I’ve been trying out the new preview of the Plex app, and I have to say, the design looks great overall! I know it’s a preview app, so I’m keeping that in mind, but it’s definitely a fresh, modern feel. That said, there are still a few things that need some attention.
Customizable Bottom Bar
First, I think the bottom bar should be customizable. Right now, it seems like the default options (Live TV, On Demand) are fixed, but it would be nice if users could swap those out. For example, if I prefer quick access to Movies and TV Shows, it would be great if I could replace Live TV and On Demand with that. More flexibility here would be a big improvement. This should tie in when customizing the home screen layout—whatever libraries you choose to display on the home screen should also reflect in the bottom bar (most common: Movies, TV Shows), making it consistent across the app.
Library Browsing Issues
When browsing through the library, I’ve noticed some weird spacing issues. The posters are off-center, and there’s a huge gap on the right side of the screen and between posters. Hopefully, this can be fixed to make everything align better and create a smoother browsing experience. Another thing is that when you return to browse, the “Sort By” option resets, which can be a bit annoying if you were specifically sorting by something like “Recently Added” or “Title.” It would be great if it remembered your sorting preference.
Watchlist Issues
Another thing that I found, is when I go into the “My Watchlist” tab and press “Recommended,” the entire layout shifts up. This causes the “Add to Watchlist” text to be cut off and go out of view.
Missing Metadata Information
I also miss the metadata info that used to show up when opening media, like details about subtitles, audio, and video quality. It’s just useful information that made it easier to know what you’re about to watch, especially if there are different options. I really hope they bring this back because it was such a helpful feature.
Search Results Alignment
The search results aren’t centered either, which is a small but noticeable issue. It just throws off the clean look of the interface and feels a bit off when browsing.
Missing Player Features
As for the player, it’s pretty neat, but there are a few missing features that I think are important. For instance, the option to choose different versions of a movie or show seems to be gone. Also, if I have a pre-roll set up, it doesn’t play. The end-time playback feature is also missing, which used to show at what time the media would end.
Profile Switching Bug
Finally, there’s a bit of a problem with profile switching. Even with an account PIN enabled, the app doesn’t log the previous user out when reopening. This makes switching profiles a bit of a hassle, as it stays logged into the last account. It’s also a security issue, since someone could easily access the previous user’s account without needing to enter a PIN, which can cause confusion and privacy concerns as there is no longer a login screen.
Conclusion
Overall, I think the new look and cross consistency has a lot of potential, but it’s definitely still a work in progress. These tweaks and fixes could really help polish the experience and make it more user-friendly.
