Server Version#:PlexMediaServer-1.42.2.10156-f737b826c-x86_64 on Win 11 Pro 24H2
Android Player Version#:Oct 27, 2025 on Latest Android 16 update (Oct 2925)
A few days ago, I created a Playlist and played it that night on my Pixel 9 Pro XL. The next night I tried to play it again and could not find any way to play it or even to list my Playlists. Even worse, when I look at a TV Episode, there is no way to add it to a Playlist. I tried to add the episode to the Watch List instead, but that only allow you to add the WHOLE SHOW (all seasons & episodes) to the Watch List!! Absolutely useless.
Why would they rip out a whole feature like this?
I have had a lifetime subscription for years.
I use smart collections for my playlists. I’m able to put the episodes of multiple shows in and have it hide the episodes that have already been watched. Plus, they share with friends that have access to that library.
Collections? Way too cumbersome. I cannot see a “Collections” tab to list them on all my devices, and the UIs on all the devices is so very different. What is wrong with simple playlists?
from https://support.plex.tv/articles/201273953-collections/
Creating a Manual Collection
- Open the Edit details screen for the item
- Navigate to the Tags tab on the left
- Click the Collections box
- If the collection already exists, choose it from the list
- If not, type the name and hit enter
- Save the changes
Finding the Collections Within a Library
- Filter by the collection (Can’t find that)
- Item details/preplay screen
- Viewing the library “By Collection” (Can’t find that)
- Add as a recommendation row to your library or home screen
- Inline and collapsed with other items when browsing a library
I am switching to KODI with the PlexKodiConnect plug-in. I can easily create, modify, list, and play my playlists from ALL my devices: PC, Phone, CCwGTV, Google TV Streamer. And it’s a much better, more consistent UI.
It is literally a tab on every version of the Plex app I use. And they appear in the main library it’s self. You can create a custom collection in the same way you create a custom playlist from the browser. They are two of the 4 save options. And they share with you people you have shared your library with.
So you have to be looking at an individual library to see the Collections tab. But you can’t see the tab on the Home page, which is where I was looking. Got it.
I have many libraries for reasons I don’t want to get into. Can these collections include content from more than one library? I will check it out.
No, I cannot seem to add items from more than one library into a Collection.
From my PC App…
- I went into one of my libraries, the default TV shows library named “TV Shows”
- Clicked on the Library Tab
- Clicked on a TV Show
- Clicked on a Season
- Clicked on the hamburger icon for one of the episodes
- Selected Add to->Add to Collection…
- Entered “Favorites”.
- Clicked Create
- Clicked on the hamburger icon for another of the episodes
- Selected Add to->Add to Collection…
- Selected “Favorites”
- Went back up to “TV Shows”
- Clicked on the Collections Tab
- Noted that “Favorites” was listed
- Went to my library named “Animation”
- Clicked the hamburger icon for one of the movies in the library
- Selected Add to->Add to Collection…
- Noted that “Favorites” was NOT listed
So a Collection isn’t the equivalent of a Playlist.
- It is accessible only from one library
- It cannot contain items from more than one library
The Plex app for the web and for my PC, CCwGTV and Google TV Streamer still has Playlists – for now, we’ll see how long that lasts. The app for my Android Phone does not.
Again, why? Is it only a matter of time before Playlists disappear entirely?
So you have to be looking at an individual library to see the Collections tab. But you can’t see the tab on the Home page, which is where I was looking. Got it.
That has always been the case on every version of the app I’ve used. Collections are Library specific. So, you cannot add items from two different TV Show libraries to the same collection, nor can you add something from a Movie library.
Since you have multiple libraries, this would not work for you. Unless you joined all of your TV show libraries into one and either created a symbolic link from a movie file from the movie library into a tv show, or moved/copied the movie to the tv show library.
Using a smart collection does have it’s benefits over play list though. I use advanced filters like this one for the Chicago shows to make one giant list, including any I’ve added the tag in the sort title [Crossover - Chicago]. And since I set the collection to use the viewers watch state it only shows episodes they have not watched yet. Not something playlists are capable of. In addition to not being able to share them with other users that have access to the library.
I emailed Plex support to find out what they’re up to, and of course I got no reply.
Wait a minute… You have to actually select one of the Libraries that actually contains at least one item in a given Playlist, Tap “Recommended”, and then you can scroll down to see “Recent Playlists”?
Really??? Who can remember which particular Libraries have their content in your Playlist?
What the ??? This is incredibly horrible user experience.
Playlists, which can include content from multiple different Libraries, should be a top-level item in the UI.
I can still see Playlists on the Windows app and on the Web Site at least in the list of Libraries.
I have resorted to using the KODI app with the PlexKodiConnect plug-in. It’s not great, but it lists my Playlists. I cannot seem to find any other app that does that. Not VidHub, Plezy, etc.
Anyone have a better alternative?
I am using a different Android Mobile client app now. It’s open-source and free if you know how to download the apk and side-load it. I’m not sure if I can mention a competitive product here. Message me if you want to try it out.
