Sonos is preparing a significant update to its mobile app, aiming to simplify navigation and introduce iPhone Lock Screen controls through Live Activities. The move is part of a broader effort to restore user confidence following the company’s widely criticized 2024 software overhaul.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Sonos plans to roll out a series of optional changes to its iPhone and Android apps over the coming months. Rather than launching another full redesign, the company is taking a more gradual approach. Updates are expected to arrive in stages, reflecting a shift in strategy after last year’s relaunch drew complaints about usability, missing features, and workflow disruptions.
Chief Executive Officer Tom Conrad recently demonstrated early builds of the revised interface at the company’s headquarters in Goleta. He acknowledged that, despite incremental fixes over the past year, the current version of the app still presents usability challenges. The revised design is intended to reduce friction in everyday tasks such as switching between rooms, controlling playback, and accessing commonly used settings.
One of the most notable additions under development is Lock Screen playback control for iPhone users. While Android users have long been able to manage Sonos playback without reopening the app, iOS has lacked a comparable system-level integration. Sonos plans to address this by leveraging Apple’s Live Activities framework.
Introduced in iOS 16, Live Activities allows apps to display real-time, continuously updating information on the Lock Screen and, on supported devices, within the Dynamic Island. The feature is commonly used for tracking deliveries, sports scores, ride-share trips, and timers. In this case, it would enable persistent media controls for Sonos speakers, allowing users to pause, skip tracks, or adjust playback without unlocking their device or navigating through the app.
The decision to prioritize usability improvements suggests Sonos is attempting to stabilize its software experience before introducing additional complexity. The 2024 overhaul was meant to modernize the app’s architecture, but it disrupted established user habits and led to criticism from longtime customers who rely on multi-room audio consistency. A more incremental rollout may help the company avoid repeating that misstep.
Sonos has not announced a firm release date for the updated interface. Additional details are expected in late March or April as development progresses. For now, the focus appears to be on restoring reliability, improving navigation, and integrating more seamlessly with iOS and Android system features—areas that will likely determine whether the company can rebuild trust among its core user base.
