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Streaming service and media software maker Plex Friday foot A redesign of its software that focuses more on discovery, easier access to your watchlist, and other customization features — including those intended for home media enthusiasts who still use the app to organize their media libraries.
Over the years, the company has tried to balance its history as a software maker focused on home media curation with its future as a streaming service, where it generates revenue through ad-supported content. After a $40 million fundraising effort at the beginning of 2024, the company said it will approach profitability at the end of the year or early 2025. Given that goal, Plex’s redesign should be a success.
That’s also why the company is taking careful steps with the changes it’s making, which Plex says took two years.
Initially offered as a preview on mobile devices, the new Plex interface includes redesigned navigation that makes it easier to explore the different parts of the Plex service. Instead of hamburger menus (three-line menus that hide navigation), the Plex update brings a return to tabbed navigation using buttons at the bottom of the screen, which tends to work better on mobile.
Here, users can navigate between their media library, live TV channels (ad-supported streaming), on-demand streaming, and more. There are also buttons for the Discover section and a dedicated home page that will direct you to content you may want to continue watching.
People who continue to use Plex to manage their home libraries will appreciate that they will have a dedicated button that centralizes access to this feature. They will also be able to select preferred libraries to customize the experience according to their needs.
Your Plex Watchlist, where you keep track of shows and movies you want to watch, has been given a more prominent place at the top of the navigation bar for faster access, as Plex says more people are starting to use the feature over time.
Other changes in the new version include reorganizing those areas where you can access your personal data such as your profile, viewing history, friends, and streaming services, which are now all available in one place.
The updated app has expanded its use of visuals as well. Plex says this will be especially noticeable on movie and show detail pages, as well as cast and crew profiles, and user profile pages. Title art for movies and shows has also been added, in response to user feedback.
Plex notes that the redesign isn’t all surface level — it’s rewriting its apps under the hood and simplifying its code base as part of that process. Now that the code base is standardized, the team will be able to release new features across all supported platforms quickly, speeding up the development cycle.
However, the redesign is rolling out first to mobile devices in Early Access Preview because Plex wants to test the experience with users and get their feedback before expanding it across all devices. a little Featuresincluding playlists and support actors, are also still in the works but will be added during the preview period. The company says support for TV platforms will follow soon.
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