Everything you need to know about your Sonos system and the difference between S1 and S2
When it comes to the Sonos app, things are a little complicated to say the least. The Sonos S2 app was previously what was considered the ‘newer’ Sonos app, but that update arrived in mid-2020 and there’s a chance you’ve been using it for years. At the same time as the Sonos S2 app went live in 2020, the original Sonos app was rebranded to Sonos S1 Controller.
All that happened before the most recent redesigned Sonos app, however, which arrived in May 2024 and caused quite a bit of disruption – certainly more than the initial S2 did four years ago. Really, Sonos should have called the redesigned app from 2024 the Sonos S3, but it didn’t and so here we are.
The easiest way to describe Sonos S2 then is that it is Sonos’ most current app and the most current system the latest Sonos speakers run on. What it means for you, and your Sonos system, depends on what speakers you have in your house and their compatibility with the S2 system and app.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Sonos app S2 and S1 and how to update your multi-room speaker system.
Why did Sonos change?
At the start of 2020, Sonos announced it would stop updating ‘legacy products’. This list included original Zone Players, first-gen Connect and Connect:Amp, the first-generation Play:5, the CR200 and the Sonos Bridge.
Given that some of those devices date back to the early 2000s (although some were sold up until 2015) it’s hardly surprising that Sonos had to cut the chord at some point. The hardware gets to a point where it can’t just keep up with the software it’s expected to handle seamlessly and that’s what has happened with the below products:
Incompatible Sonos S1 hardware:
- Sonos Play:5 (Gen 1)
- All Zone Players
- CR200 controller
- Sonos Connect (Gen 1)
- Sonos Connect:Amp (Gen 1)
- Sonos Bridge
What is Sonos S2?
Sonos S2 is not only the name of the Sonos app as we now know it, but it was also a new OS (via a firmware update) when it initially launched in 2020 for your non-legacy Sonos speakers. When the S2 system first launched, the app was pretty swanky, and came with some slick new software features for upgraders, like preset groupings that you can use for speakers at certain times of day, or for events – think ‘Downstairs’, ‘Partytime’ and the like. Even four years on, that remains one of our favourite Sonos tips.
The biggest deal at the time, was perhaps that Sonos S2 enabled higher resolution audio technologies for music and home theater. The first signs of that were the Dolby Atmos skills of the Sonos Arc and that was followed by Amazon Music Ultra HD working with Sonos.
Fast forward to 2024 and we have the Sonos Arc Ultra that makes big advancements on the sound front, while the Sonos app has been through some turmoil. It looks quite a bit different to when the S2 app first launched, moving to one Home Screen, but many of the features that were initially taken away as part of the redesign have started to come back. We have a separate feature on tips and tricks for the new Sonos app that can help you find things if you are wondering where they have gone.
Sonos S1 meanwhile, is basically Sonos as it is was pre-2020. Even if you have all S2 compatible products, you can still choose not to upgrade; you’ll be able to carry on using your Sonos speakers as you always did. Your system will receive bug fixes and security patches, but it won’t get any S2 goodies. Newer Sonos speakers that launched after May 2020 aren’t compatible with the S1 system however, so if you are buying new speakers or have bought Sonos speakers in the last four years, you will need to download the S2 app to set them up.
Some Sonos speakers that are compatible with the S1 app will need to be downgraded before they can be added to an S1 system too. The Sonos S1 Controller app will let you know if the device you’re setting up needs to be downgraded when you try and add it.
As far as Google Assistant and Alexa are concerned, Sonos stated: “We will work with our partners to keep your music and voice services working with our oldest products for as long as we can given their memory and processing power limitations. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we will let you know.“
Sonos S2 compatible devices:
- Play:1
- Play:3
- Play:5 (Gen 2)
- Five
- One (all generations)
- Move
- Move 2
- Playbase
- Playbar
- Beam
- Beam 2
- Arc
- Arc SL
- Arc Ultra
- Era 100
- Era 300
- Roam
- Roam SL
- Roam 2
- Ray
- Connect (Gen 2)
- Connect:Amp (Gen 2)
- Amp
- Port
- Boost
- Sub (all generations)
- Sub Mini
- IKEA Symfonisk (all models)
What generation Sonos speakers do I have?
If you’re confused what generation Play:5 you have, you’re not sure if your Sonos Connect is first or second generation and so on, then you can always check online by logging in to your Sonos account.
If your device is compatible, it will show with a ‘Modern product’ tick.
Can I use Sonos S1 and S2 at the same time?
Yes and no. You can use them both at the same time, sure. But you can’t group speakers from an S1 group – even if they are compatible with S2 – into an S2 group.
That’s the part that caused Sonos the most amount of criticism when it first announced the legacy split back in 2020, though it was probably still less criticism than the company got for the more recent redesigned app.
If your Sonos system comprises any of those legacy devices – even just one – and a bunch of the latest and greatest Sonos speakers, then you’re either going to have to ditch your old one, or condemn your new speakers to an S1 experience – and we now know you won’t be able to add new Sonos speakers as they won’t be compatible.
How do I get the Sonos S2 app
Both the Sonos S2 app, and the Sonos S1 app are live on Google Play and the Apple App Store. There are also desktop variants for Mac and PC users as well.
To update to S2, it’s not just a case of updating an app as per usual, you will need to download an entirely new app. Now, the S2 app doesn’t actually say S2 on the icon, but you’ll know you’re downloading the new one based on the description and the new tan color of the app.
The ‘old’ Sonos app, remains black and is clearly now labelled ‘S1’.
Simply download the app and go through the steps of updating your system. You can delete your old Sonos app once you’ve done – it’s rendered useless as soon as you make the jump to S2.
How can I upgrade my Sonos speakers?
You can, if you want, upgrade your old Sonos kit using a 30% credit trade-in program and the good news is that Sonos recently got rid of its controversial ‘bricking’ recycling program – which essentially saw traded-in Sonos speakers rendered useless and destined for a landfill.
You don’t even have to send in the old speaker and it will actually still be functional, should you wish to carry on using it in an S1 setup / give it to a friend / sell it on eBay.
