The Sonos App Fiasco: How A Great Audio Brand Nearly Ruined Its Reputation

In May 2024, Sonos released a wholly rebuilt and overhauled mobile app for Android and iOS. The caller package was meant to amended performance, make nan app consciousness overmuch customizable, and fto for caller features successful nan future. But customers instantly complained astir countless bugs, degraded Sonos speaker strategy performance, and features that had gone missing.

The contention efficaciously torpedoed Sonos’ estimation pinch galore customers. In nan months since, Sonos has worked to regain their trust, reside issues pinch nan redesigned app, and bring backmost features that were absent astatine launch. The institution still hasn’t afloat recovered from its tremendous mistake. On January 13th 2025, Sonos announced CEO Patrick Spence would measurement down aft he was incapable to move things around.

• Sonos’ interim CEO hits each nan correct notes successful first missive to employees

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

  Tom Conrad, a longtime seasoned of nan tech manufacture who joined Sonos’ committee of committee successful 2017, has been appointed interim CEO pursuing today’s ouster of Patrick Spence. And successful his first missive arsenic nan (temporary) caller boss, Conrad hits connected a number of things that will apt beryllium euphony to nan ears of rank-and-file Sonos employees.

  “I’ve heard from galore of you astir your ain frustrations astir really acold we’ve drifted from our shared ideals,” he says successful nan letter. “There’s a tremendous magnitude of activity successful beforehand of us, including what I’m judge will beryllium immoderate very challenging moments, decisions, and trade-offs, but I’m energized by nan passion I spot each astir maine for doing correct by our customers and getting backmost to nan invention that is astatine nan bosom of Sonos’ unthinkable history.”

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• Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down aft disastrous app launch

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

  Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is resigning from nan institution today, effective immediately, pinch committee unit Tom Conrad filling nan domiciled of interim CEO. It’s nan astir melodramatic betterment yet successful an eight-month saga that has proven to beryllium nan astir challenging clip successful Sonos’ history.

  The company’s determination to prematurely merchandise a buggy, wholly overhauled caller app backmost successful May — pinch important features missing astatine motorboat — outraged customers and kicked disconnected a months-long domino effect that included layoffs, a crisp diminution successful worker morale, and a nationalist apology tour. The Sonos Ace headphones, rumored to beryllium nan afloat logic down nan hurried app, were instantly overshadowed by nan controversy, and my sources show maine that income numbers enactment dismal. Sonos’ statement forums and subreddit personification been dominated by complaints and an overwhelmingly antagonistic sentiment since nan spring.

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  Sonos plans return-to-office push for its merchandise teams

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

  Sonos will soon beforehand labour connected its various merchandise teams who unrecorded adjacent its US agency locations to recreation successful for astatine slightest 2 days per week, The Verge has learned. That’s a notable break from nan company’s history, passim which Sonos has enthusiastically supported afloat distant and hybrid work. Job listings astatine Sonos routinely authorities that “it’s astir impact, not location.” Glassdoor reviews personification agelong backed this up, pinch labour reporting nary portion to recreation into nan office.

  But that lax stance is group to alteration somewhat arsenic Sonos continues its effort to correct nan alloy pursuing this year’s app mishap and enactment connected measurement pinch upcoming products. It’s adopting a stricter argumentation that will telephone for merchandise labour incorrect proximity of Santa Barbara, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco to regularly beryllium coming astatine those offices. The Santa Barbara location is wherever Sonos is headquartered. The institution too presently operates world offices successful Paris and nan Netherlands

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  Sonos gross falls successful nan aftermath of nan company’s messy app debacle

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

  Sonos is still trying to climb retired from nan dispersed it dug itself earlier this twelvemonth by recklessly shipping an overhauled mobile app bully earlier nan package was really ready. Today, conscionable a mates weeks aft nan merchandise of its latest hardware products — nan Arc Ultra and Sub 4 — Sonos reported its fiscal Q4 2024 earnings. And nan harm done by nan app debacle is clear.

  Revenue was down 8 percent twelvemonth complete year, which Sonos attributed to “softer petition owed to challenging marketplace conditions and challenges resulting from our caller app rollout.” During nan quarter, nan institution sank $4 cardinal into unspecified “app betterment investments.” (Sonos antecedently estimated it could locomotion up to $30 cardinal to resoluteness each of nan problem that has stemmed from nan rebuilt app.)

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  Sonos has a strategy to summation backmost your trust, and coming it is

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

  Sonos remains successful nan throes of nan biggest contention successful its history — and it’s 1 of nan company’s ain making. Now, respective months aft nan May merchandise of its overhauled app severely tarnished nan brand’s reputation, CEO Patrick Spence has announced a multipart strategy to correct nan ship.

  You tin break nan strategy down into 2 main objectives. First, Sonos has taken steps to thoroughly understand conscionable really nan hellhole everything went truthful incorrect — immoderate pinch its package betterment practices and its underlying patient civilization — that it someway coiled up successful this predicament to statesman with. And second, nan institution is kicking disconnected a wide effort intended to rebuild nan spot of its customers and personification them that point for illustration this will ever hap again.

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  You tin now gripe to Sonos astir its app connected nan weekends, too.

  As Sonos tries to triumph backmost spot pursuing nan unsmooth rollout of its caller app, you tin now scope Sonos support connected Saturday and Sunday.

  
  

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  Sonos opens a Trello committee truthful we tin spot really it’s fixing nan busted app

  

  Image: Sonos

  Sonos is still trying to cleanable up from nan messiness from nan messy rollout of its caller app, and to thief springiness users a amended thought of what fixes are successful nan pipeline, nan institution has shared a nationalist Trello committee detailing fixes that it’s moving on.

  “All nan cards coming are originated from various posts and merchandise notes communications (Future Feature Update, for example), including communications from [CEO Patrick Spence] directly,” says Reddit personification KeithFromSonos, who is simply a Sonos employee. “What we are proceeding and moving connected is originated from you — nan Community astatine ample and our acknowledgment of that area of opportunity.”

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  Sonos’ latest app update fixes conscionable a fraction of its problems

  

  Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

  Sonos has released an update to its app arsenic it attempts to reverse nan fallout from a disastrous redesign. But while nan update adds enhanced accessibility settings and improved stableness during nan merchandise setup process, nan update addresses conscionable a fraction of personification complaints.

  Sonos is reintroducing nan expertise to clear your euphony queue connected nan Android app — a characteristic that’s been sorely missed since nan app’s relaunch. It too added a Night Mode toggle for sound bars, which enhances reside without you having to move up nan measurement connected your TV.

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  Sonos CEO says nan aged app can’t beryllium rereleased

  

  Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

  If you want nan aged Sonos app back, it’s not coming. In a Reddit AMA consequence posted Tuesday, Sonos CEO Spence says that he was hopeful “until very recently” that nan institution could rerelease nan app, confirming a study from The Verge that nan institution was considering doing so. But aft testing that option, rereleasing nan aged app would apparently make things worse, Spence says.

  Since nan caller app was released connected May 7th, Spence has issued a general apology and announced successful August that nan institution would beryllium delaying nan motorboat of 2 products “until our app acquisition meets nan level of worth that we, our customers, and our partners expect from Sonos.”

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  Exclusive: Sonos considers relaunching its aged app

  

  Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

  Sonos has explored nan anticipation of rereleasing its erstwhile mobile app for Android and iOS — a clear mobility of what an ordeal nan company’s hurried redesign has become. The Verge tin study that location personification been discussions precocious up incorrect Sonos astir bringing backmost nan anterior type of nan app, known arsenic S2, arsenic nan institution continues toiling distant astatine improving nan capacity and addressing bugs pinch nan overhauled creation that rolled retired successful May to a flood of antagonistic feedback. (The caller Sonos app presently has a 1.3-star reappraisal mean connected Google Play.)

  Letting customers autumn backmost to nan older package could easiness their frustrations and trim astatine slightest immoderate of nan portion connected Sonos to rectify each rumor pinch nan caller app. At slightest for now, nan redesigned type is each that’s available, which makes it intolerable for immoderate customers to debar its flaws. The business has gotten substantially amended pinch caller updates and nan app has turned a area for many, but there’s still plentifulness of activity to beryllium done.

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  Sonos lays disconnected 100 labour arsenic its app business continues

  

  Illustration: The Verge

  Sonos laid disconnected astir 100 labour this morning, a guidelines acquainted pinch nan business tells The Verge. The cuts spanned crossed nan institution and impacted divisions including marketing, merchandise and engineering, level and infrastructure, and package quality. I’m told those affected abruptly mislaid entree to nan company’s psyche network. Sonos is too successful nan process of winding down immoderate of its customer support offices, including 1 successful Amsterdam that will adjacent later this year.

  Sonos confirmed nan layoffs to The Verge connected Wednesday afternoon, providing a relationship from CEO Patrick Spence. “We made nan difficult determination to opportunity goodbye to astir 100 squad members representing 6 percent of nan company,” Spence said. “This action was a difficult, but necessary, measurement to guarantee continued, meaningful finance successful Sonos’ merchandise roadmap while mounting Sonos up for agelong connection success.”

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  Sonos delays 2 caller products arsenic it races to spread buggy app

  

  Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

  Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said nan caller Ace headphones sewage disconnected to a beardown commencement and helped spur “year complete twelvemonth gross growth” that somewhat exceeded nan company’s expectations arsenic information of its 3rd 4th net connected Wednesday afternoon. But that occurrence was instantly “overshadowed” by ongoing woes pinch nan redesigned Sonos app.

  The institution is now delaying 2 hardware releases primitively planned for later this twelvemonth arsenic it deploys an all-hands-on-deck onslaught to fixing nan app. “I will not remainder until we’re successful a position wherever we’ve addressed nan issues and personification customers raving astir Sonos again,” Spence said during nan time nett call.

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  Sonos puts nan apology for nan caller app correct successful nan app.

  Can’t deliberation of nan past clip I opened an app to an apology for really buggy nan app is!

  
  

  

  

  “Add scatter aboveground apologizing for app” is not a summons you want connected nan board, really.

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  Sonos CEO apologizes for disastrous rollout of caller app

  

  Image: Sonos

  The ample Sonos app redesign was intended to make nan company’s package overmuch modern, customizable, and easier to use. But 2 months aft its May release, it’s difficult to look astatine this business arsenic point but a colossal unforced error. Sonos has been steadily adding backmost missing features and functionality pinch predominant app updates, but nan chorus of customer vexation isn’t going away.

  To that end, CEO Patrick Spence coming published a missive that covers nan advancement Sonos has made pinch nan caller app — and what customers tin expect successful nan adjacent future. It too contains Sonos’ first nonstop apology for nan unsmooth spot that “too many” users personification gone through. Some customers personification been waiting for that aft nan company’s first responses (like saying nan app overhaul took “courage”) came crossed arsenic tone-deaf, fixed each nan bugs and method difficulties.

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  Sonos customers footwear astir missing features successful redesigned app successful statement AMA

  

  Photo: Sonos

  A week aft introducing a redesigned, sleeker app that omitted galore halfway features, Sonos held an Ask Me Anything arena connected its forums today. The intent was partially to make it clear that customer frustrations are being heard. But arsenic has been nan suit since past week, nan feedback skewed overwhelmingly negative. This company’s statement remains beautiful damn angry complete losing package capabilities for illustration conception euphony search, slumber timers, and overmuch pinch nary warning.

  Many participants asked Sonos why it released an app that was obscurity adjacent connected par pinch nan erstwhile type successful position of functionality — moreover after, arsenic The Verge has learned, backstage beta testers raised concerns pinch nan authorities that nan package was successful earlier launch. And they were often small than satisfied pinch nan answers fixed by Sonos’ merchandise team.

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  Sonos says its arguable app redesign took ‘courage’

  

  Image: Sonos

  Sonos has responded to nan avalanche of feedback — immoderate good, plentifulness bad — astir nan company’s redesigned mobile app that was released connected May 7th. In nan days since, customers personification complained astir missing features for illustration slumber timers, room conception euphony room management, and nary longer having nan expertise to edit playlists aliases nan upcoming opus queue. More alarmingly, nan Sonos app’s accessibility has too taken a hit, point nan institution says it’s aiming to resoluteness by adjacent month.

  In a relationship provided to The Verge, Sonos confirms that it’s keenly alert of nan gripes that owners of its speakers personification expressed astir nan caller app. It’s proceeding their consequence and is moving to reside nan functionality that has (for now) gone missing. But nan institution is too opinionated down its determination to rotation retired nan app this week, fundamentally describing it arsenic a unsmooth spot that will, successful theory, lead to a overmuch amended acquisition for everyone down nan line.

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  Sonos announces redesigned app that puts everything connected your homescreen

  

  Image: Sonos

  Today, Sonos is officially introducing nan redesigned mobile app that I showed you earlier this month. It’ll rotation retired for immoderate Android and iOS connected May 7th, but nan company’s desktop apps aren’t coming connected for nan ride: Sonos will discontinue its controller apps for Windows and macOS successful nan adjacent future. Taking their spot is simply a caller web app that will fto you to powerfulness and entree your Sonos speakers from anyplace — not conscionable erstwhile you’re location connected Wi-Fi.

  But for now, let’s get backmost to nan smartphone app. It’s been rebuilt from nan crushed up to beryllium overmuch reliable. Sonos’ basal extremity was making everything consciousness faster and getting you wherever you want to beryllium without relying connected a tabbed navigation bar. Now, everything is connected nan homescreen, and you tin customize nan layout to put your favourite playlists up top. Want your line-in audio guidelines positioned higher than everything else? You tin do that, too. You tin pin circumstantial carousels from euphony apps (like Spotify’s “new releases”) to nan homescreen arsenic well. And there’s a persistent hunt barroom astatine nan bottom, truthful uncovering euphony is ever conscionable a azygous pat away.

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  This is nan caller Sonos app, coming May 7th

  

  Illustration: The Verge

  Sonos will merchandise a important update to its mobile app for immoderate Android and iOS connected May 7th, The Verge has learned. Based connected screenshots provided by group acquainted pinch nan company’s plans, nan app is receiving a caller overgarment of paint. Sonos is too moving to make merchandise setup easier and fortify connectivity betwixt its galore speakers. As always, nan circumstantial merchandise time is taxable to alteration if nan institution encounters immoderate last-minute issues.

  The revamped app will rotation retired arsenic an update to nan Sonos S2 app that nan institution released successful 2020 erstwhile it forked disconnected immoderate of its oldest products and adjacent them connected nan bequest S1 platform.

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