Sonos Apologizes for Widely Criticized App Redesign, Provides Progress Update

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence today penned a blog post on the Sonos website apologizing for the controversial Sonos app redesign and promising ongoing updates throughout the year.

sonos redesigned app
Spence said that improving the app for customers is the company's number one priority, and he explained that addressing bugs that came up in the new app delayed the introduction of additional features.

We know that too many of you have experienced significant problems with our new app which rolled out on May 7, and I want to begin by personally apologizing for disappointing you. There isn't an employee at Sonos who isn't pained by having let you down, and I assure you that fixing the app for all of our customers and partners has been and continues to be our number one priority.

Spence shared an outline of future feature plans, with Sonos planning to push updates on a bi-weekly basis. Alarms are set to be addressed in September, with edit mode for playlists and the queue coming in September or October.

July and August:

  • Improving the stability when adding new products
  • Implementing Music Library configuration, browse, search, and play

August and September:

  • Improving Volume responsiveness
  • User interface improvements based on customer feedback
  • Improving overall system stability and error handling

September:

  • Improving Alarm consistency and reliability

September and October:

  • Restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue
  • Improving functionality in settings

Spence says that Sonos is working hard to earn back customer trust through the continual app improvements.

Sonos in May released its redesigned app with customizable home screen and a more personalized listening service. Sonos customers quickly found that the app lacked several key features, and suffered from multiple bugs. Complaints across social media called the app a "step back" for removing playlist management, alarms, and other features.

Tag: Sonos

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...

Top Rated Comments

Sevendaymelee Avatar
13 months ago
I feel like apps are changed these days for the sake of change. Maybe keep them the same until there is an actual, pragmatic reason for them to change, and you won't have these issues.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GIZBUG Avatar
13 months ago
Almost 3 months before CEO decides to issue an apology? Oy Vey.... ?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
13 months ago
You think a company that makes as much money as Sonos could afford to hire competent app designers and a better quality-control team, but I guess that was one expense too far. :p
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Harry Haller Avatar
13 months ago

I wanna say “better late than never”, but you got to ask about the why these changes were done in the first place and why it took 3 or so months…
Corporate inertia is a powerful force.
Butterfly keyboard has entered the chat.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
13 months ago

I feel like apps are changed these days for the sake of change. Maybe keep them the same until there is an actual, pragmatic reason for them to change, and you won't have these issues.
The Photos app in iOS 18 is a huge example of this. Confusing redesign for no good reason.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
13 months ago
I know that since this is a NOT-Apple product, the piling-on will be thick... as it is in all threads with somebody else's offerings and a big picture of somebody else's brand or product... but I'm neither an Apple hater nor fan who owns LOTS of Apple stuff and some Sonos speakers. My own opinion: the app was a wholesale overhaul... like Apple has done many times before too (iWork, FCP, etc) and "big change" always begets big complaints.

However, after working with it a bit, I came to realize that the bulk of the things I used to use the app to do was now on the Home Screen and I could even put that where I want it. Unlike before, now I don't have to drill down very often with 2 or 3 or 4 clicks to get to "main" functionality. It was all brought up so it is one click to enjoy.

After adapting, I like it at least as good as the former app in all the ways I use it... and more than the old app for cutting down on the click volume. Learning curve? YES. Worth it? YES.

So carry on with the "Not-Apple" bash-fest fellas but I'm a mostly Apple guy who hasn't experienced the doom & disaster with it... certainly nowhere near as much as it seemed for those couple of YEARS of waiting for iWork apps to resurrect some pretty important features available in the '09 version and FCPX becoming overall as capable as much of the old FCP.

Nice that the CEO didn't blame the user ("you're holding it wrong"), ignore it altogether, and/or spin the "only a small number of users are affected" line. It's a niche app used by only a subset of us Apple people that is getting some attention and evolving to be better and better. Based on the S1 vs. S2 timetable, it will probably get perfected soon and then remain "THE" app for the next 6-8 years.

Last week, I just helped a relative add the Sonos 300s and Sub to an Arc using this app and all went just fine. No issues. They had already adapted to using the new app and found their new setup no challenge at all. They also added a Move 2 and it too set up as easy as ever and they understood without any training from me how to select home theater vs. Move or play them all together.

I like my Sonos set up just fine and enjoy it every day. It "just works" great with my Apple tech.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)