Plex has announced significant updates to its media streaming service, affecting how users access their personal media libraries and interact with key features. The changes, set to take effect on April 29, 2025, include requiring a subscription for remote streaming and discontinuing the ‘Watch Together’ feature on most devices.
Previously free for all users, remote access to a personal Plex Media Server from outside a home network will now require a paid subscription. This change aims to support the platform’s ongoing development and infrastructure costs. Users who primarily stream within their local network, however, will benefit from the removal of the one-minute playback limitation on mobile devices, making local streaming more seamless.
Plex justifies this shift by emphasising the resources required to maintain high-quality remote streaming. While many users have enjoyed this functionality for free, the company sees a subscription model as a necessity to; in the short term, sustain and longer term, improve the service.
Plex is increasing the cost of its Plex Pass subscription across all tiers, citing the need to invest in platform improvements and new features. Existing lifetime subscribers will not be affected, but new users will see higher rates for monthly, annual, and lifetime plans so lock in your lifetime now at the old price. The company frames the price adjustment as essential for sustaining and enhancing its media streaming services, particularly as it continues refining its platform and expanding features.
Another major change is the removal of the ‘Watch Together’ feature, which allowed users to synchronise playback with friends and family. While Plex has not provided a detailed explanation for its removal, it has confirmed that the feature will still be available through the Plex web app for the time being. The company may be focusing on optimising performance and consolidating its resources into other areas of the platform.
These updates align with Plex’s broader strategy of refining its service and integrating personal media libraries with streaming services more effectively. The company is currently testing a major app redesign on mobile and Apple TV, which aims to create a more intuitive and unified user experience.
While these changes mark a shift in how users interact with Plex, they also signal the company’s long-term vision to balance free and premium features while continuing to enhance its media platform. There’s plenty of uproar about the changes, but in reality; a business change like this is often forced due to costs or sustainability of the business.
