You told us: Most of you struggle with the Sonos App update

Last week, I wrote about Sonos’ catastrophic app update that began to unfold several months ago and how it could threaten the company’s future. I asked you—our readers—to share your experiences with the controversial software overhaul, and the response was overwhelming.

More than 5,100 people voted in our poll, and the results confirm what many have suspected: Sonos has a serious problem on its hands.

• 29% said the app barely works with your music or audio system
• 44% reported some issues, but mostly functioning
• 21% claimed no problems at all
• 6% don’t own Sonos products

A clear majority of users are experiencing problems

When nearly three-quarters of your customer base reports issues with your product, you’re facing a crisis. While 21% of respondents have completely functional systems, a combined 73% of Sonos owners are dealing with some level of dysfunction—ranging from minor inconveniences to completely unusable systems.

What makes these numbers particularly damning is the investment these customers have made. Sonos systems typically represent thousands of dollars of premium audio equipment—not the kind of purchase most people can easily abandon or replace.

What users are saying

The comments section of our original article further illustrates just how varied the Sonos experience has become since last May’s update:

• “I have (3) play fives and (12) play ones. I’ve updated the app to its most current version. I still have issues; my play 5 won’t work as stereo pairs, and volume control continues to be an issue.” — niketown1414
• “I’m 65, retired, living on just social security. I purchased Sonos with the little I had saved up. 2 arcs, 4 Sonos ones, 1 sub, 2 Era 100s, and 2 Era 300s… It’s been sitting silent for almost a year. I wish I bought a system that just had cable hookups. This really hurt me financially.” — Joseph Ritter
• “It’s not fixed. It’s just barely usable. But too many $$ invested to move away from Sonos. But I won’t make any future investments until it actually works as promised.” — Michael Brown
• “App is a disaster. Tired of Sonos. Thinking of moving to another brand for future purchases.” — Conorachi H

Not everyone is experiencing the same level of frustration, though. Some readers reported recent improvements:

• “I have 12 Sonos devices on our network and they’re all working great since the late 2024 update. Everything with the app is at least 90% fixed.” — Doug Zbikowski
• “This has come a bit late. The app was in a bad way, not quite stopping me from using my Sonos, but bad experience for months. But now it’s ok for me. Not perfect, but decent.” — Francis Gilbert
• “It’s fine now, go back to using them… We have loads of speakers, no issues at all.” — Jon Wilde

Third-party solutions emerging

Interestingly, some users have found workarounds that bypass Sonos’ troubled official app entirely:

• “I use SonoPhone, cost $5 and works just like the old app used to, well worth checking out.” — Colin Lowe

This highlights a market opportunity that wouldn’t exist if Sonos had maintained its traditionally reliable software experience.

A company at a crossroads

With an interim CEO and a significantly restructured executive team, Sonos faces a critical juncture. Our poll results indicate that while the company has made some progress since the initial app disaster, it still has a long way to go before regaining the confidence of its user base.

For many, the decision isn’t whether to fix their existing systems—it’s whether to continue investing in the Sonos ecosystem at all. As one reader poignantly put it:

• “I have lost faith or the finance to replace; all I have are memories of a beautiful sound.” — Rod Himsley

The sentiment among commenters aligns closely with our poll data: while some users are seeing improvements, many remain frustrated or have given up entirely. The path forward for Sonos is clear: fix the app completely, rebuild trust, and remember that even the best hardware is only as good as the software that controls it.

Have your Sonos issues improved since the initial app overhaul last May? Are you sticking with the ecosystem or looking elsewhere for your next audio purchase? Let us know in the comments below.