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Sonos updates its iOS and Android app again, but some key features are still missing

Sonos updates its iOS and Android app again, but some key features are still missing

As we reported earlier this month, Sonos responded to fierce criticism of its revamped app for iOS and Android with a commitment to deliver multiple updates that will fix some of the missing features. There was a big update in May (following a lot of negative customer feedback about the Sonos app update) and another in early June, and now another update is available.

Sonos has released official release notes for the new update, but to save you a click, the key changes are:

Mute button introduced in Android.
Added numeric values to the volume and group volume sliders.
Updated the volume icon to reflect the volume level on iOS.
Added stereo or mono configuration for Amp/Port output on iOS.
Improved TalkBack screen reader support for volume sliders on Android.
Added support for SonosNet channel selection on iOS.
Expanded support for service reauthorization on Android.

Suffice to say, the response from Sonos customers so far has been mixed: the app seems to improve many things, but some concerns remain.

What the new Sonos app update does and doesn't do

Users on the r/sonos subreddit say the app update appears to offer better performance and responsiveness than before, but it's still missing some key things, like queue management and library search features. They also report crashes when trying to add or use services like Apple Music, using Trueplay, or connecting some additional speakers. As one Reddit poster put it, “we're basically the beta testers.”

Sonos previously published a roadmap for app updates, which has been updated to reflect this latest update. And some key features remain on the to-do list, but are promised to ship this month. The Coming Soon list currently contains the following items: