?

          Yes i think you are right about that,and also that someone’s perception of the quality of the app rather depends on the moment they entered the sonos eco system...i entered with the blue app...i really can’t see what has improved since especially since i don’t use streaming music apart from some tune in stations...
          The frustration is that to change something should only be done if there is a definite improvement and a lot of people are struggling to see what is as good never mind better..it also doesn’t help when sonos themselves says it’s a first step and will get better...so why chage it then?..that first step itself should have made things better other wise it’s illogical to do it...
            MoxyP
            Trending Lyricist I
            November 13, 2017
            I think its amusing that those complaining about the pain inflicted by the bright white actually sit on this site typing their missives on a mostly bright white screen. Gotta love irony.
            No irony. I'm reading this on my laptop, which stays put mostly so I can dial the brightness way down. And I certainly have to on sites like this. And on the dang new app. Which I have to look at longer now to find specific music in my very large library. Dangit.
              TheHellers
              Enthusiast I
              November 13, 2017
              I think its amusing that those complaining about the pain inflicted by the bright white actually sit on this site typing their missives on a mostly bright white screen. Gotta love irony.

              I think it's amusing that people with good eyes find it amusing that people with bad eyes need to suck it up. I can change my browser to a dark mode. I can change my screen to be dimmer on the computer for everything. I do not want to change my display brightness on my phone every single time I open Sonos. My brightness level is fine, except in Sonos.

              I cannot change my eyes, it's what i was born with. I don't have a choice. You do have a choice. You can have a better attitude towards others.

              Steve
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