Sonos, the well-known brand of wireless speakers recognized for its premium audio systems, is encountering significant criticism and possible legal issues following a contentious app update released in May 2024, which rendered thousands of customers’ speaker systems either malfunctioning or completely unusable.
Currently, lawyers collaborating with ClassAction.org are mobilizing customers in certain states for mass arbitration — a legal procedure in which individuals collectively submit arbitration claims — based on accusations that Sonos deceived consumers and breached state consumer protection regulations.
On May 7, 2024, Sonos launched a redesigned app that was promised to be “faster,” “easier,” and “better than ever.” However, rather than enhancing the user experience, numerous customers reported serious issues: vital features were eliminated, speaker connections turned unreliable, and certain systems became completely nonfunctional.
Users inundated the Sonos community forums and social media platforms, labeling the app a “disaster.” Complaints included malfunctioning volume controls, speakers that failed to group, frequent crashes, and sluggish response times. Particularly concerning were the grievances from visually impaired users who stated that the app had lost crucial accessibility features — despite previous guarantees.
Lawsuit and Arbitration Efforts
In May 2025, a class action lawsuit was initiated against Sonos, alleging the company engaged in false advertising and neglected to inform users about the app’s “numerous defects.” The lawsuit asserts that the update was hastily implemented to meet deadlines associated with the launch of Sonos’ first wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace, which necessitated the new app.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Sonos deliberately limited functionality on older systems to encourage customers to upgrade their devices.
In the meantime, rather than opting for a conventional class action, attorneys are assembling affected users for mass arbitration. The reason? Sonos’ user agreement contains an arbitration clause — which stipulates that legal disputes must be resolved outside of court, utilizing a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury.
Who Can Join?
If you reside in any of the following states — Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, or Virginia — and have downloaded or updated the Sonos app since May 2024, you might qualify to participate in the arbitration initiative.
“Ever since the update, my speakers barely work — it’s like I’m locked out of my own system,” said Lisa M., a longtime Sonos user in Pennsylvania. “I invested over $2,000 in Sonos gear. It’s not right to be left with half-working products.”
Many others shared their disappointment, pointing out that Sonos’ effort to apologize two months post-update — admitting that “too many” customers were impacted — was too late and lacked a prompt resolution.
Should you feel that your experience with Sonos was adversely affected by the May 2024 app update, and you are a resident of one of the 11 qualifying states, you can complete a brief form at ClassAction.org to consider joining the collective arbitration.
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Have your Sonos speakers been acting up since the app update? Let us know your experience in the comments below or tag us @stevenwickblog.
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