- SoundTouch speakers will lose cloud services in May 2026
- Bose released an API for third-party app developers
- Spotify Connect and AirPlay will continue to work
Bose’s SoundTouch speakers are positively old in technological terms: they were introduced in 2013, and after 13 years of successful operation, Bose has decided to turn off cloud services: “we are no longer able to support the development and support of the cloud infrastructure that powers this older generation of products.”
Rather than “bricking” existing customers’ speakers, which tends to happen when the cloud is disabled, Bose has provided detailed information on how to continue using them with Bluetooth and AirPlay – and they’ve released an API so third-party app developers can add SoundTouch features to their apps.
Just take a look at the Bose SoundTouch 20 above. Now imagine it obsolete and unworkable. Isn’t it great that if you buy one of these multi-room wireless speakers (for around $399 / £350 / AU$549, at least when they’re released), this doesn’t happen?
A smarter way to work with smart speaker obsolescence
As Bose explains, the speakers themselves will remain fully functional: standalone SoundTouch speakers with Bluetooth and Aux connections will continue to work, and home theater products will continue to connect via HDMI or optical connections. Features like SoundTouch streaming will disappear, but “AirPlay and Spotify Connect should continue to work.”
Bose gives customers plenty of notice here. The company first announced the server shutdown in October 2025, and in this new January update, it pushed the changes back to May 2026. From then on, the app will be updated “to a version that supports key functions without relying on the cloud.”
What does this mean in practice? Bose says:
“With this version of the app, you will be able to control any system that is on the same Wi-Fi network as your phone. You will still be able to install, configure, remotely control, and group systems through the app. Browsing music services and launching content from the SoundTouch app will no longer work. Instead, you can download your favorite music service apps (TuneIn, Pandora, etc.) and send audio to SoundTouch systems via AirPlay, Bluetooth or AUX If you are a Spotify user, stream content to your SoundTouch system using Spotify Connect from the Spotify app.
I’m really impressed by this. Any technology should probably come with a memento mori to remind you that connected services won’t be available forever, but it’s how shutdowns and recommended upgrades are handled that sends a message to customers – for example, Sonos upset a lot of people in 2019 when it initially asked customers to “brick” their existing speakers in order to qualify for an upgrade discount, and the complete discontinuation of Spotify’s Car Thing in 2024 has also ruffled some feathers.
As I wrote at the time, “be very careful about purchasing devices tied to a single service or proprietary platform. As Car Thing demonstrates, some devices are here for a while, not a long time.” But what Bose says is the opposite.
What Bose is doing here isn’t just sending a message to existing SoundTouch owners. It sends a broader message about its values to potential smart speaker buyers. And it’s really very clever.
The best Bluetooth speakers for every budget
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
