- Bloomberg says a new Sonos app update is on the way
- A key feature is additional iOS compatibility
- Anyone else getting déjà vu?
The Sonos calendar may well have skipped 2025 in relation to the promise of ‘two new product releases annually’, although the company did release a new amplifier at the start of the year – and it looks like 2026 will be a much busier year for the brand. So shall we see what shiny new gifts the Sonos Clause (sorry) has packed for us in its sack? It’s… an app overhaul. Another one.
According to Bloomberg, the company plans to rework and update its app offerings over the next few months, with an early version apparently already working internally. It’s unclear whether this means the Sonos app is just working or really working for the many customers still unhappy with the last update. Apparently, the changes will be optional and slowly integrated into the app rather than presented as a big push. (Lesson learned there, it seems.)
So what could actually change? Apparently, you’ll now be able to control your Sonos device from the iPhone lock screen using Apple’s latest development in the field. It all has to do with Apple’s Live Activities (the real-time interactive notifications that appear on the iPhone lock screen and on the dynamic island), which would certainly be a welcome upgrade for iPhone owners.
It probably won’t be the only change, as it’s something the Android app already offers, but it’s the only one we’ve heard of so far. However, a company can’t drip release features if there’s only one, so we’ll likely hear about more nearer the time.
Keeping fans happy
The word combination of ‘Sonos’ and ‘app’ may give users conniptions, as a botched app change from May 2024 that wasn’t really fixed until 2025 is now what fans think of when they hear those words used together.
The then-new app had laggy volume controls, missing features from the older app, and a more confusing design that took users too long to get their heads around. While that’s mostly fixed now, a quick perusal of the Sonos subreddit still yields post after post of complaints about the app and its bugs.
As a starting point, Sonos’ new new app really shouldn’t present these issues, or it could signal the end of trust in the brand: fool me once, and all that. Many Sonos fans are interested, and if the company is planning a gangbuster product launch this year, it’s going to need some eager cheerleaders to help it along – especially with the growing slate of WiiM products hitting the market…
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