By chance… Does there exist a “non-server” android version of PLEX?
What do you mean by “non-server version”?
meaning just that. There’s a PLEX server version for PC, and there’s a non-server version for PC. I’m hoping that the non-server version isn’t programmed to automatically search sever whilst off line. The performance is terrible on my Android. I’ve been a premium member for awhile, it’s crazy that the mobile version has no significant improvements.
Not sure I can follow your explanation.
There’s the actual Plex Media Server which can be installed on a PC and there’s various Plex clients which can be used on a PC (e.g. Plex Web from a browser, Plex for Windows, Plex Media Player / Plex HTPC). Plex for Windows supports downloading media so you can play it without consuming data from your plan while away from home.
All those clients depend on media from (a) Plex Media Server(s) connected to the account they’re signed into (unless you consider some of the online media sources which are available to everybody even without a Plex Pass).
On Android there’s just the regular Plex client (let’s ignore the Shield acting as its own Plex Media Server for now). The client is capable to sync content from the server for offline playback (or handling at least the playback without consuming your data connection while still feeding information about the progress to your server).
Or are you referring to the Android app’s capability to play local audio files without adding them to your server?
Therefore still not sure what you mean by “non-server version” 
The problem I’ve been having for probably close to two years since I’ve paid for Life-Time membership is, not being able to play my sync’d content when off line. And I am totally convinced that the reason for this is that the software keeps looking for connected servers by default. This makes absolutely no sense. And it makes me think the developers are not lovers of entertainment, just people who no how to program, and not doing things that make logical sense! It feels like staff is so busy making the applications look pretty, and stead of fixing the problem I’ve been b**ching about for years. Now, I disabled “Network Discovery,” which did help somewhat. But sometimes it’s still a pain.
The whole point of me spending for a life-time membership is so that I can also use my mobile phone. But your service is useless, unless I only use it on my Roku, which has internet access. You know, I’m not Mr. Moneybags. I know a lot of us don’t have the kind of money you ask for membership. And staff acts like this is a hobby for them. If you hire staff, it seizes to be a hobby.
How difficult it is to just add an off line button? Like, every other major streaming service logically does? Why do you offer a way to download, if we still can’t access it? It’s retarded! I guess most members don’t use their phone, so I have the pleasure of being ignored. I’m not important.
Now I have to use VLC to do the job that staff refuses to fix. $125 down the drain. Thanks for nothing.
In the Plex app for iOS, it’s possible to browse the already-downloaded content.
And there’s a setting to Prefer Downloaded Content.
It appears that the same options exist for Android.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/205553268-using-mobile-sync/
Do either of those help address the problems you’re describing?
I’ve always had “Prefer Downloaded Content” turned on. This doesn’t help. And by the way, I recently purchased my Galaxy S21 5G, so I no it’s not a matter of having an old phone. As I’ve said before, I really do believe the problem is, the app is checking for licenses, and if it doesn’t see a license, I don’t gain access to the app. You guys have got to find a solution to this. I can’t be the only one complaining about this. More and more people are preferring to watch their entertainment on the go. Either you need to offer a separate download with our license embedded in the app. Or do something so that it only checks about once a month when we are connected to our home WiFi. Very frustrating. I don’t think staff really uses their own apps.
So I was sitting here reading this thread and decided to test things out. I went to my currently watching shows on my phone and told the app to download the most recent unwatched episode of one of them. After that synced I exited out of the app and put on my jacket… and walked three blocks up the street.
I leaned against a local hardware store (that does not offer free wi-fi) like some juvenile delinquent and launched the Plex app again. The Plex splash screen stayed on for a good 20-30 seconds while the app tried to talk to my server over my low-speed mobile data connection. But it did load my Home screen. I then selected the show again, and hit play on the episode’s pre-play screen… and it started playing the synced episode. Besides the delay on launch things seem to be working.
Taking things a step further, I exited out of the Plex app again and disabled my mobile data. Then I tried again… This time the Plex splash screen was there and gone in what I would call normal time. But nothing loaded after that. 
I was left on a background screen with a spinner that never went away. If there’s supposed to be a time-out here, it’s too long. I went to the sidebar menu > Downloads & Sync > picked the only library listed (the one the show was from) > and I was able to select the show and start playing the synced episode again. Even with no data connection at all I was still able to play a video file. 
Oh, for the record, I’m on a Sony from 2016 running Android 7.1.
While I can pretty much say “works for me”, there is some truth in the frustration by the OP. The Plex app’s handling of low/no network service is not well done. The app should have an alternate Home screen mode implemented for situations where it cannot connect to any servers, like where it loads to a screen of synced content. I don’t know how much of the library/pre-play stuff is being cached locally, but I noticed poster art and backgrounds still came up when I was accessing the synced show in the Downloads & Sync section with data disabled, so I would think something more that an endless spinner would be possible here.
Also Observation @ClassicMovieLover:
You didn’t have to opt to buy a Lifetime Plex Pass right out of the gate. You could have subscribed month-to-month and tested and app out to see if the Plex setup would meet your needs before you plunked down $125.
In order to really see what I’m talking about, you must completely close PLEX app, and THEN load it back up whilst being COMPLETELY off-line. If WiFi is not available, your phone will automatically connect to a cell tower. So turning off WiFi doesn’t matter. I’m often on the subway with no connection. Which means, I’m burdened with always having to remember to load the program before I go underground; and sometimes not even then; it appears to still randomly search for the main server. Sometimes it also causes the screen to flicker when this happens, and I’m constantly refreshing the screen. That’s a huge clue that PLEX is looking for a license (or at least wants to connect to the main PLEX server). Damn it, if they’re too damn lazy to put a off-line button, at least insert a timeout value!
Second, I brought the Life-Time because I was mostly satisfied with Roku/PLEX and PC/PLEX. Therefor, I purchased it with a trust that even if there were bugs, it would be fixed sooner or later. Second, if I remember correctly you can’t really use the mobile service (at least at full capacity) unless you became a member. Had I known the trust I had for the PLEX brand name would be challenged I would have not purchased it at all. I would have stayed with the free version. They don’t even have a support ticket system for LT members! The era of non-customer service.
I did.
The splash screen went away faster with no data connection at all verses low-speed data. And playback still worked, it is just very not-intuitive.
If you read these forums there are plenty of bugs people report that don’t get acknowledged by anyone, let alone fixed. I have a notification right now to remember to bump a thread for a subtitle issue originally reported in August 2019
Mobile Sync and Downloads is a feature on the mobile app that requires Plex Pass, you are correct. You didn’t have to buy the Lifetime pass still. You could have gotten a month-to-month Plex Pass ($5/mo) and checked all this out. Even subscribing monthly for a whole year while you “wait for the bugs to be fixed” would have been $60.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
