Plex users who have relied on the platform to access content from a friend's media server on their televisions at no cost may face disruptions. In line with announcements made earlier this year alongside a Plex Pass price increase, the company is now requiring payment for remote streaming from personal servers to TV applications. The update launches this week on the Roku version, with plans to extend it to additional TV platforms such as Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV, as well as third-party tools leveraging Plex's remote streaming interface, by 2026. Additionally, Plex has begun introducing an updated interface for its application on televisions equipped with Roku software.
With this policy shift, the individual hosting the media server must hold an active Plex Pass to enable remote connections for others using Plex's infrastructure. The subscription options include $7 monthly, $70 annually, or a one-time $250 lifetime fee. Holders of Plex Pass, or the alternative Remote Watch Pass priced at $2 monthly or $20 yearly, gain the ability to connect to another user's server remotely, regardless of whether that user subscribes to Plex Pass. The company first applied this restriction to mobile platforms prior to broader rollout.
Introducing fees for capabilities once available without charge can disappoint users. While Plex must generate revenue to sustain operations, such changes often draw criticism for prioritizing monetization over user convenience, particularly given the existence of free alternatives like Jellyfin.