Plex, the widely used media server and streaming platform, has made several exciting announcements today. The service is introducing new discovery and community features for all users, along with enhanced video streaming quality for Plex Pass subscribers.
Of particular interest to Apple users is the expansion of the preview for the revamped Plex experience, which now includes Apple TV.
Plex detailed its updates in a blog post, highlighting a commitment to enhancing user discovery and fostering community in 2025. One of the new options allows users to write reviews that other Plex users can read, as well as comment on existing reviews.
For us, discovery goes beyond just finding what to watch; it’s about connecting with other fans and friends like you in the process. That’s why you can now access your Plex profile at watch.plex.tv, and choose to make it visible to ANYONE! By default, all Plex users can be found by other users through search unless you’ve adjusted this setting previously. Making your profile public on watch.plex.tv allows you to easily share a link to it, showcasing what you’ve watched, what’s on your Watchlist, and more!
There are important privacy considerations as well. Plex clarifies that by default, “all Plex users are discoverable by other users in the app via search.” Nevertheless, they emphasize that no changes have been made to your privacy settings. If you had previously opted out, you will remain opted out.
You’ll find a new setting in the Plex app menu labeled “Share My Ratings and Reviews,” where you can select from five options:
- Anyone
- Anyone signed into Plex
- Friends of Friends
- Friends only
- Private
New Apple TV App Preview
Last November, Plex revealed a complete overhaul of its iPhone app, rewritten from scratch. At that time, they released a preview of the app through TestFlight for iPhone users. Now, they’re extending that preview to Apple TV users as well.
The revamped Plex design emphasizes a new navigation style, alongside significant visual updates, such as larger and more engaging artwork.
Beyond cosmetic improvements and new features, Plex also notes that this is a substantial backend redesign. The app has been entirely rebuilt and now operates from a unified codebase across platforms, facilitating quicker updates and new features in the future.
To try out the new app, you can sign up on the Plex forums and join the beta. The Plex website provides a list of features that are still in development, such as casting and various download options. Plex stresses that the new app “is far from perfect, but we aim to gather community feedback as early as possible.”
For further information about the new Plex experience, check out our initial coverage from November.
Lastly, Plex Pass subscribers can access HEVC hardware encoding, which promises improved video quality over the same bandwidth:
HEVC encoding delivers superior visual quality at the same bit rate, permitting higher-quality video streaming while using the same (or even less!) bandwidth from your Plex Media Server. Furthermore, this encoding can retain HDR metadata, eliminating the need for tone mapping!
For more insights on today’s announcements, visit Plex’s blog post.
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