Just when you thought theSonosapp update debacle had reached its peak,The Verge reportsthat discussions have been held at Sonos about the possibility of bringing back theold version of the app. While some of the problems that plagued the new version of the Sonos app have been addressed, there are still major issues, to the point that two major new product releaseshave been put on holduntil the app issues have been resolved.
One of the possible remedies to the current situation that The Verge reports as being discussed “high up within Sonos” is the temporary fix of making the old app available again, until the problems with the new version have been completely ironed out.
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What is the Sonos S2 app?
The previous version of the app worked just fine
Prior to the calamitous redesign, there were two versions of the Sonos app:S1andS2. S1 was the original version of the app and works with the oldest Sonos hardware, such as theSonos ZonePlayermodels, as well as thePlay:5 (Gen 1)andSonos Bridge. It’s only possible to control these devices using the S1 app.
The S1 app is still available for download and works as expected with S1-compatible devices. It’s even possible to downgrade many of the more recent Sonos products that were designed to work with the S2 app so that you can control them with the S1 app. Devices such as theSonos One,Sonos Beam (Gen 1),Sonos Move, and the first-generationSYMFONISK speakersfrom Ikea can all be controlled using the S1 app. If your setup only includes devices that are compatible with the S1 app, this is probably your best option at the moment.
The S1 app is still available for download and works as expected with S1-compatible devices.
The S2 app was introduced in 2020 and added new features such asDolby Atmossupport and the ability to add multiple speakers to specific room groups. Newer Sonos products such as theSonos Era 100,Sonos Roam, andSonos Arcwould only work with the S2 app and weren’t compatible with the older S1 app.
And then in May of this year, Sonos released a major update to the app that introduced a completely new design, andit did not go well. The app was missing features such as the ability to set sleep timers, add songs to a queue, and play music from local devices. Some users were even unable to add new speakers to their system using the new app. It got to the point where Sonos CEO Patrick Spence was forced topublish an apology.
Currently, it’s not possible to roll back to the previous Sonos S2 app, meaning that Sonos users are stuck waiting for the regular updates that are slowly working through the long list of issues.
Is the Sonos S2 app definitely coming back?
Its return would come with some significant challenges
Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as simply rolling back to the old version of the app until the problems with the new version have been ironed out. There are two key reasons why it’s an issue.
The first is that Sonos recently released its first ever headphones. TheSonos Ace headphoneswere specifically designed to work with the new version of the app. Rolling back to the previous version of the app may mean that the Sonos Ace headphones lose functionality.
Sonos has made it clear that the ultimate plan is to push ahead with the updated version of the app.
The second is that a major part of the redesign has been the move to a more cloud-based system, which means that restoring access to the previous version of the S2 may not be as simple as simply releasing the old app back into app stores.
Whether or not we do see a temporary return of the old version of the app, Sonos has made it clear that the ultimate plan is to push ahead with the updated version of the app. During therecent earnings call, Patrick Spence confirmed that he believes that redesigning the app “was and remains the right thing to do.”
