Today we are introducing the most extensive app redesign ever, creating an unprecedented streaming experience that allows listeners to organize their favorite playlists, stations, albums and more from over 100 services on one customizable Home screen.
Home Screen
The new Home screen provides faster access to Sonos system controls with one easy swipe up, making tab to tab jumping a thing of the past. As a leader in sound experience that’s focused on creating a better way to listen, Sonos intentionally redesigned the app on a modern software platform for an easier, faster and better experience that can support more rapid innovation.
The reimagined app supports all existing S2 products and will be available globally through a software update for the S2 mobile app.
100+ streaming services, one Home screen
The redesigned Sonos app prioritizes a listening experience that’s human - allowing you to bring your true favorites front and center and giving you more control to make your streaming experience your own.
Get into your music (and off the app) faster: No need to tap between tabs —the new Home screen serves up all your favorite content and controls, all in one place. Quickly jump back into your recently played, browse libraries and recommendations from your preferred services, and fill your home with music and all the sounds you love.
Customize and curate: Enjoy unparalleled curation by designing your Home screen to reflect how you listen. Pin rows of your favorite content and services; then move, edit, or rearrange them to your liking.
Search every streaming library: Look for an artist, song, podcast, or audiobook across all your preferred streaming apps at once via an easy-to-use search bar that’s always available right on your Home screen.
Elevated system control: Swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen to seamlessly control your entire system and access a visual overview of what’s playing on each of your products, quickly group speakers, and dial in on the perfect volume from anywhere in the app.
Accessible from any modern web browser, a brand new web app allows listeners the same seamless system control as the mobile app.
The new Web App
The Web App will be available alongside the redesigned mobile app on May 7, 2024.
Want to find out more about the new Sonos App? Have a look at the Info Hub section of the community for a complete rundown of the new user interface.
So far I find this new app to be terrible. Please bring back the previous version. Very disappointing
I’m finding there are arbitrary limits imposed by the new app.
For example, there’s a limit of 50 items in the tune in favorites. The old app had no limits as far as I could tell: I had 220 favorites.
I’m finding there’s a limit on the size of the iTunes music library. When I connect to a small music library of 4000 items, it appears in the new app without problems. But when I connect to a large music library with 67,000 items, it does not appear at all.
This means I cannot play my iTunes music.
The new Sonos app is no good if you have a local music library. I could not figure out how, or even if, I could add my local music library with the new app. Even if it is possible, it is not intuitive; my local music library should simply be there when I update the app, and the fact that it does not automatically show up is a serious oversight by Sonos.
About 50% of my listening is from my local music library (i.e., a NAS device on my network), rather than using a streaming app, so this Sonos update was unusable.
I will use the old version of the app and will not update for as long as the local music library feature does not work better in the new app. If the new version of the app does not eventually automatically accommodate my local music library, I will be forced to eventually leave Sonos for another product, after many years of using it. It’s really too bad...I’ve been very happy with Sonos until this fiasco.
I’m also missing the music library. I’ve discovered that it’s the size of the library that’s the issue. When I connect my spouses’ smaller 4000-song library, it works. When I connect my 60,000-song library, it disappears. Both are on the same drive, so it’s not a network issue.
How many items are in your iTunes library?
When will the app be fixed? Can’t add songs to a queue without them being in a playlist. Can’t edit the song queue. Can’t clear the song queue. These are basic functions and that every system should have. The images/gifs of the app on the site show this functionality, but it’s not in the app. It’s mind-boggling how bad this is.
With the updated mobile app, I seem to have lost the ability to play an album rather than individual items. I listen to classical music and stream from IDAGIO. If I now select an album, I can see all the tracks, but I don’t see a Play All. I have to select one track at a time to add to the queue, which is tedious for a symphony with four movements, but trying to listen to an opera with, say, 77 “songs” is ridiculous! I can play an album from my computer for the time being, but the mobile (iOS) app is completely useless. Very disappointed the new S2 was released in this state.
I’m having the same issue. I noted this issue when I was interviewed by the Washington Post…
Try the IDAGIO app… It will stream to any of your Sonos speakers.
Who ever approve the new app update should be unemployed. Did people even try using it before it was released, it’s honestly sooo bad I’m considering getting out of the Sonos ecosystem after 8yrs and over 15 different products. It’s that bad…
Apparently they did have beta testers, i asked if there was any of them here (it was my 1st post here actually) but i got no reply. Later on i read a comment from someone who said a beta tester had commented about the state of the app during his testing, i had a quick look but i couldnt find it.
All of the issues you are seeing were reported during beta testing. They just weren’t fixed. I was a beta tester, and I begged them not to release this.
It defies logic that Sonos could release the latest version 80 of the Sonos app and call it an improvement. I found it to be much less intuitive, not to mention the glaring functionality omissions. This app is an embarrassment to Sonos and they should either bring back the old app or fix the new app ASAP. I’ve read that certain features will be returning in a future update by why would you even fathom releasing a “new” app that loses critical features? Anyway, here is my list of deficiencies:
When I updated to the new app many of my favorite Stations would no longer play. I had to delete them from my favorites and re-add them and then they worked again.
Mute button is gone. What a pain to have to stop a stream now and restart it instead of just a quick mute. Please bring this back.
Sleep timers gone. I’ve heard this is planned to come back but again, why they heck would you remove something this critical.
No way to force dark mode. The app now goes light/dark based on the phone settings but the light mode look AWEFUL during the day. White background with black station icons and the actual station control screen is a darker grey. Can you please bring back a way to just force dark mode all the time, this thing is just ugly as it currently stands.
Playlist issues. Heard this will be fixed but its unreal Sonos released this app with these issues.
Thanks, a 15 year Sonos customer.
Today we are introducing the most extensive app redesign ever, creating an unprecedented terrible user experience that allows listeners to fitfully try to use their favorite playlists, stations, albums and more on one customizable Home screen hyped so much that at first you’ll think yourself an idiot for not finding the features you think are hidden but are actually gone. Then you’ll know you are any idiot for having downgraded to this dreadful app and for having fallen into the Sonos trap to begin with.
Sadly, Sonos now seems incapable of learning from its mistakes. Nearly two weeks after this new app was “unleashed”, I don’t see any updates to their marketing materials (e.g. FAQ, product descriptions) that would help customers/users understand that some previously-available features are not yet supported on the new app. That’s just not how a company that really cares about its customers behaves.
Why am I not surprised lcoal library is hit yet again - the search used to scan UPNP local libraries fine. This functionality was deliberately remove ages ago to encourage us to subscribe to Amazon music .. and from what i’ve read yet again it take a hit :( My library is several 1000’s of songs - I see limiots have been put in place. This is clearly a rewrite - so why, oh why have you reduced limits on number on songs in a Library!!!
I have BBC sounds (podcasts) linked to my Sonos - and am working my way through a series of circa 150 items in a series. I’m working oldest to newest .. but not any more in the new App - as it only shows around 30 in total. I get things need to be brought up to date - but why at the expense of exisiting functionality. I have 2 * Play 1 - i can’t voice control those so I can no longer listen to the podcasts via the sonos. .. looks like time to get my old bluetooth speak out and cast from my phone .. ho is that an improvement I also have a Sonos One - which from the App ahs the identical restriction (not surprising). Thus even with an up to date device the functionality, and my bed time listening has been stopped!!!!
To me it seems this App had to be released due to an arbitary deadliner with functionality only partial built.
Why am I not surprised lcoal library is hit yet again - the search used to scan UPNP local libraries fine. This functionality was deliberately remove ages ago to encourage us to subscribe to Amazon music .. and from what i’ve read yet again it take a hit :( My library is several 1000’s of songs - I see limiots have been put in place. This is clearly a rewrite - so why, oh why have you reduced limits on number on songs in a Library!!
There’s always been a limit on the number of tracks in a local library, going back to the first Sonos devices released in 2005. The current maximum is 65,000 tracks, which can be less if you use large tags and/or filenames.
The new Sonos app is no good if you have a local music library. I could not figure out how, or even if, I could add my local music library with the new app. Even if it is possible, it is not intuitive; my local music library should simply be there when I update the app, and the fact that it does not automatically show up is a serious oversight by Sonos.
About 50% of my listening is from my local music library (i.e., a NAS device on my network), rather than using a streaming app, so this Sonos update was unusable.
I will use the old version of the app and will not update for as long as the local music library feature does not work better in the new app. If the new version of the app does not eventually automatically accommodate my local music library, I will be forced to eventually leave Sonos for another product, after many years of using it. It’s really too bad...I’ve been very happy with Sonos until this fiasco.
I’m also missing the music library. I’ve discovered that it’s the size of the library that’s the issue. When I connect my spouses’ smaller 4000-song library, it works. When I connect my 60,000-song library, it disappears. Both are on the same drive, so it’s not a network issue.
How many items are in your iTunes library?
@Ken in VA Interesting...my library is very large - probably upwards of 50,000+ songs, so maybe this is the issue. Either way, this seems like something that should be fixed.
The Register have now picked up the story of this debacle - let’s hope it gets some more traction in the wider media now.
There was a story on the Washington Post site a few days ago. Wired and Fortune sites, among others, have also had stories.
I fear Sonos plans to implement a monthly licensing fee, and needs the new software platform to do so. Why else be so aggressive in pushing the updates, and refuse to allow customers to revert to the prior software? I hope that’s not the case, but for some reason Sonos is clearly willing to alienate its customers. Their desire to “create a new revenue stream” could easily be that reason. If so, I’ll dump their products and switch to bluetooth, chromecast, bluesound, Wiim, apple airplay, or any other of a number of products that don’t require monthly payments. And join the class actions against Sonos that are sure to follow.
I was wondering if maybe they were in bed with the Sonophone people. You have to pay for that app, dumb idea though, because everybody is mad, and everybody was already mad about their Gen 1's a few years ago. No way in hell am I paying a monthly fee.
Sonos is indeed looking for new ongoing revenue, and that’s US! Could we are now become the product with this web-based, data drinking, app/service? Sonos can scrap every little piece of your usage and selling it off just like the social media a-holes do.
I can’t find any language in the new app EULA or privacy setting that doesn't allow them to do this now or in the future. It’s web-based now, less secure, more cookie tracking options.
Maybe a subscription service later on (their Sonos Radio was not well received), now it’s likely “sell us off to the highest data aggregation bidder”.
Sonos is indeed looking for new ongoing revenue, and that’s US! We are now the product with this web-based, data drinking, app/service. Sonos is scrapping every little piece of your usage and selling it off just like the social media a-holes do.
You are no longer the customer of good audio gear, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT. Maybe subscription service later on (their Sonos Radio was not well received), now it’s “sell us off to the highest data consolidating bidder”.
As stated elsewhere, Sonos does not, nor ever will, sell your data. It is written that way in their privacy policy. And if you claim that privacy policies are easily changed, the FTC has recently stated that a company cannot unilaterally change their policy to negate a policy held in the past. It is considered an unfair and deceptive business practice under FTC regulations. See below:
Sonos Facebook page has a rating based on reviews. Currently 1.5 out of 5.
You can click the rating and add your review. Recommend or not recommend.
Made an account to come here and say that the new app is horrible. Like, literally just give us the old app back.
Sonos has lost all my good will.
The new app is a total disaster from UE/I to system reliability. Playlist that used to play to my system with ease and flexibility now no longer play consistently over my system from room to room / speaker to speaker. Music drops out unexpectedly then will play again for a few seconds until dropping out again. This never happened with the previous app. The AMA was a total joke. Not taking any responsibility for this total debacle. Claiming to have better and faster ability to provide updates and fixes yet here we are almost 3 weeks since the drop of this bomb and still we are all struggling. totally FOS. I was planning to buy a Roam but have now lost all faith in Sono’s ability to honestly respond to customers’ needs and concerns. I will purchase another product from a brand I trust.
Please, PLEASE … listen to your community. The new app is TERRIBLE. My primary complaint revolves around the difficulty in changing which speakers are playing and at what volume. What was simple before is now a cumbersome challenge. Push out the old app until you’re truly ready to deliver a superior product.
The AMA was a total joke.
Even the calling notice for the AMA was a joke. They honestly seemed to think they'd be shooting the breeze about their favourite bands.
I am so so so so frustrated with this new app, has turned my Sonos experience to being one of the best parts of my day to now I dread opening the stupid app … so much disappointment:
Doesn’t matter if using on my iPhone 12 Pro, my iPad Air (5th gen), or my iPad Mini:
It’s soooo slow in loading any of the screens… its like the app is trying to load its UI from the cloud…I can see the UI framework slots with spinning icons while the app figures out what to populate there…prior app was zippy instant, this new one is an slow experience for any of todays standards…unacceptable
For any of my Sonos Recently Played or Sonos Favorites, seems like they only work 2 out of 10 times…tapping on them and I instantly get an “unable to connect, try again later” message bar at the top of the screen…there is no UI spinning as app attempts to connect in background, it’s an instant error response…so I have use the painfully slow UI to re-navigate, or re-search, to that playlist/channel/stream… I utter a very loud flustering UGH!! Each time…
I can’t group any of my zones!! One of the core unique things of Sonos, and it doesn’t work…I instantly get the annoying “unable to connect, try again later” pop up message…zero delay so doesn’t feel like app is actually attempting to do anything … I can play each zone individually, no longer can group with this new app!
I hate that full-screen view of what’s playing no longer exists… instead there is a “bigger screen” view which looks like was designed for a phone screen but is extremely busy on an iPad in landscape mode… the clean look is gone, and disappointing … no longer a nice looking framed display of what’s playing, its a jumbled mess
What happened to the pre-search filters of Artists, Songs, Channels, Play Lists, etc? This open-ended search-all is ridiculous as I don’t want to see all that… I enjoy searching for a song and seeing all the Artists which cover it…and now I’m getting albums, playlists, channels, etc that has that song name…spending way too much trying to navigate the ‘noise’ just so I can do my music exploration
I can’t believe how many times I think I’m setting up a zone to play something only to find out I’m sending the music to another zone … and this is occurring with all my family members … so something really bad in that UI experience which I still haven’t figured out where I’m stumbling … but seems to me it highlights poor real world user testing
changing the volume up/down now has a very annoying delay…again is this dumb app going to the cloud to communicate to my local device?? Now I (and family) end up pressing up/down several times thinking the app didn’t capture the input…then after a 10-30sec delay the hardware finally gets (all my taps) command to change volume and now it’s too high/low
This whole app seems to be designed by someone who doesn’t have a Sonos system at home…
Can we please have the old app back???
Can we please have the old app back???
If you are on Android you can try side loading the 16.1 APK. On iOS No they would need to put it back on the App Store.
I really don't like the new update, hopefully you will change some things really soon(os). Couple of things:
In the section "Sonos Favorites" I can't click on the playlists that are displayed.
When I want to change the volume, I can't see how loud it is (is it on volume 10 or 16 or whatever).
When I play music on multiple devices at the same time, I can't change the volume of the whole group, you need to do it one by one. And when I turn the volume down, sometimes it goes louder by itself again.
Now I tried Homepods for a day, cant be compared to Sonos at all. So it seems I am sticking arround a while. Its crazy no one has copied Sonos.
