Photo: Sonos
Sonos is shaking things up with a major update to its mobile app, launching on May 7 for both iOS and Android. This complete overhaul focuses on speed and ease of use, with a brand-new homescreen that puts everything you need at your fingertips.
Gone is the tabbed navigation bar. Now, you can customize the layout to prioritize your favourite playlists, line-in sources, and even specific carousels from music services (like Spotify's "New releases"). A persistent search bar at the bottom lets you find music quickly while swiping up from the mini player reveals a system overview for volume control and grouping speakers.
For deeper dives, there's a dedicated settings menu. Search functionality remains similar, with the added option to set a preferred music service for top billing in results. (Apple Music users, however, still won't see spatial audio labels until playback starts.)
Photo: Sonos
This mobile app revamp comes alongside the discontinuation of Sonos' controller apps for Windows and macOS. In their place, a new web app will offer control and access to your Sonos speakers from anywhere, even outside your home Wi-Fi network. (This functionality was previously exclusive to the Sonos Pro subscription service.)
The focus on speed and customization is a welcome change. The web app, along with the declining use of desktop apps, suggests a future-proof approach to Sonos control.
The new Sonos app will arrive as an update to the S2 software and will support all existing Sonos products.