'These team conversations have been tough' – Sonos power-users really don't like its new app, and the company responds, including asking for feedback

New Sonos app home screen shown on an iPhone, held in a person's hand
(Image credit: Sonos)

Sonos, maker of quality audio kit and some of the best wireless speakers out there, has released a new mobile app for connecting and controlling Sonos devices – but not everyone is happy with the change.

A large number of users are complaining about the new companion app, which was substantially redesigned after years of “extensive user research” and released to iOS and Android users on May 7 alongside a new browser application for desktop. App marketplaces have been flooded with one-star reviews since the new version dropped.

Here’s how Sonos’ social accounts describe the app: “A fresh look. Quicker access to your music. Easier control.” It’s meant to offer a simpler interface that’s more customizable to each user, offering something of a reset from previous versions of the app.

And here’s how a post on the Sonos subreddit with 700 upvotes describes it: “they royally screwed up.”

Sonos has since responded with an official statement to The Verge, from Maxime Bouvat-Merlin, chief product officer. “Redesigning the Sonos app is an ambitious undertaking that represents just how seriously we are committed to invention and re-invention … It takes courage to rebuild a brand’s core product from the ground up, and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future.”

Update: Sonos has now provided a similar full statement to TechRadar, though it does not clearly answer our question of when users can expect features such as sleep timers or alarms to return. The statement is as follows:

"Redesigning the Sonos app is an ambitious undertaking that represents just how seriously we are committed to invention and re-invention. It takes courage to rebuild a brand’s core product from the ground up, and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future.

The app’s revitalisation not only aims to address what customers have been asking us for in the short-term, but is also critical for supporting the exciting innovations to come from Sonos in the years ahead.

We realise there are beloved features our listeners are eager to continue enjoying now. We are working diligently to reintroduce them in the coming months, alongside additional enhancements that will make for an even better app experience.

This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Sonos as we continue to expand the way listeners can access and enjoy all the content they love in a more personalized and seamless way. We have always and will continue to listen to customer feedback so we can create sound experiences that well exceed both our standards and the standards of our listeners."

Original article continues: The company has also reached out to members of r/Sonos subreddit, where most of the unhappy discussion has been happening (along with some in the TechRadar email inbox), to explain that feedback is being discussed internally and to solicit more feedback. "These team conversations have been tough, but ultimately very helpful in highlighting the features and functionality that are most important to you," says community manager KeithFromSonos.

So, if you're one of the people affected by the missing features (more on these below), be sure to take your opportunity to be heard (hopefully).

The new Sonos app - Feedback Megathread from r/sonos

Back to basics

So, what went wrong? There are many reports of bugs and apps not loading properly, but the most common complaints appear to be about small missing features that people relied on, such as sleep timers, alarms and specific numbers for volume control – with users claiming they’re either well hidden or entirely absent from the app. (For what it’s worth, I couldn’t find them in my Android app. And this is my job.) 

Given people use alarms to, you know, wake up on time and get to their jobs, this seems like a risky thing to remove suddenly as a feature in case someone was caught unawares. 

The new app also doesn’t allow users to edit their song queue, which is such a core aspect of music streaming today that its absence is a little shocking – even if Sonos intends to add it back in later.

The redesign is certainly sleek, with all those rounded edges beloved of UI designers these days, and there’s a permanent ‘now playing’ menu, which takes up a notable portion of the screen. It’s worth noting that some users are happy, or less affected by certain features having changed, and Sonos’ aim of simplifying the UI, and bringing important information together at a single glance, is clear from the new software.

Releasing a new application is often fraught, and we live in a time when companies are pressured to release fast and improve through successive updates, rather than getting everything out the door in the first instance. However, when you already have a substantial user base who are used to an app and family of devices in a certain way, removing those features is unlikely to ever go down well.

It feels like a beta iteration of the app, with Sonos acknowledging that the limited feature set will be gradually added in the future. In the case of that message, screen reader support is another very significant feature to have left behind. 

But the promise of future updates at some point are little consolation for people finding their home audio setup is suddenly dumber than before. We’ve reached out to Sonos for comment on what kind of timelines to expect for features to be added and will update you if more information comes through.

We recommend holding off on the update for now if you're more than a casual user of your Sonos system, as there’s no way to undo it. (Perhaps Sonos could allow the previous S2 app to become available as a separate download – this would provide a great bridge while things get ironed out.) And if you have updated already, we recommend setting up an alarm somewhere else. However, the app does feature dark mode, so at least it'll get you in the right frame of mind before bed.

You might also like…

TOPICS
Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.

With contributions from
Read more
New Sonos app home screen shown on an iPhone, held in a person's hand
2024: The year Sonos slipped
New Sonos app home screen shown on an iPhone, held in a person's hand
Sonos may have finally fixed its app’s biggest remaining problem
The Sonos Arc Ultra in a living room, in front of plants and personal niknaks
Setting up the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar was one of the worst tech experiences of my life, but damn it sounds incredible
Sonos Arc Ultra
'Our core experience still needs significant improvement': Sonos is changing its whole structure to win back your trust, and promises to be 'scrappier and more focused'
close-up of soundbar mesh with Sonos branding
'We’ve let them down': Sonos gets a new CEO after its disastrous year, and it looks like better times are ahead
close-up of soundbar mesh with Sonos branding
New info about Sonos' streaming box sounds like a dream product, apart from the 2 horrendous flaws
Latest in Audio
Bose QuietComfort Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds on a blue background next to TechRadar deals don't miss badge
I've loved these Bose headphones for years and they're now $100 off at Amazon
Spotify's new Concerts Near You playlist feature showing a list of songs by local touring artists
Spotify has launched a new Concerts Near You playlist, making it easier for you to see if your favorite artists are performing in your area
SluTune Q1 Bluetooth speaker
I love this super-slim, sleep-friendly Bluetooth speaker – but the name's a nightmare
Beatles' Abbey Road streaming on Qobuz, on a smartphone
Qobuz reveals how much it really pays per stream, and I want to see more of this transparency to help us spend money more ethically
Vertere DG-X turntable on a pink/white TechRadar background
Vertere's elite DG X turntable is modular, expensive, and hugely desirable
Jia-Xin "Jay" Zhong, a postdoctoral scholar of acoustics at Penn State, used a dummy with microphones in its ears to measure the presence or absence of sound along an ultrasonic trajectory.
A wild new sound tech promises to create 'personal' sound only you can hear, but without headphones
Latest in News
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
Samsung's rumored smart specs may be launching before the end of 2025
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #652)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)