Botched app launch: Sonos faces the wrath of users

Since May 7, Sonos has been distributing a new version of its mobile app, which is used to control the networked speakers. In a forum Q&A session, several Sonos employees have now responded to criticism from the community about this new app and promised improvements.

The new Sonos app has been developed from scratch and completely replaces the previous version. Among other things, the layout of the app has been redesigned, which according to Sonos was well received in preliminary tests. What annoyed many users, however, were the removed features compared to the previous app. The sleep timer and search for local music are missing from the app, for example, and alarm clocks did not work at launch either. Both the Android and iOS versions of the app are affected.

"An app is never finished"

"An app is never finished," Sonos Product Manager Tucker Severson responded to a post from the community in the forum Q&A session. "We've decided that now is the right time to show you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will continue to develop it in the future."

Sonos wants to address many points of criticism from the community. For example, UI manager Kate Wojogbe promised that the volume interface would be revised. The ability to search through locally stored music will also be added in an update. The alarm clock, on the other hand, should have been part of the app right from the launch - at the last minute, Sonos reportedly removed the function due to a bug. There is now an update for the app that reintegrates alarm clocks.

While the new app is being improved, Sonos advises against downgrading to the older version. "Reverting to the previous version of the Sonos app is likely to cause problems," writes Severson. The old app will no longer be compatible with the new firmware updates for Sonos products. "Our priority is to release improvements to the Sonos app quickly to meet your needs."

(dahe)