Streaming service and media software maker Plex on Friday introduced a redesign of its software that puts more emphasis on discovery, easily accessing your watchlist, and other personalization features — including those 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 organization with its future as a streaming service, where it generates revenue through ad-supported content. Following its $40 million fundraise at the beginning of 2024, the company said it would be nearing profitability around year-end or early 2025. Given that goal, Plex’s redesign needs to be successful.
That’s also why the company is taking careful steps with regard to its changes, which Plex says have been two years in the making.
Initially offered as a preview on mobile devices, Plex’s new interface includes redesigned navigation that makes it easier to explore the different parts of Plex’s service. Instead of hamburger menus (the three-line menus that hide navigation), Plex’s update offers a return to tabbed navigation with buttons at the bottom of the screen, which tends to work better on mobile.
Here, users can move between their media library, Live TV channels (ad-supported streams), On Demand streams, and more. There are also buttons for a Discovery section and a personalized home page that will point you to content you may want to continue watching.
People who continue to use Plex to manage their home libraries will appreciate that they’ll have a dedicated button that centralizes access to this feature. They’ll also be able to favorite libraries to customize the experience to their needs.
Your Plex Watchlist, where you track the shows and movies you want to see, has been given a more prominent spot in the top navigation for faster access, as Plex says more people have begun to use this feature over time.
Other changes in the new release include a reorganization of those areas where you access your personal details like your profile, watch history, friends, and streaming services, which are now all available in one place.
The updated app has expanded its use of visual imagery, too. Plex says this will be particularly noticeable in the movie and show detail pages, plus cast and crew profiles, and users’ own Plex profile pages. Title artwork for movies and shows has also been added, in response to user feedback.
Plex notes the redesign isn’t all surface level — it’s rewritten its apps under the hood and streamlined its codebase as a part of this process. Now that the codebase is unified, the team will be able to release new features across all supported platforms quickly, speeding up the development cycle.
However, the redesign is first rolling out to mobile devices in an “early-access preview” because Plex wants to test the experience with users and get their feedback before expanding it across all devices. A few features, including playlists and cast support, are also still in the works but will be added during the preview period. Support for TV platforms will soon follow, the company says.