Streaming platform Plex is getting a major upgrade, rolling out a preview of its rebuilt mobile app today ahead of a full launch in 2025. The makeover, two years in the making, aims to fix the platform's often clunky navigation and merge your personal libraries with Plex's selection of free and paid streaming content.
The new, content-forward design puts everything up front, with personal media getting its own tab and the popular Watchlist feature finally scoring prime real estate in the main navigation bar. That means your own content should be easier to get to, but if you're in the mood to look at something new, that's simpler than before as well.
The upgrade, which Plex announced on its blog, has polished visuals to spare as well, with expanded artwork across movie pages, cast profiles and user dashboards. Plex caved to user demands by adding proper title cards for movies and shows where available, so you can give your own content a much-needed update or bask in the full art card that accompanies some of your favorite shows and movies.
But this update, from the way Plex has described it, is more than just a pretty face. The team says it rebuilt its entire system from scratch. The team ditched individual apps for each platform in favor of a "unified codebase," meaning new features should roll out faster and work the same whether you're on your phone or TV. And if you're someone who likes to swap between servers on the go or when you're at home, this should act as a significant boon.
Ahead of the redesigned app's launch, Plex plans on inviting some users to test out a special preview version. Some features are temporarily MIA in the preview – no playlists or casting for now — but Plex promises weekly updates to bring everything back online.
"We're not just slapping on a new coat of paint," a Plex spokesperson said. "This is a ground-up rebuild to make everything work better together."
To take part in the preview, you can sign up at the Plex forums for access details, but testing spots are limited. The current Plex app will stick around during testing, so you can take the new version for a spin and still have access to your new content.
The preview marks the first step in Plex's platform-wide refresh, with TV apps getting the same treatment soon. The company plans to share more about the technical nuts and bolts as testing continues, leading up to the full release early next year.
