Ability to display folders in list view (all the way down) in Android app is needed

Feature Suggestions
1

Please add ability to view folders in list view (all the way down) in Android app.

I originally wrote the following thinking there might be away that I was missing. But from what I am seeing in the community forum is that this is a feature that is not there but is highly desired by others besides me. It also seems that there doesn’t seem to be an interest by Plex developers to add this small functionality.

I have a Plex Library that points to a folder of audio files on my desktop.

When I am viewing that audio library from my web browser at https://app.plex.tv/desktop, I can browse by artist, albums, tracks or folders. I always browse by folders because that is how I have my music organized on my computer that is in this Plex library. I can display by grid view or list view. I always choose list view because I have long descriptions on my folders and if I choose grid view I can’t see enough of the folder name or file name to help me find what I want.

For example, in my classical folder of the library I have a subfolder for Bach and then folders under that which are identified by his work and artist(s) performing that work. For example, one is named " BWV 552 - Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major (‘St. Anne’) - Hurford" and another is “BWV 552 - Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major (‘St. Anne’) - Lehotka”

If I am viewing by grid view in the web interface, all I see is “BWV 552 - Prelu…” And I see three of those identical descriptions because I have three different performance recordings by different artists. In grid view, I can’t distinguish between those folders. So I always use list view of the folders.

Here is the problem: When I am using the Plex app on the android phone, I can’t seem to view my libraries in the same way. I can’t select list view AND folder. It list view OR folder.

If I choose list view, I don’t see a way to get a list of the folders. Not even the filter option allows me to sort by folder, only by title, rating, date added, date played, & plays.

If I choose folder view I do initially see a list display of the top level of the folders. But as soon as I go down one level from the top level of folders I only see a grid view with no option to choose a list view. And looking for the example above I see even less: “BWV 552 - Pr…”, a loss of three more characters from what I see on the web interface.

This makes the Android app pretty much useless to me for streaming my music to my phone.

Am I missing something? Is there a way for me to view my music collection by folder that remains in a list view as I drill down into the folders? If not, I’m not sure why that functionality can be provided by the web version but not the android version.

2

Good luck with your request, the devs don’t listen to customers because they are busy adding thinks that no one ask and trying to get bigger with adding other companies services!

1 Like
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That’s what I’ve been pickup up from a lot of the chatter in the forums. The giveaway should be that there seems to be no opportunity to contact support apart from the community forums. And I have a lifetime pass. Sigh.

I used to be able to use BubbleUPnP. Any idea if they have made it impossible to use other clients to access the Plex Media Server, or are we now locked into Plex apps alone?

4

I have the solution folks :-D! Steps needed:

  • Install the Hi-Fi Cast app for Android
  • Enable UPnP in your PLEX playback device (UPnP-Settings in RasPlex)
  • Enable DLNA in your PLEX server device (in the server-settings DLNA menu)

The Hi-Fi Cast has the missing folder-view, WOW :smile: !!

5

Thanks!

BubbleUPnP has that functionality as well.


For awhile my two media servers on my desktop could not be seen by other devices. Then it started working.

I looked at the specs of the Hi-Fi cast app. Looks like there were some limitations (like realplaygain and gapless only available with certain file formats).

Now BubbleUPnP seems to work (that is, can see my Plex server).

[An aside] It’s amazing how devices like Chromecast audio or video or Google Home device or media servers can sometimes can be seen, sometimes can’t (occasionally solved by rebooting one thing or another).

6

When browsing a library folder from the Android app, the selected “List” view option does NOT follow recursively on Subfolders and changes to Grid view. SOLUTION: Update the Android app to Maintain the chosen view option UI throughout the folder substructure. When a user choses “List”, maintain List; When user choses “Grid”, maintain Grid.

WHY LIST VIEW?

  1. Fits more of the file name on the screen. Grid view truncates the names (incomplete names - shortens long filenames).
  2. Fits more files on the screen. In List view you can fit 12 filenames before you start scrolling. Grid view takes a lot of real estate on the screen and can only show up to 6 filenames, and those with a truncated names!
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3rd
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8

The BubbleUpnP (or UPnP) is not a fix for REMOTE access. For local access one can simply use VLC Player, or basically any Player with a LAN/Network discovery option (most do).