Far too little, far too late.
The old app was wonderful. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
Old app: easy to use, intuitive. No instructions required.
New App: Clumsy, needs 30-page instruction manual, inferior responsiveness.
Can someone please tell me what this means? According to Mr. Spence, in September/October the following will be accomplished:
- Restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue
- Improving functionality in settings
A major concern — still not directly addressed, as far as I can tell — is that on and after May 7, 2024, Sonos playlists do not display in the app; they cannot be accessed in the app; they cannot be edited, re-saved or created and saved anew in the app. There is a 3rd party app that allows a user to pull a playlist from a text list of our pre-existing Sonos playlists; that chosen playlist will then appear in the Sonos app as a queue that can be played, and to which new tracks can be added but not saved.
Does ‘restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue’ mean that ‘Sonos playlists’ will be restored and can be created, edited and archived as they were prior to May 7; or does it mean something else? A direct, candid answer to that question would be helpful.
You really think “restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue” actually means something besides being able to edit Playlists and the Queue as you could before? That really stretches the bounds of belief.
Giving away free stuff is giving away free stuff.
You, by saying that ‘So nothing was “removed”’?
I’d say not being able to so something I could previously (even if it is going to be re-added at some point) means it’s been removed. These were not bugs but deliberately left out.
I never said they were bugs. They were never included in the release because they hadn’t been completed yet. Nobody completed them and then subsequently removed them, and that’s not semantics, that is a fact.
jgatie says: You really think “restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue” actually means something besides being able to edit Playlists and the Queue as you could before? That really stretches the bounds of belief.
I honestly do not know what it means. As far as I am aware — and perhaps I’m misinformed or using the wrong terminology — there are prepackaged or user-generated ‘playlists’ that some Sonos users pull down from streaming services; there are ‘playlists’ that some users seem to create and save on local networks/servers; and there are ‘Sonos playlists’ that users like me created and saved, and subsequently edited and re-saved in the Sonos app.
I’ve seen others indicate the first two categories of ‘playlists’ are already somewhat functional in the latest versions of the Sonos app. The third category — ‘Sonos playlists’ — is not functional at all, other than via a 3rd party app, and then in a very limited way.
Berate me if you wish. But I still do not see a plain, unadorned, direct statement that ‘Sonos playlists’ are going to be restored and will function essentially as they did prior to May 7. For that matter, ‘restoring edit mode for Playlists’ — when Sonos playlists do not display and cannot be accessed at all in the app as it exists today — doesn’t address my question at all.
So my question stands: are ‘Sonos playlists’ coming back or not? Pretty simple question. Not sure why it can’t be answered, even if jgatie in his infinite wisdom seems to think it’s a stupid question.
Can someone please tell me what this means? According to Mr. Spence, in August/September the following will be accomplished:
- Restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue
- Improving functionality in settings
A major concern — still not directly addressed, as far as I can tell — is that on and after May 7, 2024, Sonos playlists do not display in the app; they cannot be accessed in the app; they cannot be edited, re-saved or created and saved anew in the app. There is a 3rd party app that allows a user to pull a playlist from a text list of our pre-existing Sonos playlists; that chosen playlist will then appear in the Sonos app as a queue that can be played, and to which new tracks can be added but not saved.
Does ‘restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue’ mean that ‘Sonos playlists’ will be restored and can be created, edited and archived as they were prior to May 7; or does it mean something else? A direct, candid answer to that question would be helpful.
The full ability to edit / save playlists is the main update I’ve been waiting for. I use those functions on a daily basis. Sonos keeps moving the goal post on this one. First it was July, then August, now not until September or October. The ability to edit and save lists is such a basic function of any music service, that I don’t understand why this hasn’t been given more priority.
I genuinely wonder if I'll still have to individually select Apps to update in Sonos come Christmas instead of ‘Update All’ that I've done for a decade plus. Ball ache.
Yes, I’m stuck doing this too, on four devices. Frustrating to think it may still be several months before I can use “Update All” again.
jgatie says: You really think “restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue” actually means something besides being able to edit Playlists and the Queue as you could before? That really stretches the bounds of belief.
I honestly do not know what it means. As far as I am aware — and perhaps I’m misinformed or using the wrong terminology — there are prepackaged or user-generated ‘playlists’ that some Sonos users pull down from streaming services; there are ‘playlists’ that some users seem to create and save on local networks/servers; and there are ‘Sonos playlists’ that users like me created and saved, and subsequently edited and re-saved in the Sonos app.
I’ve seen others indicate the first two categories of ‘playlists’ are already somewhat functional in the latest versions of the Sonos app. The third category — ‘Sonos playlists’ — is not functional at all.
Berate me if you wish. But I still do not see a plain, unadorned, direct statement that ‘Sonos playlists’ are going to be restored and will function essentially as they did prior to May 7. For that matter, ‘restoring edit mode for Playlists’ — when Sonos playlists do not display and cannot be accessed at all in the app as it exists today — doesn’t address my question at all.
I think you are being deliberately obtuse. The only playlists able to be “edited” in the Sonos app were Sonos Playlists (as opposed to playlists in the individual services or Imported Playlists). Also, seeing as Sonos Playlists were created/saved from the queue, it would stand to reason that “restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue” would mean they are restoring the ability to “edit” (i.e. create, save, change, delete, etc.) both the queue and playlists.
If I’m wrong, I’ll sincerely apologize, but it makes no sense to me any other way.
For me what's missing from the letter is any admission that they misjudged how minimal a product their customers would willingly accept. Even if the release of additional features had gone according to plan, it would still have left customers with a seriously degraded ability to use their Sonos speakers for several months.
I love @SONOS and love the CEO making a statement. The issue I have is that Patrick states that when the app was released you “found” a number of issues. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that you literally removed features people used every day. That was a deliberate decision by the developers. So, the apology rings hollow because this statement makes it sound like a software bug and not an oversight or a conscious decision.
Do you honestly think developers are making the decisions? As already stated, management decided to rebuild the app from scratch essentially. Management set the deadlines and priorities.
This is pretty much like building a new home. When you find out that the kitchen sink isn’t working in the new home, does it makes sense to claim that they removed the kitchen sink because the sink in your old home worked? I get that the old house and new house are the same house as far as you may care, but they just are not the same. It may be semantics to some, but if someone reading this doesn’t know that the application was actually rebuilt from scratch, it paints a completely different picture.
To be clear, putting out the code before it’s ready is a huge problem, but is not the same thing as deliberately removing features.
far too little too late.
add to the list, the latest app update drains battery on IOS. only way to absolve this issue, is fully close out the app.
I applaud the note and taking responsibility. Good to see that note being issued (a bit later than people might have expected but good nonetheless).
But despite the contrition, and if this forum over the last couple of months is any indicator, I fear this thread will still shortly become a breeding ground and echo chamber for abuse and toxicity….
Heheh, that didn’t take long . . .
I love that it’s your personal challenge to get the Patrick Spence letter thread closed to comments by page 3! 
Nothing about easing the possibility to downgrade to earlier working versions (app & controller).
I'm beginning to think SONOS uses us as unpaid QA personnel…
Hello everyone,
We wanted to take a moment to address concerns regarding our new app that launched in May. At Sonos, delivering an exceptional experience is paramount to all that we do. Unfortunately, your experiences over the past several weeks have fallen short of our commitment to you.
Today, our CEO Patrick Spence published a letter that includes a detailed update on the progress we’ve been making and plans going forward. You can read the full letter here.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and continued support. We are working hard to earn back your trust and are more committed than ever to delivering a consistently great Sonos experience for everyone.
Thank you all for your patience,
Your Sonos Team
This is quite literally worth about as much as the pixels it’s written in. You could *today* re-release 16.2 as a branch until your terrible app is fixed, but you didn’t. And you won’t.
Why?
Ego. That’s it. That’s the only reason you are stringing this obscenity along. The furor and malcontent would cease overnight if you put 16.2 on the app stores while you clean up your mess.
You have a larger problem though. Even if the technical challenges vanished this very instant, you still have an app that was designed so terribly, that the plebes and boomers (The non-technical users that I and many others convinced to get into Sonos) will still HATE trying to listen to music.
As my own boomer mother said, “Trying to make music work on this thing makes me dizzy and ill because nothing makes sense.”
I guess you all will probably assume that the morale will improve though, if you just keep up the beatings, and pretend there aren’t brand-destroying conflagrations all over the globe.
Hello everyone,
We wanted to take a moment to address concerns regarding our new app that launched in May. At Sonos, delivering an exceptional experience is paramount to all that we do. Unfortunately, your experiences over the past several weeks have fallen short of our commitment to you.
Today, our CEO Patrick Spence published a letter that includes a detailed update on the progress we’ve been making and plans going forward. You can read the full letter here.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and continued support. We are working hard to earn back your trust and are more committed than ever to delivering a consistently great Sonos experience for everyone.
Thank you all for your patience,
Your Sonos Team
So the eMail I received from Sonos today that had no subject line and no content other than Patrick Spence's signature was meant to reassure me that the technical issues are being sorted under his leadership...you couldn't make it up !
And no one has yet mentioned my issue - I cannot listen to NON-UK RADIO STATIONS anymore. This is why I have a Sonos system in the first place. So pissed off …..
Just give the old app back…you know...the one that is functional, until you get this new abomination of an app up to basic standards. You would think someone over there would have thought of that but...hubris
Just give the old app back…you know...the one that is functional, until you get this new abomination of an app up to basic standards. You would think someone over there would have thought of that but...hubris
All they would have to do is label 16.2 “DOES NOT WORK WITH ACE” and slap it on the Apple App Store. Furor quelled.
But noooooope. Their hubris has gone to plaid.
chambolle:
My Sonos playlists show when expanding Sonos Favorites. I just hope they can be archived using SonoSaver for Windows. Haven’t tried it since Sonos app update.
As said by others, too little too late, can’t stop hating them for destroying my enjoyment of using their system to listen to my music, completely lost faith and trust in Sonos, don’t see them survive this. 
I would just like the team to reflect on the fact that you are putting out an apology that says it might take *five months* to get the volume controls to an acceptable state.
Five months for working volume controls - is nobody ashamed? Nobody in the organisation with any sense of accountability?
On 23rd April 2024, I received an email from Sonos entitled
“A big update is coming to the Sonos App”
Within that email was a question and answer list which included
“ 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”
Also, there was an exhortation to Turn on Automatic Updates……
Maybe I’ve missed something - but this doesn’t seem to have been addressed in the CEO’s apology.
As I wrote in my one-star review of the new Sonos app in the Apple store, the product manager for the app should be fired (if they have not been already). I have been an enthusiastic evangelist for Sonos since buying my first speakers. Now, based on the disastrous app that was released in May, I am actively warning family and friends away from Sonos. I have spent hours trying to resolve issues created by the new app and I have yet to be able to play a single playlist created on my Mac through the Sonos app. The premature release of the new, highly-flawed app has me questioning whether I should abandon the Sonos platform altogether.
chambolle:
My Sonos playlists show when expanding Sonos Favorites. I just hope they can be archived using SonoSaver for Windows. Haven’t tried it since Sonos app update.
Mine do not display and have not since the May 7 revision. Nor does ‘recently played,’other than to say ‘will display once you've played content...’ which I’ve done. And ‘recent searches’ hasn’t changed for two months.
Did you do the July 22 update? Is that when your playlists first appeared again? Others have warned against allowing that last update; I’ve thus avoided it.
