Bose will disable essential SoundTouch features on February 18, 2026, impacting audio playback options.
Key features will stop functioning
Cloud services will cease on Feb. 18
Bluetooth playback remains active
Some saved presets will be lost
Trade-in credit available up to $200
Security updates will end
Bose will discontinue cloud support for all SoundTouch Wi-Fi speakers, soundbars, and home theater systems on February 18, 2026. This means key features that rely on Bose’s cloud infrastructure and the SoundTouch app will stop working.[1][3][5]
Impact on Features Bose SoundTouch Cloud
Music Services and App: Integration with streaming services like Spotify and TuneIn will no longer function. The SoundTouch app will be discontinued globally (except in Japan where downloads end earlier).[5][1]
Multi-Room Audio: The ability to synchronize multiple speakers in different rooms will cease.[4][1]
Presets: Existing saved presets may stop working, and changing presets will not be possible after support ends.[1][5]
Security Updates: Bose will stop providing security patches for SoundTouch devices.[4]
What Will Still Work
Wired and Bluetooth Playback: Devices will continue playing audio from connected sources via AUX, HDMI, and Bluetooth. However, Bluetooth connections typically have higher latency compared to Wi-Fi.[3][1][4]
Basic Speaker Functionality: Despite losing smart features, speakers will still operate as basic audio devices.[1]
Bose SoundTouch Cloud Reasoning
Bose cited the aging technology and evolving product platforms as reasons for ending SoundTouch support, stating the cloud infrastructure for this older generation is no longer sustainable for development and maintenance.[3][5][1]
Customer Response and Options
Many users express frustration after investing hundreds or thousands of dollars in these premium systems.[4]
Bose offers a trade-in program providing credit up to $200 for affected customers.[1][4]
Bose will not migrate SoundTouch devices to its newer Bose app; there is no replacement app for SoundTouch.[4][1]
Context in the Industry
The phase-out follows a broader trend where manufacturers discontinue cloud services for older smart devices.
Bose faced challenges similar to those experienced by competitors like Sonos, which struggled with app redesign compatibility.[4]
Luca Fischer is a senior technology journalist with more than twelve years of professional experience specializing in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and consumer electronics. L. Fischer earned his M.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University in 2011, where he developed a strong foundation in data science and network security before transitioning into tech media.
Throughout his career, Luca has been recognized for his clear, analytical approach to explaining complex technologies. His in-depth articles explore how AI innovations, privacy frameworks, and next-generation devices impact both industry and society.
Luca’s work has appeared across leading digital publications, where he delivers detailed reviews, investigative reports, and feature analyses on major players such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, AMD, Intel, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity AI.
Beyond writing, he mentors young journalists entering the AI-tech field and advocates for transparent, ethical technology communication. His goal is to make the future of technology understandable and responsible for everyone.
Ars Technica was launched in 1998 by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes as a space where engineers, coders, and hard-core enthusiasts could find news that respected their intelligence.
From the start it rejected shallow churn, instead publishing 5 000-word CPU micro-architecture briefs, line-by-line Linux kernel diffs, and forensic GPU teardowns that treat readers like fellow engineers rather than casual shoppers.
Condé Nast acquired the site in 2008, yet the newsroom retained its autonomy, keeping the beige-and-black design ethos and the Latin tagline “Art of Technology.”
Today its staff physicists, former network architects, and defunct-astronaut hopefuls explain quantum supremacy papers, dissect U.S. spectrum auctions, benchmark every new console, and still find time to live-blog Supreme Court tech policy arguments.
The result is a community whose comment threads read like peer-review sessions: voltage curves are debated, errata are crowdsourced overnight, and authors routinely append “Update” paragraphs that credit readers for spotting a mis-stated opcode.
Elena Voren is a senior journalist and Tech Section Editor with 8 years of experience focusing on AI ethics, social media impact, and consumer software. She is recognized for interviewing industry leaders and academic experts while clearly distinguishing opinion from evidence-based reporting.
She earned her B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley (2016), where she studied human-computer interaction, AI, and digital behavior.
Elena’s work emphasizes the societal implications of technology, ensuring readers understand both the practical and ethical dimensions of emerging tools. She leads the Tech Section at Faharas NET, supervising coverage on AI, consumer software, digital society, and privacy technologies, while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
Based in Berlin, Germany, Elena provides insightful analyses on technology trends, ethical AI deployment, and the influence of social platforms on modern life.
Mrs. Kamar Mahmoud serves as the Managing Editor of the English Division at Faharas website, where she plays a pivotal role in maintaining the site's editorial excellence. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, Kamar.M oversees the entire content lifecycle from writer assignments through to final publication. Her responsibilities include managing editorial workflows, providing guidance to writers, and ensuring that every article published meets Faharas website's rigorous standards of quality, accuracy, and clarity. Through her leadership, she helps maintain the site's reputation for delivering reliable and well-crafted content to its readership.
