Sony Connect app on iOS crashing when updating XM5 to latest firmware

Sony’s premium WH-1000XM5 headphones and WF-1000XM5 earbuds have been stealing the spotlight for their stellar audio quality and advanced features. But a recent firmware update process has left many users hitting a brick wall, thanks to the latest Sony Sound Connect app update.

Back in October, Sony rolled out a firmware update for these flagship devices, bringing Auto Switch support and Google’s Find My Device functionality during dedicated Classic Audio connections. Alongside these features, Sony patched critical Bluetooth security vulnerabilities to keep users safe. However, it seems the shine of these updates has been dulled by the newest app version.

The Sony Sound Connect app this week received an update (v11.1.0 on iOS and v11.1.1 on Android), touting user interface improvements, new “Commute” scenes in Auto Play, and Amazon Music integration. All sounds great, right? Except this update seems to have a dark side: reports are flooding in that the app crashes the moment users attempt to install the latest firmware on their newly-acquired XM5 devices.

Let’s paint the picture: you’ve just unboxed your brand-new WH-1000XM5 headphones, excited to experience their vaunted sound quality. You open the Sony Sound Connect app, ready to update to the latest firmware version 2.3.1 to ensure peak performance. You tap “Start” update…and boom! The app crashes.

This isn’t an isolated issue. A significant number of iOS users are echoing the same complaint. Despite reinstalling the app, resetting their headphones, and ensuring the latest iOS version is installed, the app stubbornly refuses to cooperate. Users report that the crash prevents them from addressing crucial bugs fixed in the latest firmware — including phantom touch issues and multi-point connection glitches.

Interestingly, while most of the noise is coming from iPhone users, a lone Android user has chimed in on the Google Play Store review page, confirming that the issue isn’t entirely platform-specific. However, Android users seem to experience the problem far less frequently.

The issue seems tied to the newest Sound Connect app update. Before this update, users reported being stopped by low-battery warnings when trying to update their headphones, but at least the app didn’t crash outright. Now, even with fully charged devices, the app crahses.

The ball is in Sony’s court to address this problem swiftly. A potential app update to v11.1.2 might be the ticket to restoring normalcy and soothing frustrated users. Until then, if you’re an iOS user facing this issue, you might need to exercise patience or borrow an Android device to get the update through.

Sony’s XM5 lineup continues to impress with its audio performance, but the current firmware update fiasco has left several users singing the blues. Here’s hoping Sony hits the right note with a speedy resolution to this issue.