In an effort to increase transparency and rebuild trust with users, Sonos has taken the unusual step of creating a public Trello board to track progress on fixing issues with its recently updated app.
The smart speaker company has been struggling to address widespread user complaints since launching a revamped version of its mobile app in May. Problems have ranged from missing basic features to accessibility issues, prompting some frustrated customers to seek alternatives.
While Sonos has released several updates to address bugs, progress has been slow. The latest patch restored the ability to clear upcoming queues on Android and made some accessibility improvements, but many core issues remain unresolved.
The new Trello board, shared by a Sonos employee on Reddit, provides insight into which fixes and features are actively being worked on. Items listed as Coming Soon include:
- Improved volume responsiveness
- Search and browse latency fixes
- Enhanced queue editing
The On The Roadmap section mentions plans for full queue management and playlist editing capabilities.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence previously issued a public apology in July, acknowledging the app's shortcomings and outlining plans for improvement. The company has also delayed two product launches to focus on fixing the app.
While the Trello board is not a comprehensive list of all known issues or planned updates, it represents a notable attempt at transparency from Sonos. The company says it will keep the board updated as new information becomes available.
This move puts Sonos in the company of game developers like Epic Games and EA, who have used public Trello boards to communicate development priorities for titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends.
As Sonos continues working to resolve the app's issues, the question remains: will this increased transparency be enough to regain the trust of frustrated users? Only time - and a fully functional app - will tell.
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| A close-up of the Sonos app interface demonstrating its features and layout amid ongoing improvements |