Can't Download No Matter What

Plex Players Mobile Devices
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1

This new “updated experience” has been an absolute disaster (I know, its like beating a dead horse), but it’s rather annoying that I continue to pay for a service that refuses to work. For starters, I have Plex Pass and have had Plex Pass for years.

Now, let’s get tot he technical side of things. I’m currently running PMS on an ubuntu server and can stream my content from anywhere in the world (currently I’m 9,000+ miles away from home). Before I left on my trip, I tried to download a few shows to my mobile device for the 30+ hour plane ride. Nope. The Plex App refuses. I’m using the most up to date version of the Plex app on iOS. Even when I was at home (connected to same LAN that the PMS is on, it refused to download anything).

I have verified that “Allow Downloads” is enabled. Still nothing. 5 months ago, this was not an issue. Two years ago, this was not an issue. I’m rather upset that this “new experience” is nothing but constant headaches and technical issues. What on earth do I need to do to be able to just download a few seasons of a show that I’m trying to watch? I’ve tried downloading individual episodes… nothing. Refuses. I’ve tried downloading entire seasons… nothing. Refuses. Then, when I go to the “Downloads” section, and click on the “Information” button on the failed download, it doesn’t explain anything… it just says “Unable to Download from Media Server”.

I check the console of the server, and this is what it shows:

Blockquote
May 30, 2025 00:51:09.203 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58280 (WAN)] GET /library/streams/101608?download=1 (7 live) #59bc61 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:09.205 [139872309451576] DEBUG - [Req#59bc61] Calculated media file path for path [file:///Plex2/Anime/AnimeTVShows/Invincible%20(2021)/Season%202/Invincible%20(2021)%20-%20S02E03%20-%20THIS%20MISSIVE,%20THIS%20MACHINATION!%20WEBDL-1080p.en.srt]: [“/Plex2/Anime/AnimeTVShows/Invincible (2021)/Season 2/Invincible (2021) - S02E03 - THIS MISSIVE, THIS MACHINATION! WEBDL-1080p.en.srt”]
May 30, 2025 00:51:09.211 [139872806189880] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58280] 200 GET /library/streams/101608?download=1 (7 live) #59bc61 TLS GZIP 7ms 20583 bytes (pipelined: 1)
May 30, 2025 00:51:10.899 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bc8a TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:10.906 [139872808299320] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bc8a TLS GZIP 6ms 535 bytes (pipelined: 4)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.271 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bc9b TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.278 [139872808299320] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bc9b TLS GZIP 6ms 535 bytes (pipelined: 5)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.592 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] GET /downloadQueue/3/item/45/decision (7 live) #59bca0 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.595 [139872806189880] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 GET /downloadQueue/3/item/45/decision (7 live) #59bca0 TLS GZIP 3ms 5944 bytes (pipelined: 6)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.940 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] HEAD /downloadQueue/3/item/45/media (7 live) #59bca5 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.944 [139872309451576] DEBUG - [Req#59bca5] Activity: registered new activity 41e194fe-8576-4818-ad5b-53cacb47d5dc - “”
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.944 [139872309451576] DEBUG - [Req#59bca5] Activity: updated activity 41e194fe-8576-4818-ad5b-53cacb47d5dc - completed -1.0% - Media download by jcarroll53
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.945 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Content-Length of /Plex2/Anime/AnimeTVShows/Invincible (2021)/Season 2/Invincible (2021) - S02E02 - IN ABOUT SIX HOURS I LOSE MY VIRGINITY TO A FISH WEBDL-1080p.mkv is 1444596123 (of total: 1444596123).
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.945 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 HEAD /downloadQueue/3/item/45/media (7 live) #59bca5 TLS GZIP 5ms 0 bytes (pipelined: 7)
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.945 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Activity: updated activity 41e194fe-8576-4818-ad5b-53cacb47d5dc - completed 0.0% - Media download by jcarroll53
May 30, 2025 00:51:23.945 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Activity: Ended activity 41e194fe-8576-4818-ad5b-53cacb47d5dc.
May 30, 2025 00:51:24.360 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58280 (WAN)] GET /library/streams/101607?download=1 (7 live) #59bc96 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:24.362 [139872309451576] DEBUG - [Req#59bc96] Calculated media file path for path [file:///Plex2/Anime/AnimeTVShows/Invincible%20(2021)/Season%202/Invincible%20(2021)%20-%20S02E02%20-%20IN%20ABOUT%20SIX%20HOURS%20I%20LOSE%20MY%20VIRGINITY%20TO%20A%20FISH%20WEBDL-1080p.en.srt]: [“/Plex2/Anime/AnimeTVShows/Invincible (2021)/Season 2/Invincible (2021) - S02E02 - IN ABOUT SIX HOURS I LOSE MY VIRGINITY TO A FISH WEBDL-1080p.en.srt”]
May 30, 2025 00:51:24.367 [139872806189880] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58280] 200 GET /library/streams/101607?download=1 (7 live) #59bc96 TLS GZIP 7ms 21665 bytes (pipelined: 2)
May 30, 2025 00:51:26.618 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bcc0 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:26.625 [139872806189880] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 GET /downloadQueue/3/items (7 live) #59bcc0 TLS GZIP 7ms 535 bytes (pipelined: 8)
May 30, 2025 00:51:33.350 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:58268 (WAN)] GET /media/providers (6 live) #59bcd0 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:51:33.352 [139872806189880] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:58268] 200 GET /media/providers (6 live) #59bcd0 TLS GZIP 2ms 5780 bytes (pipelined: 9)
May 30, 2025 00:52:00.094 [139872309451576] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:37974 (WAN)] GET /media/providers (5 live) #59bc91 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (jcarroll53) (iPhone)
May 30, 2025 00:52:00.096 [139872808299320] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:37974] 200 GET /media/providers (5 live) #59bc91 TLS GZIP 2ms 5780 bytes (pipelined: 1)
May 30, 2025 00:52:03.488 [139872808299320] DEBUG - WebSocket: client initiated close
May 30, 2025 00:52:03.488 [139872806189880] DEBUG - NotificationStream: Removing because of close

I’m at a total loss.

2 Likes
2

This is what Microsoft CoPilot sees from the Miss you provided.

Are the video formats you are selecting be natively played in you device?

I also think it would be helpful to upload your device logs here to.

Lastly, others have found ways to download the old client to they’re device.

Based on the log entries, the Plex server appears to be handling requests successfully, but the downloads are still failing. Here are some possible explanations for the issue:

Possible Causes:

  1. Media File Accessibility

    • The logs confirm that Plex successfully resolves the media file path (e.g., /Plex2/Anime/...), meaning the server recognizes the file.
    • However, if the file is locked, missing, or permissions are incorrect, Plex might fail to initiate the actual transfer.

  2. Download Queue Issues

    • The repeated GET /downloadQueue/3/items requests show that the app is checking the download queue, but there’s no indication that the download is progressing.
    • The activity tracking logs briefly register media download by jcarroll53, but the completion percentage is stuck at 0.0%, which suggests that Plex isn’t actually transferring the data.

  3. Transcoding or Format Issues

    • Some media formats might require transcoding before downloading. If transcoding settings are misconfigured or unsupported, Plex might silently fail.
    • Check if Direct Play and Direct Download are enabled.

  4. Network or Remote Access Limitations

    • The user is 9,000+ miles away from home, meaning remote access is crucial.
    • Despite Plex being accessible for streaming, downloads may require specific ports or settings that aren’t properly configured.
    • Verify if VPNs, firewalls, or bandwidth limitations are affecting downloads.

Recommended Troubleshooting Steps:

  • Check Server Logs for Errors: Look specifically for download-related errors instead of successful GET requests.
  • Ensure Media File Permissions: Confirm Plex has read/write access to /Plex2/Anime/...
  • Test Download at Home: If downloads fail even on the same LAN, the issue is likely not related to remote access.
  • Manually Try Downloading a File: Access the Plex server directly (via SSH or terminal) and see if you can manually download the media file.
  • Disable Transcoding for Downloads: This can prevent unnecessary conversion steps that may be stalling the process.

If you want to troubleshoot further, I can help analyze settings or other logs—just let me know what you’d like to focus on!

Some of these steps require you to be physically next to your server, but I didn’t want to edit the response.

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