The updated Sonos app for iOS
Sonos has issued a rare apology for its May iOS app update, promising that changes are on the way to improve a badly-received overhaul of the software.
Sonos updated its app in May, making significant updates to its iOS and Android offerings to make the app easier to navigate and to get people streaming music quicker. It turns out the app’s release was so bad that it deserved an apology.
In a July 25 blog post, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence acknowledges users had “experienced significant problems” with the updated app. “I want to begin by personally apologizing for disappointing you,” he starts.
“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,” he continued.
The app update was intended to create “a better experience,” he insists, with a view to “drive more innovation in the future.”
The path to recovery by adding missing features and functionality was slowed down, however, after the company uncovered “a number of issues.” Fixing those problems, Spence explains, delayed the plan to roll out said feature updates.
Steady fixes
Following the May 7 update, Sonos has released new versions every two weeks, with the aim of including “significant and meaningful improvements, adding features and fixing bugs.”
Sonos has also created an outline of future improvements it has prioritized in future updates. These start with improved stability when adding products and implementing a Music Library configuration in July and August.
Between August and September, it plans to improve volume responsiveness, system stability, and to incorporate UI elements based on user feedback. In September, alarm consistency and reliability is on the docket.
For September and October, the proposed changes include restoring the edit mode for playlists and the Queue, as well as other settings.
“We deeply appreciate your patience as we address these issues,” concludes Spence. “We know we have to work to do to earn back your trust and are working hard to do just that.”
A change of tune
The mean culpa follows after an intensely poor reaction to the update. Users were quick to complain about missing features that existed in the previous app, but didn’t make it to the new version at launch.
At the time, Sonos issued a press release that was somewhat tone-deaf, brushing aside the issues and insisting they would be fixed within months.
“It takes courage to rebuild a brand’s core product from the ground up, and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future,” Sonos said in a statement, before insisting users will eventually love the app’s seamless personalization.