Is it just me or is the bbc sounds app a bit shit?

[museumum]

So BBC’s radio app is going and we must switch to sounds. Hmmm ok.
But it’s crap. I can never find what I want, downloading is almost impossible (still haven’t found a programme with a download symbol) and why can’t I find the podcasts I follow? I’m going back to my apple podcast app.
Anyone else?
What am I missing? BBC should know what they’re doing with app design really.

You can’t adjust the volume from within the app

I have found the control for doing this (you have to expand the programme to a full page so more clicks) but I concur with every other point you make. Its really a backward step for radio listeners/consumers and I'm not interested in it for random music - I have better optiosn available.

Moving away from being a reasonably good radio player to be a second rate bit-of-everything means I've stopped using it and use Radioplayer UK and the Apple ipod manager instead.

Apple version of Radioplayer here:

apps.apple.com/gb/app/radioplayer/id563906005

So glad I'm not the only one who is mourning the loss of Iplayer Radio 😢

The Sounds app won't work at all on my iPad and is a massive pain on my phone. I hate it

The old app was brilliant and really easy to use. Sounds is driving me potty, keeps playing random things and so hard to find what I want to listen to.

I don't want "The Gemma Collins Podcast" thank you does anyone?!

I'm too old for this shit! (37 )

Oh and another thing bugging me about the new app. Its utterly shit at connecting. If I'm listening to the radio whilst out and about and I move between connection points (or even pause live play) it then takes forever to reconnect and restart.

This is definitely the app - no other radio apps on my phone do this and it happens independent of the network quality. Its this bad connection management which finally made me think "fuck it" and head for Radioplayer as I often listen to the radio in transit.

One other feature of Radioplayer UK is it has the alarm feature which Sounds removed on the basis that alarms are not reliable...

I used to use the iPlayer alarm all the time when travelling for work.

The old app is gone and it's only Sounds now. I'm slowly learning how to navigate it so I guess it'll be ok in the end

I'm finding the switchover hard too. It's too busy at the moment. I'll get used to it. It's very bright if you use it at nighttime too.

Another thing I hate ... The Sounds app steadfastly declines to inform me of whether a programme I might want to listen to is a repeat or not.

I can’t bloody remember every R4 drama I’ve ever heard - and I don’t want to set aside time to listen to something, only to discover in the first three minutes that I heard it in 2015.

I have downloaded Radioplayer. Maybe I’m missing something but it’s just as inconvenient in its own special ways ...

So depressing. Of course I mostly listen on an old school radio - but all my scheduling info is gleaned from my phone - and any programme missed or while away from home. It used to be easy. Now my heart sinks whenever I have to refer to anything radio-related on the Internet.

I've realised that, in addition to all the stuff above what I really miss from the iPlayer is how you could flick between the schedules for different channels (principally R4 and 4extra) at a single swipe. On Sounds (unless I'm missing something), you have to keep going back to the page where you see a big list of what's on now, then press the schedule button for that station, and start all over again if you want to see the schedule for a different station. This is a feature I use frequently so the added steps every time are really annoying.

Tried to listen to 'the underground railroad' but there are only 2 episodes (1 & 2). Pretty sure there were more broadcast but can only find these. Crazy.

It is SHITE!

I'm so annoyed about it. So much so I can't formulate a rational argument beyond it is SHITE.

The Sounds app steadfastly declines to inform me of whether a programme I might want to listen to is a repeat or not.

It tells you when it was first released. If it was 2014, it's a bit of a clue.

Things I hate about Sounds:

No volume control within the app so I have to fiddle around on the side of my phone in the middle of the night

The Autoplay function is utterly awful. So awful. I want to listen to the Testaments Omnibus. I get to the end of the 3rd Omnibus. Then STRAIGHTAWAY I get that Night Terrace shite programme, completely screaming into my sleepy ear (I listen to 4Extra in the wee small hours of middle-aged lady insomnia) completely antithetical to the ending of The Testaments (which, if you've listened, ends very quietly and meaningfully).

AND NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR BBC!!!

I sent a complaint and got a very patronising email back informing me that the volume controls for my phone were usually on the side of the phone, and that I could toggle Autoplay off. Duh. It was so patronising as to be rude.

Fixed it. I’m now just going to use the actual Radio 3 and Radio 4 websites. That’s 95% of my listening covered.

Until they shut those websites down ...

A related complaint on R4 Feedbak about the removal of BBC streams from TuneIn, which affects a lot of people who listen on Alexa and similar devices.

I think the Beeb have a point here: TuneIn is a commercial US business that brackets the streams with adverts, but the lack of alternatives for the listeners seems to be way down the priorities list.

(As per usual.)

It's disappointing now. There's no categories for Documentaries or drama anymore or I can't find it. I might fancy a science or health documentary or historical drama now it's all lumped in. I don't get it. Why have they dumbed it down or do they think I will want to listen to the 'most popular' all the time. Why?

I hate Sounds.

The Autoplay in particular is AWFUL. I use the radio to send me to sleep at night & in the inevitable 3am wakings to focus my brain & stop it racing on about all the crap we imagine at 3am.

So I have a few drama series or book readings subscribed.

In the old Radio iPlayer the Autoplay function worked just to give you a series of connected episodes of the specified series. Now Autoplay just plays random crap - sometimes stuff TOTALLY unlike anything I have ever listened to. To the extent that it's woken me up, with very disturbing (to me) stuff.

Algorithm, my arse.

I've had to turn off Autoplay. I tend to listen via the website now, because the App is so godawful.

There's no choice anymore. If I now search for crime drama theres only 8 programmes. Where are the rest of them?

Does anyone know how to see what tracks are being played on Radio 3 now? With Iplayer radio you could see down below what was being played, especially useful when you've missed the intro and it's something that might go on for 15-20 mins. Now that functionality seems to have disappeared...

I hate it. Hate it hate it hate it. As pp have said too annoyed to list rationally right now. But what jumps out is auto play. Have stress related insomnia and radio 4 comedy is really useful to help me relax in the night. Quite why that means I get drive time from radio Leicester at 2am I’m not sure 😡

i hate sounds because it has no radio only, alphabetical index, it does not indicate on the crap tv and radio index how long a programme is, the categories are not updated regulalry so i cannot find programmes i want and it is very difficult to use. i loved the iplayer and listened every day. i now use youtube or fm podcast player.

Late to the party, but have to say, I absolutely hate the BBC Sounds app. Like amandazoe above, I used to listen to the iplayer every day, but now I can't easily find anything I might want to hear, so have stopped bothering with BBC radio any more. Which is a dreadful admission for someone who has had R4 or its equivalent predecessor as daily constant in her life for most of her 63 years!

Also, exactly what jog22 said. The search and autoplay systems are absolute crap. Does anyone know if these points have been made to the BBC and if so, what their response has been?

I like it. It took a little bit of getting used to but it is all still there like the old app.

At first, i thought they had got rid if the ability to browse categories but it's under Search.

I hate that it switches to autoplay every now and then and then I need to find how to switch it off again.
and the search is cumbersome.

I'm using it more but it's not as good as the previous app. I don't understand why they switched to an inferior less user friendly system.