I tested Sonos' new beta features on iOS and Android - how to opt in and what to expect

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The Sonos app has been mired in controversy since its 2024 overhaul and relaunch -- buggy controls, vanishing systems, and un-synced speakers made for a major mess. Fixing the app cost the company millions, with frustrated longtime customers looking elsewhere for home audio.

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Nearly two years later, Sonos is rising from its self-inflicted disaster, and with app stability seemingly conquered, the company is now focused on improving more granular and aesthetically focused features. I've tested the new features on iOS and Android ; here's what to expect in the next app update, and how to opt-in if you want to try them early.

In the app, open "Settings" with the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner. There, you'll see the "Enable Improved Navigation" feature at the very top. According to a Reddit post from Sonos CEO Tom Conrad, users will be able to toggle the beta features on and off throughout the months-long testing period, so if something goes wrong, you can easily revert your settings.

Previously, when opening a new tab or app in the Sonos app for iOS, new information appeared on the screen via a bottom-to-top animation. To exit this screen, users would slide down. Now, when opening a new tab or app, new information appears from a left-to-right animation, and users can return to the previous screen by sliding left. As a result, navigating the Sonos app behaves like all of your other apps, which is much more satisfying.

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Sonos's volume control scrubber has been problematic for me in the past, partly because it was too close to the upward-sliding function used to monitor your system's status. Occasionally, I'd try to slide up to check my system status and accidentally adjust the volume. It was also difficult to control the volume scrubber at a granular level; instead, it had to be moved by a large margin to achieve finer control.

The Sonos app's volume scrubber update on iOS.

Now, tapping the bottom-left corner volume icon mutes your current speaker or speaker group, and tapping the bottom-right corner volume indicator provides granular volume control. When the volume scrubber is activated, the right-corner mute button becomes a lower-volume control. I wish this icon were always a decrease volume control instead of mute, but that's me being picky.