October 13, 2025, 12:55 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Many owners of Bose speakers and soundbars will soon face significant limitations. The manufacturer is ending online support for its Soundtouch series–a move that is causing considerable frustration among customers.
Shutdown affects numerous devices
As of February 18, 2026, Bose will end cloud support for its Soundtouch products. Affected models include the Soundtouch 10, the Soundbar Soundtouch 300, and the Lifestyle 650 system. This means that devices once marketed as smart multiroom solutions will lose key features such as streaming via Spotify or TuneIn and app control. For many who invested several hundred or even over a thousand euros, this is a major setback.
Cloud and app functions will be discontinued
With the shutdown, all cloud-based services will be discontinued. The associated Soundtouch app will also cease to function. “The Soundtouch app will no longer work after February 18, 2026,” Bose officially announces. While playback via Bluetooth, AUX, or HDMI will still be possible, smart features like internet radio, multiroom playback, and remote control will be a thing of the past.
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Outdated technology as the reason
The company cites technical reasons for the measure. The platform introduced in 2013 no longer meets the standards of modern cloud infrastructures. “Technology has evolved, and we are no longer able to continue development and support,” explains Bose. There will also be no more security updates in the future. The tech magazine “Ars Technica” states that the devices will effectively turn from “smart” to “dumb” speakers.
The move is reminiscent of a case with competitor Sonos. While Sonos did not directly end support for older speakers, the devices are only usable with a legacy app (Sonos S1) and are thus not compatible with newer models, nor do they receive updates.
Frustration in the community grows
Frustration is also mounting at Bose. In online forums and on Reddit, numerous users report disappointment and anger. A Reddit user, who claims to have invested over $1,500 in Soundtouch products less than ten years ago, wrote that he is “disgusted” by the decision and will “never buy a Bose product again.” Others are calling for Bose to release the speakers’ Software Development Kit (SDK) as open source so the community can continue support independently. The company has yet to respond to this suggestion.
Expensive electronic waste
“On one hand, I understand that companies eventually have to end support for older devices–maintaining server infrastructure alone incurs significant costs. However, I view this much more critically with a premium brand like Bose. Especially since the Soundtouch devices mentioned here were still officially sold until 2020. In my opinion, there should be at least 10 years of support from the date of purchase.
This is exactly why I have stepped away from the ‘connected’ and ‘always online’ trend. You simply cannot trust manufacturers to support their hardware long-term. And even if the devices still fulfill a basic level of functionality, that is no compensation. Those who bought Soundtouch wanted high-quality streaming speakers, not a Bluetooth box. If this function is lost, the old hardware must be replaced. The result: expensive electronic waste that no one needs anymore.”