Sonos has started releasing a mobile app update that brings back tabbed navigation at the bottom of the screen, adds options for sorting your speakers, introduces a new volume slider on iPhone, and includes several visual tweaks. The update is rolling out gradually over a couple of weeks, according to Engadget.

The main feature is the return of tab navigation. Sonos described the tabs as "reintroduced," confirming that a bottom-tab layout existed in earlier versions of the app before being removed in a previous redesign (Sonos Release Notes). The tabs are not turned on by default. Users need to go into the Sonos app settings and switch on "Enable Improved Navigation" to activate them (Engadget.

Once enabled, the tab bar gives you one-tap access to three destinations at the bottom of the screen: the system view, search, and home. The tab buttons are designed to be visually clear about which tab you are currently on (Sonos Community). The system tab specifically shows a list of your speakers and headphones (Engadget.

Turning on tab navigation is also required to access the new speaker sorting options. With tabs switched on, users can sort their speaker and room list alphabetically, by frequently used, or by currently playing. Users can also pin specific speakers or rooms to the top of the list for quick access (Engadget; Sonos Support). The update also adds new product orientation options for speakers and rooms, where "orientation" in the Sonos app means which room or group the app is currently connected to (Sonos Release Notes; Sonos Support).

On iPhone, the update introduces a new volume control built around a dynamic slider. The Dynamic Volume Slider is available on iOS only for now, with Android support listed as coming later (Sonos Community).

Several visual and interaction improvements round out the release. The Now Playing screen's background colors now change to match the album art of whatever is playing. Users can swipe to delete items from their favorites list. The update also includes unspecified bug fixes and performance improvements (Engadget.

Alongside the mobile app update, Sonos released accompanying player firmware and software updates for its hardware devices (Sonos Community).

The broader context is that bringing back a navigation style Sonos previously removed carries an implicit acknowledgment that the earlier redesign did not fully work for users who manage multi-room systems. For households with several speakers across multiple rooms, the ability to sort by frequently used or currently playing, and to pin specific rooms, directly addresses the annoyance of scrolling through an unsorted device list. Making tab navigation opt-in rather than default is a cautious approach that lets Sonos gather feedback from users who choose to try it before a wider rollout, though whether the feature stays optional or eventually becomes the default has not been stated.

The staggered iPhone-first delivery of the dynamic volume slider is consistent with how platform-specific interface work tends to go, since iOS and Android rely on different underlying technologies. Android users waiting for that feature will need to watch for a later update.

For anyone managing a larger Sonos setup, the practical impact is modest but useful: faster navigation between system settings and playback, better device discoverability through sorting and pinning, and a more polished Now Playing screen. None of these changes alter the underlying Sonos system or how speakers connect to each other. They are interface improvements aimed at reducing everyday friction.