Windows Plex Media Server version: 1.42.1.10060
Legacy Android Plex player : 10:26.1.123
Subject line says it all: the videos I had downloaded to my phone from my Windows 10-based server were suddenly gone entirely. Everything else is unchanged, as far as I can tell.
Now I’m not absolutely certain whether that Plex password change was the cause, because on Monday of this last week I ALSO signed my Windows 10 Pro computer up for Extended Security Updates, and that involved signing in as a new user with my Microsoft account credentials in order to associate that PC with said account, at least temporarily–I went back to signing in with the same local account on that machine once I’d gotten the extended updates thing sorted. Maybe that messed with/temporarily relocated the metadata for Plex somehow?
Anyway, I also checked the storage used on my phone and sure enough, it showed way more storage free than should be free, so the videos aren’t “hiding” anywhere per the Android (16, stock–I have a Pixel 8a). Super mysterious.
Did you go into the app settings and “clear cache and data”? That might delete the downloads. Also, do you use a separate download location (Android) such as an external storage (SD Card)?
I have an iPhone, and do not primarily use my phone for media playback, but I did have one movie downloaded to it, and it was still there and working. I also checked Plexamp, and all my downloaded music is still there as well.
Thanks for the reply. No, I didn’t consciously do that in Android Plex, and my phone has no extra slot for storage (I made sure to snag the 256 GB version of it so I’d have plenty of space).
I wonder if that whole temporary Windows account switch kerfuffle may have caused it though. I can’t imagine why a simple Plex password change would mess with the downloads to a Plex client.
Actually, I found this thread on the Plex subreddit that explains why this might happen, namely that since the credentials under which those items were downloaded to the client weren’t precisely the same (the password was different), the downloads themselves became “unauthorized” and thus deleted.
I would have guessed that too, but I changed my own password, and already discovered that my downloads were unaffected.
I have an Android Fire that I watch my media on, so I will check that tonight. If it’s a “credential” issue, then it might only happen to Android, and I can possibly confirm this theory, or disprove it.
Okay, checked. It’s been months since I unlocked my tablet, so I think the external storage unloaded. Because of that, the contents of my external storage seem to be hosed. Plex doesn’t seem to think I have anything downloaded.
Unsure if this validates your theory. Media is gone, but seems more likely due to SD card loss.
The latest PMS beta has some fixes for downloads and optimized files.
Not sure if this helps phones, but I just read it here:
fwiw even Linus has been frustrated by this for some time, as it affected his family vacations. Let us know if things get better for you. My only offline usage is with PlexAmp though.
