What Happened to Sonos? | Is the Sonos App Fixed Yet?

[@rufdymond]

As a software guy who’s been in software development for 30 years, I just cannot understand how SONOS managed to release an upgrade that was so obviously broken.

[@jimk59]

"Hold my beer" - Crowdstrike

[@504cool]

@@jimk59I was about to say the same thing 😂

[@CasepbX]

This is the times we live in. Everything is rushed out. It has become the norm.

[@chris2ferUtoob]

Sales Execs. Nuff said.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

Easy. They rushed it to market knowing it wasn't finished/feature-complete and they skipped all focus groups and beta testing to try and meet an entirely artificial, self-imposed deadline. They did this to themselves. This is 100% their fault. Why? Well, you peel that onion back far enough and it all comes back to one answer: Greed. It always comes back to greed. And all their customers got to pay the price for it. Shameful.

[@butinsho7585]

The CEO should be fired.

[@michael-4k4000]

He should declare Prima Noct!

[@guywebster8018]

Absolutely

[@Nibbs151]

The only scenario that I can think of that would explain why the CEO has not been fired is if the board was behind the decision to release the products/software before they were ready and the CEO pushed back but was forced to go with direction from the board.

[@NickyNicest]

You’re in luck he just got the boot

[@sopek1427]

Just got fired

[@brianfritz575]

Long time Sonos user here. I disagree that this won't happen again. I expect it to. They've done it before. The issue with the sound profile change that borked subs. When they decided to get rid of the original app, telling us that many of our devices would just stop working, but don't worry, they'd give us a pittance to upgrade to the new stuff when they disabled our old working items! They are like every other tech company. They care only about next quarters profits. Yes, they borked our systems because they needed to get Sonos ACE out, for those almighty next quarter profits. This is far from the first time, I don't expect it to be the last. I think what I own I'll hope they get working better, but I had planned some additional purchases, that will now be more traditional wired in systems. They've pissed me off with their "upgrades" far too many times.

[@mediataal]

Also Long Time User and I totally agree. Exactly what you said. I haven’t bought any Sonos products since their ridiculous, insane ‘just throw it away’ action. They have no idea how much they’ve lost by being so unreliable. I will never buy Sonos or any ‘all-in-one’ speaker again. I've been stuck with an outdated and slow app for years now. I’m curious when they’ll stop supporting that too.

[@leejoliver]

Sonos has totally lost the plot - like you I'm a long-term user and I've gone from being a massive fan to thinking about kunking it

[@mediataal]

@@leejoliver Yes. True and so sad.

[@walterbkeen]

Couldn't agree more. This is just the latest in a long line of botched "upgrades" and sloppy programming.

[@mjp0815]

Totally agree, my equipment has been on off paperweights over the years.

[@UncleSev]

Sonos is proving that app-only controlled hardware is a BAD idea.

[@itshadouken]

Not really, more like just proving they have bad QA

[@Kelvin-H.]

I'm very disappointed with SONOS, the entire app is trash, it crashes constantly, I have to constantly reprogram my system for it to work, just trash pure trash, and great video.

[@shervinfarivar3348]

You hit the nail on the head. I still think they should release the older Sonos App just to let people who don't have Headphones use their systems. That would have been the right thing to do. Like they did with the Sonos S1 App.

[@thomashelmick7159]

Agreed! I'm not an over-the-ear headphone kind of person so can I please have the S2 App back so I can enjoy my existing Sonos products?!

[@TeresaAndrusz]

Agree! Agree! Agree! I have 6 Sonos speakers and over 30 custom playlists I used all the time. The new app ruined Sonos on my phone, but the older, unbroken version was my goto for my system on my tablet. Then they forced my tablet to update and I lost everything. I hate Sonos now. The products I loved, bragged about, and used in every room of the house on a daily basis is rarely used since everything is lost and broken. No favorites. Recently played does not show up. My custom playlists have vanished and it is impossible to create new ones. Yes, I can stream, but I don`t want the ads. I want to hear who *I* want *when* I want. Not waiting for it to come around on a station' or preset playlist. ROLL US BACK!!!

[@rsplatpc]

"We needed to release headphones because our sales were stagnant and our investors were pissed, so our CEO just said release it even though we didn't test shit" = Sonos

[@n_quintero]

I work in tech and im willing to bet this is exactly how it went down

[@elhefe2222]

They did test and told they weren't ready but management doesn't care. We have to release it now...

[@Jerryman_PL]

Well, thair sales should not be stagnant anymore - goal achieved. But drop down a lot :)

[@michael-4k4000]

lol. Let’s brick all previous released products so we can release a new pair of headphones. Because there are not enough headphones out there. Lol

[@lostphotographs3936]

A friend of mine I ride one wheels with is part of the dev team. EVEN they asked to push it back before launching. Trust me... we all give him (youtube friendly word inserted here) about it. They know that it was a decision on the upper management level that the engineers pushed back against. In fact let me repost in the main chat because this needs to be known. Leave the sw engineers out of it, frame your hate toward management.

[@lulul]

i actually laughed at the "good news is this will never happen again". haven't we learned anything by now?.

[@jhayd11]

Looks like Digital Trends have already forgotten about the OG app to S1 to S1. Bricking multiple devices to support new tech. So bad, other tech companies had to weigh in as it was tanking trust in the whole smart device market. Wired wrote: "The Sonos outrage exposes the smart home's expensive flaw." Verge article from 2023 talking the same as DT about how Sonos will learn its lesson. "Sonos isn’t about to make the same mistake twice. In hindsight, its transition in 2020 to a major new software platform, S2, could’ve been communicated better and handled with more consideration for longtime customers." All of these huge overhauls, all under Patrick Spence were failures.

[@graysonpeddie]

Let the history always repeat itself. Again. Again. And again.

[@williampetzer4540]

I’ve sold my system that I had in my house. And I had Sonos all over my house and 2 subs. And I will never buy another Sonos again.

[@Watch4Me]

Wow, that's pretty dramatic. Being in tech has given me more patience. What feature made you pull the plug?

[@williampetzer4540]

@@Watch4Me I was just tired Of the system working and then for some reason 2 or 3 of the speakers stop working. And it’s in the same room to one that is working. My wife like to entertain and listening to our music. And you just never sure if the system is going to work or not. And I’m sorry but Sonos is NOT very helpful. Hope that helps

[@guywebster8018]

​@@williampetzer4540 bro you pawned that misery off on someone else? 😂 I wouldn't be sharing that....

[@williampetzer4540]

@@guywebster8018 they wanted it

[@PenFriends]

Had mine over a decade, no issues here … ever

[@Hibbsy316]

Agree, completely unacceptable, terrible communication for the first 6 weeks. They seam to be trying to fix their issues while also adding features people don't want which is mad, get the basics sorted then sort out the new features. Even today my app looses my system making it impossible to change settings on the fly. Was on the fence to buy the Ace headphones but won't be now. Huge hill to climb to make up with good will.

[@fuzziestlumpkin]

I wasn't on the fence, I was waiting for the Sonos headphones to be released and they probably would have been an instant buy if this app debacle hadn't happened. Now I'm wary of ever getting a set even if they fix the issues.

[@sweetgregt]

Welp going to seriously reconsider ever getting into the Sono ecosystem now. When everything hinges on the one app to work and they bork it this bad, it’s not a good look.

[@michael-4k4000]

What about Harmon Carden or Martin Logan or Mark Levinson or Mark Hamilton?

[@InstruMentalCase]

I spent two hours last week trying to register my lone Sonos Move speaker in their ****show of an app, just so that it would unlock the ability to simply use it as a Bluetooth speaker, after a failed firmware update forced me to preform a factory reset. You’ll run into the same issues if you try to pair it after getting a new WiFi network. Their guides are terrible and you’re forced to just keep resetting it and repeating the process until it randomly finally succeeds (if you’re lucky). I will never under any circumstance buy another Sonos product. I can’t only imagine the nightmares that would come with running an entire surround system in their broken, slow and perpetually inadequate ecosystem.

[@michael-4k4000]

@@InstruMentalCase Sonos is NOT to blame bubba

[@NizarNoor]

Don't do it. Stay away

[@ThomasHoffDE]

I wouldn't - it's awesome still.

[@lostphotographs3936]

A friend of mine I ride one wheels with is part of the dev team. EVEN they asked to push it back before launching. Trust me... we all give him (youtube friendly word inserted here) about it. We ride in a group with several Sonos speakers. They know that it was a decision on the upper management level that the engineers pushed back against. In fact im reposting in the main chat and hope it gets pinned because this needs to be known. Leave the SW engineers out of it, frame your hate toward management.

[@billeverett4090]

I think that’s probably true of all IT disasters. The people who are close to the work always know when it’s not going to work. It’s the senior leadership that either pushes it forward anyway (less common) or creates a culture where people are afraid to fully tell the truth because they know it will negatively impact their jobs (more common). You always need to talk to the people that actually do work to know what’s happening.

[@TheCowthryn]

As a software product manager I'm sure the entire product and development teams got screwed by management who doesn't understand shit about how quality software is made. I feel for the real folks who design, build, and test the software. If management created the right environment for them to do their jobs they'd get it done. Artificial deadlines ruin so much software.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

Sonos just taught an absolute Master Class in what a company should NEVER do. They rushed a sloppy, obviously unfinished product to market (Ace headphones) and then followed it up with broken, untested software that was full of bugs/problems and wasn't even close to being ready to be pushed out. You literally couldn't drop the ball any more than that if you tried. Sonos did EVERYTHING wrong here - they did exactly what a company is NEVER supposed to do...and they did it on MULTIPLE levels, all at the exact same time. Universities will be doing case studies on this monumental corporate screw up in their business schools for years to come. (Seriously, a LOT of people need to be fired inside of Sonos for letting this happen. This is NOT the kind of screw up that people should be keeping their jobs over. SOMEONE inside that company should have had the GUTS to stand up in high-level meetings and say, "Oh, HELL no! Are you even KIDDING me here? We are NOT doing this to our customers. We are NOT ready to roll this product/software out yet. This is absolute corporate SUICIDE if we do. No...just NO.)

[@spinhero]

I work in software QA and nope..they don’t get any sympathy from me. There are already a lot of controls in place for bug fixes to be released out to the public..let alone a major app redesign. They knowingly released an app that clearly should’ve been in development for a couple more months.🤷🏻‍♂️

[@BlueSpruce2]

Like Crowdstrike and Microsoft? 😅

[@despareint]

I guess they had no version control in place so the devs would share zips around lol

[@TrueFactBoston]

Excellent video but lack of showing some major issues to us. We would love to see more videos about issues related to all brands, pushing the brand to resolve them. Thank you!!

[@popeefrog4358]

Just a note. It’s still completely broken

[@nspgreen]

Working fine for me. I had no idea there was an issue until friend who is currently shopping for one learned about it. My arc and sub never stopped working and I’ve had it over a year.

[@slimerone]

the fact that the CEO still has a job tells me they learned nothing and will most likely happen again

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

Of course. Leadership comes from the TOP. Instead of issuing his apology letter, he SHOULD have issued his RESIGNATION letter.

[@sparkcone]

I think he fired the whole App team and had to hired all new people to re-designed the app

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

@@sparkcone Well, I certainly hope so!

[@hans-peterschmid7749]

​@@sparkconeBut the fish stinks from the head.

[@RoderickLucassen]

My system was useable, but buggy as heck. Longer on loading, ‘forgetting’ my settings like trueplay and max volume limit etc. Seems a bit faster now, but this is a big mistake by Sonos. Let’s make this video huge and spread the word! Thanks man for putting this out here. Keep up your great work!

[@jdc212]

I have several original, first Gen Sonos. As I recall, a couple years ago when they upgraded they told us our original equipment (remember the remote) wouldn't work after.... But! We could buy all new equipment at a discounted price 😂 Sonos soon retracted the plan and kept the old system up as well. I have been reluctant to buy Sonos since.

[@nononsense5182]

Just want more money for a product , I'll buy bose instead 😬

[@Elwin-w3v]

The app bricked my old sonos devices twice.

[@michael-4k4000]

thats Sonos, Sonos loves to lay bricks....

[@deathsyth8888]

This is why dedicated hardware functions and user interfaces are important. Yes it's great to have different options and settings to help configure your audio needs but if that's your only way to access those features then you might as well not have them in the first place if the app is useless or broken after what you paid for them.

[@504cool]

I’ve been a Sonos user for less than a year and it seems like the biggest difference between them and other companies is that their monthly updates have a “giveth” and “taketh away” feel. Whether or not you’ll still have that really nice system you started out with depends on the next update 🤷🏾‍♂️. The systems sound great, however I wish they were a little bit MORE like other companies from a firmware update standpoint, every few months and only when needed.

[@cestseb]

I mean yea that’s valid. But I’ve had Sonos for like 8 years now? And some people decades. The speakers work very well are reliable and hold their resale value at least they used to. I enjoy every day my Sonos play 5 gen two and I’m sure they’re like 6 years old I bought them used 0 issues. Also there usually wasn’t anything taken away before this all started with the new app

[@Robobeast76]

So true - I'm only two years in and have lost the music library connection from my phone and now from my pc with the new app. Half of my system disappears and requires a restart. Lovely

[@504cool]

@@Robobeast76 Damn…. yeah I use mine primarily for home theater, but if was using it for music I’d be pissed. Sorry about the disconnect issues. What’s funny is that I was trying to do an update the other day and couldn’t find the section to even check for updates in the new app. I’d certainly seen it on the old app, as well as this one too. Not sure if was removed due to the issues they were having.

[@philrhbrg]

Thank you for this Video! They really need to fix their app and clear up this mess. Its actually unuseable.

[@anthonycunningham1026]

Newton said it first. The more stuff there is to make everything work, the more there is to break.Keep it simple, keep it forever.

[@Scalptrash]

If I wasn’t so deeply invested, I would jump ship. Just trying to limp along until they fix this train wreck. The smart move, and one that everyone would greatly appreciate, is to roll it back. They will never admit defeat, however, and continue to string their customers along.

[@ryanhaggerty]

Thanks for covering this topic. It’s been hell of a ride for us Sonos users.

[@IndieRocke]

Like so many others I sold off 75% of my Sonos system after the whole app debacle. The only speakers I have left are in my bathrooms and kitchen and I just Airplay now with them or ask Alexa. I’ve abandoned the app altogether. So much goodwill and brand loyalty just down the drain from an ownership perspective. It’s dumbfounding. I hope that headphone launch was worth it because they have become the Boeing Starliner of streaming leaving their user base stranded and waiting while they try and piece it back together.

[@petergplus6667]

Crowd strike level. I hope people sue them successfully.

[@TheDentist27]

I wasn’t able to adjust the surround sound volume in s2 like I used to until after I ran the true tune. Took me two hours of frustration to figure that out.

[@BrentlyAVPS]

Why does Sonos suck so badly now? SHAREHOLDERS! Corporate greed and shareholders. I WAS a Sonos dealer from day 1 (remember the ZP100?). I used to love the product and couldn't stop selling it but no more. I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. It's nothing but a nightmare now.

[@CompleteMisc]

People have forgotten how they stranded those of us with old Sonos equipment a few years ago. Thankfully there was enough pushback that they have kept the old app updated but you can’t tell me there wasn’t a way to integrate the old devices into the new app. And the “discount” to upgrade the hardware still would’ve cost me a thousand bucks or more to replace all the equipment I have.

[@online_now6834]

The problem with Sonos now is that is incredibly expensive and really not much if any better than offerings from other companies now.

[@BrentlyAVPS]

It's SO overpriced now

[@cestseb]

Uhm their hardware support is second to none. Get a 500 bucks Bose speaker and 2 years later they changed apps and ecosystems and they don’t work together. I still have gotten used year old Sonos speakers that work well and sound awesome. The app is a pain in the butt sometimes now but it has been improving

[@richarddixon6354]

Didn’t Sonos make a load of IT staff redundant earlier this year? Sad to see it in decline but this company rarely did discounts in the past now it is every month and a stock price that has fallen 30% this year.

[@moerudyk790]

Please keep us up to date on this issue! I have a complete setup and found it not working that well anymore!

[@gestell]

It is an unprecedented mind boggling tech debacle that essentially bricked the very expensive systems of faithful users. This is reflected in the rapid plummet of Sonos stock.

[@thomashelmick7159]

Thank you for making this video. Just to be clear, Sonos has not fixed anything yet. NONE of my many Sonos products (list below) will reliably stay connected to the App and No, I cannot Airplay to any of them. I have factory restored all of them to exhaustion as well as reset my router more times than I can count. My main system (Arc, 300's x2; 2 Subs) will play through HDMI but are not showing on the App or Airplay. It's the same story for my second system (Beam2, Sub-Mini, One's x2). Heck, even the stereo pair of One's I have in the kitchen are unusable to play music. Only the Sonos Move and Roam are usable. I appreciate Patrick's Spence's letter but it is worded in a way that makes me think people like myself have a HUGE amount of money sunk into Sonos products that are barely or completely unusable. I was already sold on getting the Arc 2 before the App update. I will have to wait to see if Sonos can EVER fix this mess which from my perspective, seems doubtful.

[@vivianmiller-hawkins2551]

We paid over 10K to be able to use this system all over my house and the system stopped working. Sonos step up and do your job and get this fixed!

[@amanbat1151]

Even if Sonos fix the app soon, the users will still have trust issues with Sonos. I have already sold most of my Sonos speakers, and now I’m down to my 5.1 system with Arc. I’m just waiting to see if Sonos will add DTS-X support for my Arc system, if it doesn’t then I’ll sell it all away and move to another reliable brand whose products do not fully depend on an App.

[@andycecil8753]

You hit the nail on the head 👍 if you only needed the new app for the headphones, why didn't they let people with loads of other Sonos gear but who didn't buy the headphones, simply rollback to the previous version, instead like you say, they rendered everyone's entire systems unless and 2-3 months on (and counting!) very basic functions, edit the queue, clear the queue are still missing. Personally the Sonos mess has been far worse than the Crowdstrike one!, heads should have rolled!

[@michaelkaster5058]

This is more an apology for Sonos. Wishy washy 'awe guys, Sonos is trying'.

[@JoeyB681]

The latency is breathtaking. Sometimes takes 3 minutes for the app to find my sonos system. I use this app to play music off my computer. That was broke for 2 months. They fixed that but if you want to look at the Queue, instead of going to where you are in queue, it goes to the 1st item and you have to search for where you are.

[@bob87776]

Yes. Latency on volume control is particularly debilitating. Basically have to use the switches on the speakers to control volume. The sluggish app volume controls cause confusing over-correction as later commands take before earlier ones. the volume dances around as the system catches up. And Sonos playlists still are MIA. I’ll never buy another Sonos product.

[@phillipfrankreid]

I always have to launch the app twice on my Galaxy S20 5G. Always. The first time "no system found." Second time, it will load--slowly. I get volume control lag, room toggle lag, and sometimes, the app loses connection with the player altogether and I have to unplug the player to stop the music. I used to think Sonos was the greatest digital technology on Earth. I've had it for fifteen years. Now, I'd suggest to anyone in the market that they do their research and assume nothing in advance.

[@Mhosborn]

I'm of the opinion that Sonos's CEO DID know about the issue, but gave the green light to releasing the awful update anyway. Sonos is not THAT large a company that something like this flies under the CEO's radar.

[@Allanhyde264]

Was considering a Sonos speaker setup for my house. Thank you. Will go with something less problematic

[@Elwin-w3v]

The good thing about sonos, old play:5 has a headphone input. I connect my TV to it and it wirelessly connects to my play:3

[@cede30]

Sonos will never let this happen again?? Lol. They did it once, they will do it again. It's just a matter of when.

[@jhayd11]

Already did this once... in 2020. This is the second screw up of an app roll out.

[@muddynyc]

This is not the first time Sonos F’d over their customers. Remember the forced upgrade path that bricked old equipment? Yes, they backpedaled on the bricking and created a grey app to continue to support the older equipment. And yes, they gave and still give a 30% rebate if a customer chooses to upgrade to the equipment that works with the gold app. But at first it was a big F you to their early adapters and “word of mouth” free good will ambassadors. And just as that headache has dissipated they do something worse. It seems like new WiFi speaker company could mop the floor here.

[@wattheheck6010]

Here I am 4 months after you posted this "What's Happened to Sonos?" video and I landed upon your take because I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH MY very expensive SONOS SYSTEM!!! In 2021, I purchased the Arc White, two SLs, and the white subwoofer. So I'm all in for around $2,000. Everything was great...until the product software updates, app updates, and having to reset my system every time I lose power, which, in the South, is about every other month or when there are thunderstorms. I am SO unhappy with my SONOS system that I am thinking about going to a bookshelf stereo speakers and receiver. Maybe I'll just sell my SONOS system. I wonder if SONOS is reading this review...

[@behwatch]

That's why never buy a product that depends on app only, it must be playable without any app.

[@WalterRiggs]

I say this with 37 years of software experience: this is what happens when you fire full time coders and use contracted coders from foreign lands for 1/10th the cost. If only people got this upset about the SiriusXM app redesign last year. 😂

[@BlueSpruce2]

I cancelled my Sirius XM subscription and don't miss them at all. They are no longer worth the money. Lots of terrestrial alternatives out there and I don't have to support the salary of a lunatic like Howard Stern.

[@markg3380]

@@BlueSpruce2 I’m so disappointed in Sonos and agree with your points about Sirius. What are your favorite alternatives?

[@Whateverdude970]

this is why i didnt bought a Sonos sound system this week, but JBL. Im happy i did. Sonos is so damn expensive, its ridiculous to have that only being functional through an app.

[@nononsense5182]

I saw this sound bar speaker at Best Buy, the whole weekend was spent trying to set it up....🥴 I decided to get my money refunded on a $500 purchase Trash What's sad is the employees pretending to back this product 😠

[@CastIronEric]

I have a Sonos Beam Gen 2 plugged into my G4. When I try to use my Sony XM4 headphones, the Sonos Beam takes control back from my XM4s and audio starts playing out of the Beam again. The only way I can use my headphones 🎧 is to disconnect the HDMI cord from my Sonos first. Is there any fix for this?? I hate having to get up and do that over and over..

[@HockeyPuck95]

Bought my first Sonos product last week. Went from super excited to super disappointed. Wish I had known about all this before I purchased it! I’ll be returning the speaker and looking for another brand instead

[@rob5129]

I have a beam for a month now and 2 era 300 as rears for 3 days now. Everything works perfectly fine, the app just sucks but you don’t really need to use it if you use Spotify or the voice assistant. What was the reason for you to return it?

[@jonjonsson2369]

I am a SONOS lover - and have got friends to buy the same. I have 9 speakers in my house on different levels. This new app has screwed me over - with so much maintenance and long phone-calls. How is that SONOS RELEASED THIS ???? Now to split different music into different speakers - is a multilayer operation. I'm trying to do this for my wife, as this is just too DIFFICULT !!! Please do some simplification SONOS team !!! or give us the old app !!

[@incognitooo]

Was a proud Sonos user until this debacle. Sold all Sonos gear and switched to a AVR/speakers for tv + HomePods around the house.

[@rinmlo]

I have an old Sonos connect and it was always pretty reliable on its own. Then I went and bought the two Ikea bookshelf speakers a few years ago and to be honest everything never worked that well together, especially when you mix wired and WiFi. Stuck on the S1 app because of the old connect, but that seems like a blessing now.

[@blackscorp]

Thank you Caleb keep making videos like this putting companies on blast . Bose is another one 🤬🤬 . I purchase and upgrade my products and I notice the flaws. I even take time out to call these companies and complain myself . I’ve called Sonos numerous of times even before the update …. I have the arc , two era 300s and the latest sub . I’m hearing rumors of the arc 2 soundbar I hope they continue to fix their stuff

[@jmac7131962]

I brought 2 Play:3's in 2012 and I loved them. Now, they are almost useless. The response has improved but I can not see them ever being the same. Nor will I ever buy a Sonos product again. If Sonos wants to save face and customer base they should offer a buy back or credit toward new updated product.

[@lindaguarracino6378]

You explained everything very well. I still have no way to save a playlist once I add a locally stored track. It makes no sense. I will never buy the Ace headphones even if I wanted headphones.

[@b_altmann]

Good old days when you had an amp, speakers, and a source for music.

[@drvcrash]

i was just about the pull the trigger on a complete Sonos system for Atmos when the new app hit and decided to wait. But now most likey will get the Sony Quad.

[@NizarNoor]

I "unplug" (smarthome power management) most of my outlets when I'm away. I had just come back from vacation, I turned everything back on, tried to play one album on my Sonos speakers, it just said "Something went wrong". Waited for a few mins, tried to play another album, it worked. But now that one album I wanted to play initially seems to be forever unplayable. Tried restarting, signing out/in, reinstalling the app, nothing works. It's so frustrating.

[@gininktattoo5138]

Do you have any update when app will be fixed. Thanks

[@LordJasonKing]

Is it fixed? I cannot even connect my Sonos One.

[@megalozyx]

Yup. Still broken.

[@1mother99]

I bought a Sonos soundbar this weekend and kept it for a whole two hours. The right side had static and it seems like they have been dealing with that for at least two years. I found chats about it on their website so I returned it.

[@jagathon777]

"You had one job!" Fair and enjoyable video as always!

[@cdavidhord]

I have a bunch of speakers that no longer work/connect. I should retry since you mentioned a recent update. No more purchases until fully resolved.

[@ThomasBricker]

I have been a Sonos user for many years. I have some of their speakers and their amp. I have been in the habit of not using their software at all because I just use airplay with my other Apple speakers. I recently purchased the Sonos arc and sub mini. In the process of trying to set up these new speakers, I was awakened to the nightmare that is the Sonos app. It is beyond a doubt, one of the worst pieces of software I have come across in years. In general, the layout of the app should’ve never passed the first round of QA testing in development. But what really infuriated me was the many dead ends that I ran into when the new speakers would not install correctly, and the lack of ability to resolve this issue. Calling and texting their tech-support was a frustrating waste of two hours. I am so soured by this experience, that I may just return the speakers and stick with the Vizio elevate system. I already have. At least it works like it’s supposed to. 🙄

[@genergonzalez6258]

Old school never fail. Cables are anoying but the most reliable way for a stable sound system. Receivers nowadays are on top of streaming audio platforms so I stay that way for a looong time. Btw, way cheaper too.

[@jesperengelbredt]

And 4 months later its still not much better. Simple tasks like using volume control in the app is buggy and laggy, often failing and when it works there is a 1-3 second delay to every adjustment, making it really difficult to hit the desired volume level. And all of this because Sonos insists that commands that were previously carried out locally on your own WIFI now has to go through Sonos servers. Why? Most likely because they are getting ready to force a monthly sub on us in order to use the products that we already paid a pretty hefty price for.

[@WaterDR-tw8re]

Never had any issues with mine…

[@Mean_Bean279]

I feel like I’m one of the only Sonos users that didn’t really have an issue. On launch day of the new app I definitely experienced some issues, but within a few weeks they were fixed. The only problem I had with it was that the alarm clock wasn’t working. That’s not to minimize what others are experiencing, but I also setup my Sonos system in a way where I wasn’t reliant on the app itself.

[@mayday6880]

6:28 that's the point, It is incomprehensible why they didn't just use the previous working app and a ACE basic implementation that they could have taken care of afterwards.

[@dennispaton3798]

I lost access to my local music library. It on a Mac mini that has the Sonos app running on it!

[@hawaiirealestateorg]

The app still sucks to this day!! Freeeeeaaaakkkkk

[@collywallydooda]

I gave a Sonos Roam to my Dad for his birthday, the day after the app update. Hours of frustration trying to set it up but couldn't get it working, then discovered it was this update. It wasn't just bad to use, it flat out couldn't pair a new device so the Roam was completely unusable. It's here you discover you can't even bluetooth pair to play music without setting the device up with the app first, the app doesn't work and your device is useless. Tested update after update, it wasn't until a month ago that an update allowed it to be setup. Really poor start for a new customer, lucky I got a fantastic deal on the Roam to keep us persisting with getting it working.

[@outofbody4854]

does anyone know if there is a way to get the old sonos app to work? i am always forced to update when i install an old version!

[@AlainKapture]

I‘ve lost my TruePlay without any notifications an was wondering why my satellites were so loud

[@fuzziestlumpkin]

Wow... TruePlay... Must be nice, we still haven't got it in android land. I can understand not supporting every $150 device, but my S24 Ultra? or Pixels? Or damn, let me use the Roam at least.

[@AlainKapture]

@@fuzziestlumpkinyeah, hard to believe. If you know someone with an iPhone, ask for the calibration with this phone, after a single calibration it should stayed so.

[@CNCChazz]

Hahah I was one of those people who purchased a full surround system from Sonos less than a month after this started. One of these days by god, I will get to hear what this system can really do

[@davidbonnici8786]

What happened to Sonos? I just got home after three months in Europe and I can’t play whole house and can’t use the roam or move to play the tv sound in the backyard. Each of the four TV’s work with their subs but they are all islands and can’t work together. 10 grand down the drain. I have been with Sonos since 2005 and I can’t even Imagine how Sonos could screw this up so bad.

[@Victor-779]

I liked your explanation of the testing process, not hard too understand what it means to properly test something first before releasing to the public. Very applicable to the recent Crowdstrike issue that affected millions of PCs with their very broken update to Windows systems. It seems like we are de-evolving when to comes to certain things instead of progressing forward.

[@Jayroglyph]

“Crowdstrike, hold my beer”

[@Groover71]

I have 2 Fives and a Port. Haven’t been able to get them to show up in the app for a week, so now they’re currently unplugged (for last 3 days) and are the world’s most expensive paperweights. I’ll try yet again to get them to all connect at the same time (usually can get 2 of the 3 components to show in the app). I’m not feeling very confident about it. Factory reset these things a hundred times. I’ve gone past the debilitating anger phase and now I just laugh when the app tells me “your speaker(s) are connected, but you may have to unplug the cord and plug back in to have them show up in the app” 😂. Yeah right! Never has worked once doing that. But hey at least my Arc works, but I don’t even use that in the app, too scared to lol. Anyway, thanks for putting their feet to the fire with this video. Maybe now we’ll see some actual results if more big tech accounts make videos like this.

[@justanobody4983]

This is the reason i refuse to use any audio gear that requires an app. Give me airplay and im fine.

[@kwillee93]

Yeah this whole Sonos debacle has turned me away from the brand

[@Fish29077]

What did everyone do with their old S1 speakers?

[@samsun387]

Can't understand why they didn't just roll back this shit if it's so bad

[@rahuljayachandran4128]

Thank you Caleb and digital trends for the video-which one is your favourite Headset? I am just curious😀😀is it the sony XM5?

[@neilgilroy1629]

6 months in with ERA 300s and a beam 2, no issues. Seems like is mainly the longer term users with a mix of older products/software expectations who are most affected

[@wiesawnowicki8789]

Mine issues with beam gen 2 started after a year of using

[@davewitcher4981]

I would never, ever recommend SONOS to anyone anymore after this. Not even my worst enemy. It’s been months and it’s still not functioning well.

[@Sleepyboiwonder]

I just got some Sonos in November 2024, and it’s still buggy and loses connection all the time. Is this the new norm or did I get a bad pair?

[@thebaldiebiker]

Sadly I think it's the new norm. Take it back if you still can!!

[@SirSchmittyX]

I haven’t been able to use my Sonos Beam for over a year. The app won’t seem to connect and I can’t get a hold of Sonos customer support. I try every month or so to try it again and no luck.

[@mrgold3591]

I have a lot of Sonos speakers around the house (Arc, 3 Beams, 4 Gen 3 subs, 2 Fives, 2 Ones, 1 Era100, 4 Symfonisk bookshelf, 2 Roams). Really don't use the phone app for anything; except for room or whole house audio streaming from iphone. Use daily and I haven't noticed any issues with my Sonos system with any automatic updates.

[@craigsj]

Yes indeed. It appears that users that have multiple Sonos products are less likely to experience problems. I'm convinced the loudest complainers are owners of zero Sonos products. I do not have as many unique products as you but a similar number of total products. I rarely use the app, I use the Mac app (which is different) and have never had an issue.

[@bxrokk]

@@craigsj Ah, ok this makes sense. I have the full surround set up and have experienced zero issues with the app.

[@sparkcone]

if you don't use phone app...how do you get sonos speakers to work? what software or equipment you used to control all those sonos speakers

[@mrgold3591]

@@sparkcone I used the iphone app to add speakers, Trueplay, or join several-to-whole speakers together for house audio for music. I did most of my purchases between 2021-2023. Once set, I don't have to use the phone app for the way I use the system (mostly TV viewing). Example of not using the phone app would be only touching the top of our Era 100 (kitchen) to join/unjoin with Arc/sub/Fives (family room) for sound in second room.

[@craigsj]

@@sparkcone The Mac or PC app, which is a different code base that has not been broken. NOTE: The claim is that "a problematic app update rendered essential features unusable". No essential features are rendered unusable, first, because the app update does not fail for all users and, second, users do not have to use the problematic app at all. Finally, the presenter here is not likely to even know these things.

[@whappy1]

Literally found this video just to confirm that everyone is displeased

[@outatime88mph]

I can’t understand why Sonos doesn’t support DTS:X.

[@timf6916]

Wow, will take them off my list to buy.

[@DAMN11KIDS]

I bought an Era 300 about three months ago and the connection is a bit spotty but the sound is pretty good, I wouldn’t say amazing though.

[@itshadouken]

Weird I haven’t noticed any issues other than not liking how they changed the music browsing in the app and I have pretty much every configuration across 6 rooms

[@devonmccarroll6509]

I really wanted to buy a Sonos Beam when I buy a new TV, plus a speaker for music. Nope, not anymore. A company that can't get just ONE app right has serious issues with their tech team.