With the new Arc Ultra soundbar now available for pre-order, it's a great time to elaborate on how Sonos is improving many of the issues that still plague the accompanying app. In a blog post, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence spoke candidly about the nature of the poor rollout that began on May 7. He also highlighted the major software improvements addressed in the new update. A general timeline of events was also included, with Spence stating that all future software improvements “will be done every other week.”

The Sonos app is currently at version 80.10.06 (Android), and the last official update was on October 15. This is the same day that Sonos began taking reservations for the new Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4. The release notes include indexing of the music library, improved queue management, and system update scheduling for Android users.

Sonos also mentions several changes scheduled for late October, mid-November, and mid-December, adding fuel to the fire of Spence's bi-weekly update strategy. These enhancements come at the perfect time as the company tries to steer consumers toward its newest product, which will officially debut on October 29.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence expressed great disappointment in early May at the app's unsavory launch. He details how the team addressed the underlying issues with the app and the steps Sonos is taking to make the app more enjoyable and functional for users, which you can read more about on the Community Notes page.

Sonos staff warned management about the potential pitfalls of making changes to the app, but to little effect. The company delayed the launch of several products in the meantime, but in the face of countless leaks, inevitably announced the new Arc Ultra.

The changes currently available in the app bring about 90% of what was promised at the May 7 launch. Below is the full list of features made available in the latest update, dated October 15.

Spence notes that “there is still work to be done” and covers it more extensively later in the blog post. A bi-weekly update schedule will be applied to the Sonos app in the coming weeks, and Spence even provides an email ([email protected]) for users who wish to provide feedback directly.

Sonos outlines next steps here, starting with an update scheduled for late October on iOS and Android devices, which will improve system setup features, volume control and responsiveness, overall system stability, music library improvements, and features Arc Ultra and Sub 4 support.

Additional updates to the Sonos application are scheduled for mid-November and mid-December. These will include playlist editing, multi-home support for Android users, UI improvements, and volume control and responsiveness on Android. By the end of the year, Sonos' ailing app may finally be back to 100% functionality, paving the way for Sonos products to return to the best soundbar lineup.