Bose kills SoundTouch: Smart speakers go dumb in Feb

Cloud support to be ditched on older hardware, customers left with pricey paperweights

Audio equipment biz Bose is discontinuing cloud support for its SoundTouch product line, effectively reducing the premium devices to basic speakers with limited functionality.

The company is pulling cloud support for all SoundTouch products from February 18, 2026. After that date, streaming services like Spotify, TuneIn, along with multi-room playback will cease functioning. Connection to sources via Bluetooth and AUX on standalone speakers should continue to work, although Bose said it couldn't guarantee long-term performance.

SoundTouch-enabled home theater products that connect via HDMI, optical, or Bluetooth should remain operational, although the SoundTouch app itself will be discontinued.

The decision, while disappointing to customers, is not surprising. Bose began phasing out the SoundTouch technology several years ago, joining numerous hardware manufacturers that have abandoned cloud services and left once-smart devices with diminished capabilities.

However, Bose charges a premium for its wares, and customers who paid top dollar for these products feel particularly aggrieved the company chose neither to open-source the discontinued services nor integrate them into its newer platforms.

Bose justifies the move by pointing to the product line's age: SoundTouch systems were introduced in 2013, and things have since moved on.

"We're no longer able to sustain the development and support of the cloud infrastructure that powers this older generation of products. We remain committed to creating new listening experiences for our customers built on modern technologies."

The negative reaction from users is not unexpected. One said, "So basically they will become expensive bricks in 6 months. I’m fuming. I have like $3k invested in these.

"Been Bose customer for over 40 years. Will never buy from them again. Hey we will sell you an expensive product and one day we will simply break them so you can’t use them any more. WTF????"

Another called the situation "Exploitative bullshit."

While Bose has provided several months' notice, the smart home industry's track record on product longevity remains troubled.

Sonos faced significant backlash after rolling out a poorly received app redesign in 2024, contributing to its CEO's departure in 2025. Hive discontinued multiple products including security cameras and leak detectors in 2022.

The broader lesson from Bose is that cloud support for products is not forever. It is something to consider before dropping hundreds or thousands on smart home gizmos, only for one or more suppliers to decide the world has moved on, and so should you. ®