The new Sonos Mobile App & Web App

My Sonos playlists are all there - they are in the expanded area of the ‘Sonos Playlists’ (Pinned Category).

Mine come and go, very unreliable.

I had that issue on my Sonos system with the old S2 app on Android! It was very frustrating and Sonos support was of no help. I had to force close the Sonos app and re-open it and sometimes they would reappear. If they did not come back I would go to the Sonos desktop app on my PC as they always would show on that app 🤷🏼. Since saturday when I UPGRADED to the S1 app everything has been working perfectly! No more missing playlists on my Android phone or my old iPad that can actually run the S1 app and no more rooms randomly dropping music while it was playing. LOVE S1 😍

I will stick with this setup until the gear dies then will look to see who has replaced Sonos…. if I live that long…. 😏 Getting too old for this ship ⛵

I see that SONO stock is up 3.76% so far this morning. Their decision to throw their existing users to the curb seems to be paying off. So I don’t expect them to give a flying f*** about any of our complaints. They will continue with their slow rollout of additional features to get us back to where we were a few days ago. It was very unethical and deceptive how we were prompted in the old app to upgrade to the new app when they knew well that this was, at best, early beta software. The language was something like, “upgrade to the new app for a new and refreshed user experience with the same features and access to your playlists, ...” Does anybody remember exactly how that was phrased?

From the Sonos marketing email...

Faster. Easier. Better.
App update available 7 May.

Get ready for a fresh look, easier control and new ways to personalise your listening experience.

Preview the update

Your questions answered
Is this a new app to download?

No, this is an update to the existing Sonos app.

How will this affect my system?

We've taken great care to ensure that this update only enhances your Sonos experience. Your products, features and services will work as they always have, and all your settings will be saved.

What new features does the update include?

We’ll reveal more details when the update is available.

Preview the update

Sonos

Turn on automatic updates
Enjoy the new Sonos app experience as soon as it’s available and never miss a future update.

How to turn on updates

This courageous new app is the SONOS equivalent of BREXIT 😁😜🇬🇧

You just have to BELIEVE and it'll be a wonderful success.

Democracy denying federalist fan and globalist sock puppet alert.

I see that SONO stock is up 3.76% so far this morning. Their decision to throw their existing users to the curb seems to be paying off. So I don’t expect them to give a flying f*** about any of our complaints. They will continue with their slow rollout of additional features to get us back to where we were a few days ago. It was very unethical and deceptive how we were prompted in the old app to upgrade to the new app when they knew well that this was, at best, early beta software. The language was something like, “upgrade to the new app for a new and refreshed user experience with the same features and access to your playlists, ...” Does anybody remember exactly how that was phrased?

From the Sonos marketing email...

Faster. Easier. Better.
App update available 7 May.

Get ready for a fresh look, easier control and new ways to personalise your listening experience.

Preview the update

Your questions answered
Is this a new app to download?

No, this is an update to the existing Sonos app.

How will this affect my system?

We've taken great care to ensure that this update only enhances your Sonos experience. Your products, features and services will work as they always have, and all your settings will be saved.

What new features does the update include?

We’ll reveal more details when the update is available.

Preview the update

Sonos

Turn on automatic updates
Enjoy the new Sonos app experience as soon as it’s available and never miss a future update.

How to turn on updates

They were probably in a quandary. The May 7 release date coincided with the High End Show in Munich. What to do? Announce a FAIL or TOUGH IT OUT?? Somebody made the wrong call 💪😜😢😢

Still no word from Sonos?

Sonos, make this right, apologize and explain, then make the old S2 available again and call this new app S3 in a few years once you’ve finished and tested it.

Amen. And as so many have said, there is a short window for them to do so or thousands of loyal customers will walk away.

Yes, but where they gonna walk to. ? Comparable alternatives/equivalents are few (& very expensive, eg bluesound)

I agree that moving to another system won’t be trivial but I’ve been inspired to look around and see that I don’t have to stick to the Sonos ecosystem. Sonos has deeply harmed my trust in them. I have been with them since the early days, migrated to S2, continue to add/upgrade speakers, show friends, help set up friends, etc. This weekend I’ve played with Roon which is very cool, investigated Bluesound, etc.

Some kind of “oops, we are so sorry, we’re working on it….” would make me feel better than the courage comments.

One huge negative with Bluesound speakers is that they have soft-touch plastic covers which can turn into a nasty sticky mess within 2 years (if you are unlucky). The node 2 is sticky free but costs 550 per unit and needs speakers.

Roon is way overpriced at 15 per month. LMS is free!

I will explore LMS. I agree that Roon is expensive but helped me connect to my ripped music in a really creative/fun way.

Still no word from Sonos?

Sonos, make this right, apologize and explain, then make the old S2 available again and call this new app S3 in a few years once you’ve finished and tested it.

Amen. And as so many have said, there is a short window for them to do so or thousands of loyal customers will walk away.

Yes, but where they gonna walk to. ? Comparable alternatives/equivalents are few (& very expensive, eg bluesound)

I agree that moving to another system won’t be trivial but I’ve been inspired to look around and see that I don’t have to stick to the Sonos ecosystem. Sonos has deeply harmed my trust in them. I have been with them since the early days, migrated to S2, continue to add/upgrade speakers, show friends, help set up friends, etc. This weekend I’ve played with Roon which is very cool, investigated Bluesound, etc.

Some kind of “oops, we are so sorry, we’re working on it….” would make me feel better than the courage comments.

One huge negative with Bluesound speakers is that they have soft-touch plastic covers which can turn into a nasty sticky mess within 2 years (if you are unlucky). The node 2 is sticky free but costs 550 per unit and needs speakers.

Roon is way overpriced at 15 per month. LMS is free!

I will explore LMS. I agree that Roon is expensive but helped me connect to my ripped music in a really creative/fun way.

I think the Naim devices have a decent app (with Music & Artist info). For LMS be sure to check out the Material skin plugin which transforms the user control interface - also has MAI functions. (I proposed MAI for a Sonos enhancement, but nada 😢😕)

Why are Sonos totally silent and not givning any anser on this disaster? Existing users will never buy another Sonos-product again. This App will drive the company into bankruptcy. I have now sold all my shares. Pity, until now I have been convinced that Sonos would be a great investment as the speakers are great. All gone now.

I see that SONO stock is up 3.76% so far this morning. Their decision to throw their existing users to the curb seems to be paying off. So I don’t expect them to give a flying f*** about any of our complaints. They will continue with their slow rollout of additional features to get us back to where we were a few days ago. It was very unethical and deceptive how we were prompted in the old app to upgrade to the new app when they knew well that this was, at best, early beta software. The language was something like, “upgrade to the new app for a new and refreshed user experience with the same features and access to your playlists, ...” Does anybody remember exactly how that was phrased?

From the Sonos marketing email...

Faster. Easier. Better.
App update available 7 May.

Get ready for a fresh look, easier control and new ways to personalise your listening experience.

Preview the update

Your questions answered
Is this a new app to download?

No, this is an update to the existing Sonos app.

How will this affect my system?

We've taken great care to ensure that this update only enhances your Sonos experience. Your products, features and services will work as they always have, and all your settings will be saved.

What new features does the update include?

We’ll reveal more details when the update is available.

Preview the update

Sonos

Turn on automatic updates
Enjoy the new Sonos app experience as soon as it’s available and never miss a future update.

How to turn on updates

They were probably in a quandary. The May 7 release date coincided with the High End Show in Munich. What to do? Announce a FAIL or TOUGH IT OUT?? Somebody made the wrong call 💪😜😢😢

This bit was probably “TBC” in the draft email right until the last minute when some exec made the call to roll it out…

What new features does the update include?
We’ll reveal more details when the update is available.

The thing is they didn’t reveal more details about what was “included” anywhere that I can find, the user community had to find out for themselves that the app “included” feature removals, some of which were quite new to the old S2 app!

Thank heaven I have the IOS desktop version of Sonos, as the wrench of this unwanted ‘upgrade’ has been very disrupted intense. I can still do essentials for me, like add items to a playlist, have a timer function, manage my Plex stuff as I expect and all the other things which, in one fell swoop, the upgrade has removed. It all reminds me of the free U2 album pushed to all Apple users a few years ago; that ended well for all concerned didn’t it (except of course, users.)

How can I ensure that automated upgrades are switched OFF and WON’T affect my desktop Sonos? Thanks.

Why are Sonos totally silent and not givning any anser on this disaster? Existing users will never buy another Sonos-product again. This App will drive the company into bankruptcy. I have now sold all my shares. Pity, until now I have been convinced that Sonos would be a great investment as the speakers are great. All gone now.

They have responded quite a few times on the SONOS sub-reddit.

This courageous new app is the SONOS equivalent of BREXIT 😁😜🇬🇧

You just have to BELIEVE and it'll be a wonderful success.

Democracy denying federalist fan and globalist sock puppet alert.

Can’t imagine why I said brexiters have no sense of humour 🤣🤣

Still no word from Sonos?

Sonos, make this right, apologize and explain, then make the old S2 available again and call this new app S3 in a few years once you’ve finished and tested it.

Amen. And as so many have said, there is a short window for them to do so or thousands of loyal customers will walk away.

Yes, but where they gonna walk to. ? Comparable alternatives/equivalents are few (& very expensive, eg bluesound)

I agree that moving to another system won’t be trivial but I’ve been inspired to look around and see that I don’t have to stick to the Sonos ecosystem. Sonos has deeply harmed my trust in them. I have been with them since the early days, migrated to S2, continue to add/upgrade speakers, show friends, help set up friends, etc. This weekend I’ve played with Roon which is very cool, investigated Bluesound, etc.

Some kind of “oops, we are so sorry, we’re working on it….” would make me feel better than the courage comments.

One huge negative with Bluesound speakers is that they have soft-touch plastic covers which can turn into a nasty sticky mess within 2 years (if you are unlucky). The node 2 is sticky free but costs 550 per unit and needs speakers.

Roon is way overpriced at 15 per month. LMS is free!

I will explore LMS. I agree that Roon is expensive but helped me connect to my ripped music in a really creative/fun way.

I think the Naim devices have a decent app (with Music & Artist info). For LMS be sure to check out the Material skin plugin which transforms the user control interface - also has MAI functions. (I proposed MAI for a Sonos enhancement, but nada 😢😕)

LMS Material with Music & Artist Information plugin:

Being in software & product myself I appreciate the complexity of rolling out a big update but not as much as I appreciate the importance of extensive QA and listening to the users and, I’m sorry to say, this update is a major fail.

Was it rolled out just to meet a deadline?! Surely this cannot have been properly tested, the core/basic feature set completed and user interviews done to gather feedback before rolling out such a poor “upgrade”! Smells like shiny object syndrome to me, focusing on a UI update at the expense of UX and actual core functionality.

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned by other users, but further to some of the issues people mentioned here my Google Assistant is bricked on my Sonos devices. They’re trying to push their new Sonos Voice Assistant, which they’re entitled to offer, but since the update my Google Assistant stopped working. No matter what I try (setting it up again, unlinking Sonos/Google, rebooting, you name it) I have not been able to get it back whatsoever.

I’ve loved our Sonos products over the years and was considering buying a few more recently but this single update has made me think of selling them all and looking for an alternative instead. What a disaster…

I really hope they roll this back asap before their users start jumping ship and I truly feel bad for the good people at Sonos who built amazing speakers that are not involved in their software who will suffer from this.

I am a software dev as well and i agree with rfd completely. This updated up needs to be rolled back immediately, and possibly offered parallel to the original S2 app. There is too much missing functionality ( UX ) that the system is useless without multiple tries and multiple devices. Unacceptable for a system that costs $1000s to put together. If they had an open API then they can certainly do what they want, but thats closed also. Bad form Sonos. You did not learn from your S1 to S2 upgrade. Local control is king, and pushing everything through your cloud creates a bad UX experience, the system is much less responsive, and control disappears when the internet is down. Roll back now!

What happens to people who don’t have constant access to a dependable WAN (as in rural areas) or those who use the system strictly for local library access? Having a man-in-the-middle creates unnecessary overhead and lag. The only answer is they plan on charging us for that access down the road.

Being in software & product myself I appreciate the complexity of rolling out a big update but not as much as I appreciate the importance of extensive QA and listening to the users and, I’m sorry to say, this update is a major fail.

Was it rolled out just to meet a deadline?! Surely this cannot have been properly tested, the core/basic feature set completed and user interviews done to gather feedback before rolling out such a poor “upgrade”! Smells like shiny object syndrome to me, focusing on a UI update at the expense of UX and actual core functionality.

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned by other users, but further to some of the issues people mentioned here my Google Assistant is bricked on my Sonos devices. They’re trying to push their new Sonos Voice Assistant, which they’re entitled to offer, but since the update my Google Assistant stopped working. No matter what I try (setting it up again, unlinking Sonos/Google, rebooting, you name it) I have not been able to get it back whatsoever.

I’ve loved our Sonos products over the years and was considering buying a few more recently but this single update has made me think of selling them all and looking for an alternative instead. What a disaster…

I really hope they roll this back asap before their users start jumping ship and I truly feel bad for the good people at Sonos who built amazing speakers that are not involved in their software who will suffer from this.

I am a software dev as well and i agree with rfd completely. This updated up needs to be rolled back immediately, and possibly offered parallel to the original S2 app. There is too much missing functionality ( UX ) that the system is useless without multiple tries and multiple devices. Unacceptable for a system that costs $1000s to put together. If they had an open API then they can certainly do what they want, but thats closed also. Bad form Sonos. You did not learn from your S1 to S2 upgrade. Local control is king, and pushing everything through your cloud creates a bad UX experience, the system is much less responsive, and control disappears when the internet is down. Roll back now!

What happens to people who don’t have constant access to a dependable WAN (as in rural areas) or those who use the system strictly for local library access? Having a man-in-the-middle creates unnecessary overhead and lag. The only answer is they plan on charging us for that access down the road.

I live in a rural village half way up a mountain - no issues here 🇪🇸 🇪🇺 with WAN - choice of fibre, copper, mifi and cell. Just sayin'.

Being in software & product myself I appreciate the complexity of rolling out a big update but not as much as I appreciate the importance of extensive QA and listening to the users and, I’m sorry to say, this update is a major fail.

Was it rolled out just to meet a deadline?! Surely this cannot have been properly tested, the core/basic feature set completed and user interviews done to gather feedback before rolling out such a poor “upgrade”! Smells like shiny object syndrome to me, focusing on a UI update at the expense of UX and actual core functionality.

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned by other users, but further to some of the issues people mentioned here my Google Assistant is bricked on my Sonos devices. They’re trying to push their new Sonos Voice Assistant, which they’re entitled to offer, but since the update my Google Assistant stopped working. No matter what I try (setting it up again, unlinking Sonos/Google, rebooting, you name it) I have not been able to get it back whatsoever.

I’ve loved our Sonos products over the years and was considering buying a few more recently but this single update has made me think of selling them all and looking for an alternative instead. What a disaster…

I really hope they roll this back asap before their users start jumping ship and I truly feel bad for the good people at Sonos who built amazing speakers that are not involved in their software who will suffer from this.

I am a software dev as well and i agree with rfd completely. This updated up needs to be rolled back immediately, and possibly offered parallel to the original S2 app. There is too much missing functionality ( UX ) that the system is useless without multiple tries and multiple devices. Unacceptable for a system that costs $1000s to put together. If they had an open API then they can certainly do what they want, but thats closed also. Bad form Sonos. You did not learn from your S1 to S2 upgrade. Local control is king, and pushing everything through your cloud creates a bad UX experience, the system is much less responsive, and control disappears when the internet is down. Roll back now!

What happens to people who don’t have constant access to a dependable WAN (as in rural areas) or those who use the system strictly for local library access? Having a man-in-the-middle creates unnecessary overhead and lag. The only answer is they plan on charging us for that access down the road.

Why would we want to access our speakers remotely, no settings can be changed? This is purely for the headphones. We are all suffering because Sonos doesn’t want to delay the headphone release!
What is the point of Sonos headphones anyway over normal bluetooth headphones?

apart from an abysmal experience on Android - where i cannot access my SMB2 local media share that was working when playing single tracks after the upgrade, stupidly i uninstalled, reinstalled to lose my library in visible options (except via desktop app)

Currently, i cannot “re-pair” devices on Android or the Desktop App as sound is only one speaker & i need to break it, the pair again.

PS - currently using BubbleUnp on Android whilst Sonos decide what on earth they can do to introduce an app that works