Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has made it clear that the old S2 mobile app won’t be making a comeback, even though many customers are asking for it after facing issues with the new app launched in May. During a Reddit Q&A, Spence mentioned that he had hoped to revive the old app until recently, but after thorough testing, it became evident that bringing it back would only complicate things further instead of fixing the issues.
The disappointing news stems from how everything in the Sonos ecosystem is connected. Spence points out that “Sonos isn’t just a mobile app; it’s software that operates on your speakers and in the cloud.” Since the new app launched, firmware updates for Sonos’ wireless speakers, soundbars, and cloud systems have ramped up, making the old S2 app feel “less reliable and less stable” than users remember. This news hits hard for Sonos fans who were looking forward to the return of the S2 interface after the rocky launch of the new app on May 7.
The updated version has faced backlash for various issues, including problems with speech recognition and challenges in setting up new devices.
Unfortunately, there is no way to go back to the old Sonos app.
The mess with the latest app version has really impacted Sonos in a big way. Spence has already apologized and mentioned that two new products are being pushed back, stating they won’t launch until the app is up to the high standards that everyone—customers and partners alike—expects from Sonos.
Regrettably, it is not possible to revert to the previous version of the Sonos app.
Even though the old app isn’t coming back, Sonos users can look forward to the developers working hard to improve the current version. Sonos HQ is gearing up to spend around $20 million to $30 million on software updates, customer support, and other projects aimed at rebuilding customer trust and bringing Sonos back to its heyday.
