New S2 App Not Showing Elapsed and Remaining Track Times

E
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Problem as per title -  the new S2 app no longer persistently shows the elapsed and remaining times for the track being played. It does show the progress bar - but not the times as numbers. The times appear when the track starts but then disappear after a couple of seconds. Same thing if you touch the progress bar while a track is playing - the times re-appear, then fade.

There is no setting to control this. I really dislike this - I like to be be able to see the times without having to continuously be tapping the screen. Why on earth would Sonos think it’s a good idea to make this change? Very annoying.

Anyone else feel like this?

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28 replies

Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26

Hi eracode, this could be a bug, but I’d love to pass it along to see. Have you noticed this with tracks from one specific source, such as only from a music service, or only your local tracks? Any consistency you’ve noticed?

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E
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Thanks Ryan.

I use Sonos a lot but really only in conjunction with Pandora. The issue is there across all Pandora.

I have just tested it with Deezer and the same issue is there.

I don't have any local tracks but suspect the issue is across the board.

baardog
Userlevel 3
Badge +3

Happens to me too, both on Spotify and SubSonic, using ipad and iphone.

rosswells127
Userlevel 2
Badge +3

Happens with music library tracks as well. The time played/remaining shows for a few seconds and then fades out. Reappears if you tap the track progress bar. Prob not a bug but different to previous versions.

Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26

I just checked in with the team, the expected behavior for S2 does have changes to the time remaining, it’s not a bug.

It will reappear if you tap the bar, or anywhere not active on the screen, such as changing tracks, the elapsed time will show up for a bit before hiding.

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E
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

I didn't suspect it was a bug - it did seem something deliberate. However I see this as a definite and annoying step backwards. Why make a silly change like this? I’m guessing it’s a bid for simplicity and cleanliness of appearance/minimalism etc - i.e. the sort of approach that Apple often take and that trips them up too. A change like this is only good if it enhances the user’s experience. This doesn't.

Bad move IMO.

J
Userlevel 5
Badge +8

I just checked in with the team, the expected behavior for S2 does have changes to the time remaining, it’s not a bug.

It will reappear if you tap the bar, or anywhere not active on the screen, such as changing tracks, the elapsed time will show up for a bit before hiding.

 

Is there a reason for this? It does seem like a retrograde step to me to have to tap the screen to get the time displays. It wouldn’t be so bad if the track times were displayed in the Queue then you could see the track length there and estimate the remaining time from the position on the bar.

 

Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26

I just checked in with the team, the expected behavior for S2 does have changes to the time remaining, it’s not a bug.

It will reappear if you tap the bar, or anywhere not active on the screen, such as changing tracks, the elapsed time will show up for a bit before hiding.

 

Is there a reason for this? It does seem like a retrograde step to me to have to tap the screen to get the time displays. It wouldn’t be so bad if the track times were displayed in the Queue then you could see the track length there and estimate the remaining time from the position on the bar.

eracode is right on track with the reasoning. It’s about cleaning up the display and making it more streamlined, while not removing things you might be looking for entirely. I’ll make sure to bring your feedback back to the team though.

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
E
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Track play-time remaining is one of the main things I want to see. I don’t want to be continually tapping the screen to see it. That’s not a great user experience. Big step backwards by Sonos.

H
Userlevel 3
Badge +7

Yes, I’d also like the time display back the way it used to be.

Airgetlam

Huh. I like the change, less busy. Guess that’s the challenge of any UI change, some wont like it, some will. 

Bruce
W
Userlevel 5
Badge +9

Don’t like this change at all...

E
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

Huh. I like the change, less busy. Guess that’s the challenge of any UI change, some wont like it, some will. 

They should make the track times switchable - then everyone can have it the way they like it.

 I love Sonos products but their approach to the user interface is becoming like Apple’s - they are becoming arrogant and telling the user what the user should like and what they can have.

Airgetlam

I can certainly sympathize, but I suspect that if it had gone the other way, from not showing to showing track times, there’d be an equally disgruntled group of people. Neither side is “right” for all, they’re just “right” for their personal view. 

Bruce
R
Badge

Make it an option. That will settle it. I want to see time remaining without any interaction.

 

J
Userlevel 5
Badge +8

I can certainly sympathize, but I suspect that if it had gone the other way, from not showing to showing track times, there’d be an equally disgruntled group of people. Neither side is “right” for all, they’re just “right” for their personal view. 

 

The problem is that a lot of people will see this as them having removed a useful feature of the software. I know with the software I work on we will always get feedback from users before removing features from the app, but usually we put it on a setting and let the user decide if it should be on or off.

 

Airgetlam

I hear you. And I hope you’re in the beta group, and are providing that kind of feedback during the beta. 

Bruce
J
Userlevel 5
Badge +8

I hear you. And I hope you’re in the beta group, and are providing that kind of feedback during the beta. 

 

I was in the beta group some years ago but dropped out because of the frustrations of never getting a response or any kind of acknowledgement of suggestions and reports of bugs.

Maybe it’s different now and worth doing?

Airgetlam

Nary a clue. I’d hope they listen to the beta testers, but I’m sure there are decisions that aren’t up for debate. It’s always worked that way in all the beta releases I managed for other pieces of software. Feedback was good, but it didn’t automatically mean the team was willing to change something. But it’s certainly a way to get feedback in earlier in the process.  

Bruce
F
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

If this has been removed deliberately I am sure we will never see it return. Very annoying step back in my view. Track length is basic info and not clutter.

V
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I just checked in with the team, the expected behavior for S2 does have changes to the time remaining, it’s not a bug.

It will reappear if you tap the bar, or anywhere not active on the screen, such as changing tracks, the elapsed time will show up for a bit before hiding.

 

Is there a reason for this? It does seem like a retrograde step to me to have to tap the screen to get the time displays. It wouldn’t be so bad if the track times were displayed in the Queue then you could see the track length there and estimate the remaining time from the position on the bar.

eracode is right on track with the reasoning. It’s about cleaning up the display and making it more streamlined, while not removing things you might be looking for entirely. I’ll make sure to bring your feedback back to the team though.

 

Yes, please, give the feedback. It sucks.

Perfect exemple of how to breake something that was working great for the Design God. Just ckecked on my iPhone: even Apple has not removed this info from their Music app !! ;)

Procedure to bring back the info is not really convenient.

A

Really annoying that you have deliberately removed the track timing display.  Please reinstate it or have it as an option in setup. 

I thought SONOS had learnt a lesson from the badly handled ‘obsolescence programme’.  Having ungraded some components, removed my bridge and now moved to S2, this is disappointing.

jTemplar
Userlevel 2
Badge +3

I just checked in with the team, the expected behavior for S2 does have changes to the time remaining, it’s not a bug.

It will reappear if you tap the bar, or anywhere not active on the screen, such as changing tracks, the elapsed time will show up for a bit before hiding.

The ‘time remaining’ does not reappear if you tap “anywhere not active on the screen” such as the album artwork, but only when tapping on the progress bar which is curious as I would expect the track to jump to the time you tap but no you have to drag for that. 

I was hoping S2 would allow us to swipe the artwork to peak at the next track or swipe to play, like in Spotify and Deezer, but again no you have to tap the back or forward button for that.

Missed opportunities and lost functionality.

C

I agree with the other posters as this is removing functionality from the product. Can a feature request be opened to revert back the change or to provide a switch to control it?

K

Bumping this thread. Guys, this really needs to be optional--or just put it back. There’s so much stuff on the screen that removing something extremely useful with this “simplification” justification just doesn’t make sense. Talk to any sound guy or DJ and they’ll give you some heartfelt feedback on how useful remaining time information is. You know, the progress bar looks exactly the same at 3:27 on the studio version of Elizabeth Reed as it does at 12:02 on the live version. A relative progress bar doesn’t convey the necessary information.

I’d be interested to see the number of user posts requesting the removal of the time information. I can’t find any searching the forum. I can find many, many posts from people concerned about loss of the remaining time information, both on this deliberate removal and on prior bugs. Please put it back.

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