Bose SoundTouch 20 Smart Speaker.
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ZDNET Highlights
- Bose SoundTouch devices will soon reach the end of their life.
- Once this happens, devices will not be updated.
- There are alternatives that can keep your device working.
The Bose SoundTouch was first launched in 2013, priced between $399-$1,500. During the initial launch, it was announced that support for the devices would last for 13 years.
That time has come.
Bose SoundTouch announced in October 2025 (via an email) that all SoundTouch speakers would become “dumb” speakers on February 18, 2026. Once that date arrives, the speakers will stop receiving updates (including updates for security), and the only way for them to work will be through an HDMI, AUX, or Bluetooth connection.
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This did not sit well with long-term customers, as demonstrated in This Reddit thread in r/audio.
Of course, this has become common with consumer technology, where companies only support devices for a set period of time, and once that period expires, the device either no longer works or does so with reduced functionality.
There’s a solution for this, and Bose decided it’s the right way to go: open source.
The company has made SoundTouch API open-source. This gives developers the opportunity to create their own tools and applications and even add new features. There are three caveats:
- How long will it take for an open-source developer (or team of developers) to pick it up and run with it?
- Bose open-sourced the API via the PDF linked above. I have not yet found a repository that actually contains the source code.
- There are quite lengthy terms of use to read at the end of the document.
What can you do now?
Hopefully, we’ll see some open-source SoundTouch apps soon. Until then, what do you do with those SoundTouch speakers when they reach EOL?
First of all, as Bose points out in an email to SoundTouch customers, you’ll still be able to play music from services like AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and devices that support AirPlay 2 will continue to work as well.
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Additionally, a separate version of the SoundTouch app will continue to be released. That removed app will still be able to:
- Setting up and configuring your system
- Serve as a remote for play, pause, skip and volume.
- Group multiple speakers together
For those who have a streaming amp like the WiiM Amp Ultra, you can connect the speakers to that device and continue to enjoy a better experience (via better audio codecs and more features).
If you don’t have such an amp, your best option for now is to connect your speakers to any Bluetooth-compatible device you have. For some SoundTouch speakers, this means using the app to put the device into pairing mode. For other SoundTouch speakers (like the Series III), there’s a physical Bluetooth button you can use to put the device in pairing mode.
Of course, another option would be to switch to a completely different product line, such as one from Yamaha, Sonos, Apple, or Amazon. Still, you never know when a product’s EOL will arrive, and you find yourself in the same situation.
Another word of advice: Find and keep your SoundTouch remote. Even though the app will work with basic functionality, it would be nice to have a physical remote, but on occasion Bose decides to kill the app completely. If you have lost your remote, consider purchasing a new remote as soon as possible. If you go to Amazon, you’ll find lots of remotes for different SoundTouch devices, like This one For SoundTouch CineMate 520, 220, 130 and 120.
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Ultimately, however, the long-term solution will depend on whether someone will pick up the open-source SoundTouch API and create something that will satisfy the consumers who have invested their money in Bose systems.
From my perspective, whenever a product reaches the end of its life (which they all do eventually), the company producing the product should open-source it to prevent the product from being discarded and ending up in landfills. Sure, those companies might not want to hand over the secret sauce that made their products so special, but if you weigh it against more and more tech waste, the choice seems obvious.
Hopefully more companies will adopt this and make it a trend.
