The Sonos App Update That Finally Respects Its Hardware
The latest Sonos app update is a major redesign of the Sonos companion app that introduces clearer tab navigation, smarter speaker sorting, and interface improvements aimed at fixing years of user complaints about clunky controls and confusing layouts. Sonos has started rolling out this speaker app redesign in phases, bringing features that users of its polished speakers have been demanding for a long time. Announced via a public Reddit post, the company confirmed that new navigation, a better system view, and other app interface improvements are now headed to both iOS and Android, marking a decisive attempt to close the gap between Sonos’ excellent hardware and its historically poor software experience. This is not a cosmetic refresh; it is a tacit admission that Sonos 2.0 nearly broke the ecosystem and that the companion app had to grow up fast.
Tabs, System, and Search: Navigation That Finally Makes Sense
The most important change is the new tab interface, and it’s the clearest signal that Sonos has listened. The bottom navigation bar now shows explicit buttons for Home, System, and Search, with a more obvious highlight for the selected tab. Users can turn this on through the “Enable Improved Navigation” toggle, which activates the familiar tab navigation that many felt should never have disappeared in the first place. On devices showing version 87.00.36 on iOS or 87.00.35 on Android, these app interface improvements are live and tied to the ‘Improved Navigation’ feature. This matters because the old design buried core actions behind swipes and ambiguous icons, forcing even seasoned Sonos owners to work harder than they should to control music in their own homes. Restoring a straightforward Sonos companion app layout is not innovation; it’s catching up to basic usability standards.
Speaker Sorting: Real Control for Real Multi-Room Systems
For many Sonos users, the app is less a music player and more a command center for a house full of speakers. The new sorting options finally treat it that way. Users can now sort their Sonos speakers alphabetically, by most-used, or by which speakers are currently playing audio, and can pin favorites to the top for faster access. That sounds small, but it acknowledges how chaotic large Sonos setups had become under previous designs. Instead of scrolling through a semi-random list, you can organize the system around how you actually use it. Feedback online has been broadly positive, underscoring how these “small” changes dramatically improve daily use of the Sonos ecosystem. If Sonos wants people to add more speakers, it has to make controlling many speakers less of a chore, and this speaker app redesign finally moves in that direction.
Dynamic Volume and Now Playing: Fixing the Basics First
Sonos is also tackling one of the most common pain points: volume control. On iOS, the old volume interface is being replaced with a Dynamic Volume Slider that can show either the current volume or an EQ shortcut, and is meant to respond more cleanly as you drag it. That change, along with a Now Playing screen that shifts background colors to match album art and swipe-to-delete for Sonos Favorites, reflects a focus on everyday friction rather than flashy gimmicks. The CEO has been clear about the goal, saying the team spent “hundreds of hours” watching real customers use the app to learn what confuses new owners and slows down long-time users. After an earlier redesign “nearly tanked the company’s reputation” and even forced delays of new hardware, this emphasis on basic usability is overdue and welcome.
Rolling Out in Phases, With a Clear Signal About Sonos’ Priorities
The Sonos app update is rolling out in phases, and users may wait up to two weeks before seeing it on their devices. If automatic updates are enabled, you will receive it without action; iPhone owners can also check manually in the App Store. This staggered release suggests Sonos is wary of repeating the Sonos 2.0 debacle that forced it to delay new hardware while engineers repaired the damage. More than two years on, the company has been on a “generational sprint” to restore the app to its former state and match its respected speakers with a competent companion app. There is still room to grow—lock-screen controls and widgets are obvious next steps—but this redesign finally shows Sonos treating software as seriously as hardware. If the goal was to make the system easier to learn and quicker to use, this update feels like a solid, necessary course correction rather than a marketing stunt.
