Hi Plex team,
I am reporting a playback issue that appears to be specific to the Plex Android mobile app on one device.
Summary
On my Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, video playback inside Plex for Android (Mobile) stutters intermittently while audio continues normally.
The same issue also occurs when the media has already been downloaded inside Plex and played locally from the device.
This does not appear to be caused by:
- network throughput
- SMB performance
- the media file itself
- Plex Media Server performance
- a general Android 16 / Samsung One UI 8 issue
Affected device
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Device | Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra |
| Model | SM-X936B |
| App | Plex for Android (Mobile) |
| Client version | 2026.7.0 |
| Build | 2026.7.0 (971050113) |
| Android | 16 |
| One UI | 8.0 |
| Firmware | X936BXXS5AZB8 / X936BOXM5AZB8 / X936BXXS5AZB8 |
| Security patch | 5 February 2026 |
Server / web environment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plex Media Server version | 1.43.1.10611 |
| Plex Web version | 4.159.0 |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 |
| Deployment | Docker |
| Docker image | linuxserver.io Plex image |
| Hardware | Dell OptiPlex 3070 Micro |
| GPU acceleration | GPU passed through to container |
| Hardware transcoding | Enabled |
Comparison devices where I cannot reproduce the issue
| Device | Result |
|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | No issue |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra | No issue |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max | No issue |
Client / playback comparison
| Client / Device | Playback path | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Plex for Android on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Direct Play | Video stutters, audio continues |
| Plex for Android on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Plex Download (local playback) | Video stutters, audio continues |
| Plex for Android on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Server-side transcoding | Smooth |
| Plex Web in Chrome on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Web playback | Smooth |
| Samsung local player on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Local file from internal storage | Smooth |
| Google Photos on Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Local file from internal storage | Smooth |
| Plex for Android on Galaxy S26 Ultra | Direct Play | Smooth |
| Plex for Android on Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra | Direct Play | Smooth |
| Plex on Fire TV Stick 4K Max | Normal playback | Smooth |
Expected behavior
Playback should be smooth in the Plex Android app, especially since the same file works correctly:
- in other local players on the same tablet
- in Plex Web on the same tablet
- on other Android devices with the same Plex version
- on Fire TV hardware
Important comparison note
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is also running:
- Android 16
- One UI 8.0
- Security patch level 5 February 2026
Tab S8 Ultra firmware:
X906BXXSAEZB6 / X906BOXMAEZB6 / X906BXXSAEZB6
So this does not appear to be a general Samsung / Android 16 / One UI 8 problem.
What I tested
In Plex on the affected Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
- Direct Play enabled → playback stutters
- Direct Stream enabled → playback still stutters
- Direct Play + Direct Stream disabled → server-side hardware transcoding used, playback appears smooth
- Movie downloaded inside Plex and played locally in Plex → playback still stutters
Outside Plex on the same Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
Same file copied to internal storage and tested outside Plex:
- Samsung local playback path → smooth
- Google Photos video playback → smooth
Plex Web comparison on the same tablet
- same media played in Plex Web via Chrome
- playback is smooth
- no visible stutter
Why I believe this is client-side
The issue appears to be inside the Plex Android app playback path on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, because:
- the same file plays fine in other local players on the same device
- the same file stutters when played as a Plex download on the same device
- the same file plays fine in Plex Web / Chrome on the same device
- the same Plex version works correctly on other Android devices
- another Samsung tablet with Android 16 / One UI 8.0 does not reproduce the issue
- forcing server-side transcoding avoids the issue
The server and Plex Web environment are included above for completeness, but based on the test results this appears much more likely to be a client-side issue.
Media characteristics
The affected file is a fairly standard file:
- container: MKV
- video: H.264 / AVC
- resolution: 1080p
- frame rate: 23.976 fps
- audio: AC3 5.1
- subtitles available: SRT
This does not appear to be an unusual format.
Reproduction steps
- Open Plex on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
- Play a standard 1080p H.264 MKV movie
- Observe intermittent video stutter while audio continues
- Download the same movie inside Plex
- Play the downloaded copy locally in Plex
- Observe the same stutter again
- Play the same file in another local player on the device
- Observe smooth playback
- Play the same file through Plex Web in Chrome on the same device
- Observe smooth playback
- Test the same media on other Android devices with the same Plex version
- Observe that the issue does not reproduce there
Logs
- Client logs attached
- No Plex Media Server debug logs attached
I am not attaching server debug logs because the issue is reproducible with downloaded/local playback inside the Plex Android app and cannot be reproduced on other client devices using the same server and same file.
plex-log-2026-04-17T08_42_46.324Z.zip (344.8 KB)
