The Sonos app redesign aimed to modernise its software, making it more customisable and user-friendly. However, two months after its May release, the situation is widely regarded as a significant misstep. Customer frustration remains high despite regular updates to restore missing features and functionality.
To address these concerns, CEO Patrick Spence has published a letter detailing the progress made with the new app and outlining plans. This letter also includes Sonos' first direct apology for many users' difficulties. Customers had been waiting for this acknowledgement, especially after the company's initial responses seemed out of touch with the issues.
We've heard your concerns about the app update launched on May 7 and appreciate your patience as we make improvements. Please read the letter from our CEO about our progress and commitment to delivering the Sonos experience you expect and deserve: https://t.co/7Y767JBEAc
— Sonos (@Sonos) July 25, 2024
“I want to begin by personally apologising for disappointing you,” Spence writes. “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.”
Roadmap for improvements
Spence lays out the company's software roadmap from now through October. Sonos is updating the app every two weeks and has recently addressed issues with local library playback. However, some requested features, like editing the song queue within the app, will be available in the autumn.
In hindsight, Sonos should have released the rebuilt app as a beta for early adopters of the Sonos Ace headphones, which are incompatible with the previous version. This would have allowed the company to maintain the existing software while bringing the two versions to parity. Instead, Sonos is now working as quickly as possible to make the new app meet its intended goals.
