Summary

  • Sonos launched a redesigned app in May 2024 promising improvements, but it was plagued with bugs and missing features, leading to widespread customer outrage.
  • As a direct consequence of the app’s failure, CEO Patrick Spence has resigned. Board member Tom Conrad has been appointed interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.
  • The app’s failure also resulted in approximately 100 layoffs due to cost-cutting measures. Sonos has confirmed that it will not revert to the old app due to significant architectural changes, focusing instead on fixing the current version and regaining customer trust.



The Sonos app debacle that marred the otherwise well-rated company’s entry into the premium wireless headphone market has had long-lasting consequences.

For those unaware, Sonos launched a revamped companion app back in May 2024 that promised a “faster, easier, better” overall experience. Inversely, though, the “courageous” new app was laden with issues, functionality flaws, and missing features — causing widescale uproar within the community.

The Sonos logo visible on a black Sonos Arc soundbar on a teak TV stand

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The company soon backtracked, saying that it would fix its controversial app before launching anything new, all while Sonos’ then-CEO Patrick Spence expressed his regret about the botched launch — a title he no longer holds, as highlighted by the company today.



In a news release, Sonos announced that its Board of Directors and Spence have agreed that Spence will step down as the company’s CEO, with board member Tom Conrad taking his place on an interim basis — effective today, Monday, January 13. “The Board has initiated a search for its next CEO with the assistance of a leading executive search firm, and is committed to identifying a leader who will build on the Sonos legacy of innovation and excellence in serving its customers while also driving profitable growth,” reads the release.


There’s no going back

The Sonos app next to a Victrola Stream Sapphire turntable.

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Rolling out the app prematurely was clearly a bad decision, and as a result, rolling out fixes didn’t really help — damage to the brand had already been done.



As highlighted by The Verge, Chief Product Officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin, who was reportedly equally responsible for the app’s shortcomings, remains in his current role. Apart from Spence losing his position, no other personnel changes have been reported. Alas, let’s not forget about the approximately 100 employees that were laid off as part of cost-cutting measures following the companion app fiasco.

For those wondering, no, this does not mean that we’ll return to the old Sonos app. The company has previously indicated that it has significantly altered the app’s underlying architecture, and a move back to the old app will now cause more issues than simply fixing the new ones. Under Conrad’s temporary lead, the brand’s focus will be to reclaim customer trust, all while injecting missing Sonos app features that customers have come to familiarize themselves with over the years.

Black Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar resting on a teak wooden cabinet

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