Sono+ is a widget-based controller for Sonos audio systems, designed for iOS and iPadOS users.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#61
Music · free
Sentiment
4.2
325k reviews
Nemesis
Sonos
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users open Sono+ to bypass the official app's navigation friction for routine playback commands, saving time during daily audio interaction.
For Sonos system owners who want granular, persistent control of their audio hardware directly from their iOS device interface.
What does it look like?
Key features
Customizable Home Screen and Lock Screen buttons for Sonos commands like play, skip, and volume. Retention lever: reduces friction for daily Sonos interaction, increasing the frequency of app usage.
Real-time playback control and status display on the Lock Screen without unlocking the device. Retention lever: maintains the app's presence in the user's daily workflow, reducing churn.
Automation of Sonos system commands via the Apple Shortcuts app. Retention lever: deepens integration with the iOS ecosystem, increasing switching costs.
How much does it cost?
Monetization relies on a subscription model with a short trial period, supplemented by a one-time purchase option.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentUX improvementsperformanceinternationalizationShow more...
Sono+ currently operates on a maintenance cadence, with 10 releases identified over the observed window, averaging roughly one update every 8 to 9 weeks. Development is primarily focused on incremental UI improvements for iOS widgets and occasional localization updates. While the app remains functional, the release frequency has slowed significantly compared to earlier periods, with no major feature expansions in the most recent updates. The latest release continues this trend of minor performance and widget-specific adjustments.
Who built it?
Paul Boyce
7 apps tracked · Music
Quick Profit
Copy Invest
BlackArrow
OneClick
Scalper Pro
AlgotoolsUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate widget functionality provides quick access to volume and playback controls without opening the full application and responsive developer communication helps users troubleshoot setup issues and configuration hurdles for their audio systems, but report system connectivity and speaker detection failures prevent users from controlling their audio hardware reliably post-update.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Widget functionality provides quick access to volume and playback controls without opening the full application
- Responsive developer communication helps users troubleshoot setup issues and configuration hurdles for their audio systems
- System connectivity and speaker detection failures prevent users from controlling their audio hardware reliably post-update
87 of 87 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Sono+: Widgets for Sonos
How's the Music market?
Sono+ holds a niche position in the Music category, currently ranking #61 Free in the US Music & Audio chart. The reliance on public APIs limits its feature parity with the official Sonos controller, forcing a focus on widget-based convenience.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Sonos, Inc.
As the official ecosystem controller, it maintains total market dominance through native hardware integration and frequent feature updates.
- Provides native, deep-level hardware control that third-party widgets cannot replicate via public APIs
- Maintains a high-velocity release cadence with nine updates in the last six months alone
- Offers comprehensive system-wide management including multi-room grouping and advanced EQ settings
SonoSequencrContender
Sonos S1・S2 Speaker ControllerContender
Audirvāna RemoteContender
ShokzContender
Aurender Conductor for iPhoneContender
LiveTrackz - Live Music LoopsContenderUnlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Sono+: Widgets for Sonos
Where is it heading?
The market for Sonos-focused utilities is consolidating around the official app's high-velocity release cadence, leaving third-party tools exposed to connectivity regressions. Sono+ must pivot to network stability to avoid becoming a legacy utility that users abandon for the more reliable official controller.
- Persistent connectivity failures post-update erode the daily active habit, which compounds the rating drag already visible on iOS.
- Forced account requirements frustrate privacy-focused users, creating a churn risk that outweighs the benefit of the current widget-based interface.
The SWOT
- Widget-based interface reduces interaction friction for daily playback commands
- Apple Shortcuts integration increases switching costs via iOS automation
- Localized pricing could capture users in markets where the official app's model creates friction
Next best moves
Audit network detection logic because connectivity failures are the #1 complaint → restore core functionality
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's reliance on public APIs is not a weakness but a moat…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Full-stack system management (available in Sonos official app but missing here) +1
Since the last report: The app has entered a period of stagnation, characterized by a widening feature gap against specialized audio-control rivals and a failure to address core connectivity and account-creation complaints.
Bottom line
Restoring network stability is the only path to retaining the user base, as connectivity failures currently negate the utility of the widget-based interface. Prioritizing this fix will stabilize the rating baseline and prevent further churn to the official controller.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Sono+ a replacement for the official Sonos app?
Does Sono+ work without an internet connection?
What is the difference between Sono+ and the official Sonos app?
Sources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated