Server Version#: 1.42.2.10156-720010156
Player Version#: Any
I either need help figuring out how to achieve something or this may result in a feature request.
I have 5 nieces and nephews that are all growing out of being toddlers and I have been working with my siblings to try and figure out an access configuration to my server that would work for them. I have Plex Pass and have looked at both managed accounts and separate Plex logins for the kids; both seem to have major downsides:
Managed profiles on my Plex account:
I would have to add pins/passwords to mine and my wifeâs account so the kids canât access content they shouldnât.
The 5 kids live in three households and thereâs no way to prevent them from using their cousinsâ profiles and messing up video/audio track progress. One âKidsâ profile would obviously not work either.
Parents do not have the ability to manage access directly (not a deal breaker, but inconvenient)
Separate Plex account for each kid managed by parents (preferred since they would just keep their own Plex accounts long term):
Kids can access my server with content filtered, but there doesnât appear to be a way to filter Plexâs huge library.
Parents still wouldnât have direct control over content filters.
Managed profiles on their parentsâ Plex account:
I donât believe you will find the answer you are hoping for to this question.
Optional: The best way currently is to have each family buy (or share) a Plex Pass account. Create separate (non-managed) accounts for each member of the family (recommended), or at least Parent and Kids. Add all of the accounts into the Plex Home. (I do NOT recommend they have access to your Plex Home, if you are thinking about sharing your Plex Pass account.)
Now, here is where you arenât going to be happy. Your siblings will not have management ability over access control; you, as the server admin, have to do it. The siblings will need to ask you to make changes.
I recommend using labels. Label your Plex content with something like: âAge 0â âAge 3â âAge 5â âAge 8â âAge 10â âAge 12â âAge 14â âAge 16â âAge 18â. Then grant access to the labels you (or your siblings) want to each kidâs account. The Age labels allow you to label them once but be used for multiple kids without having to change the labels.
If you have a sibling who is fine with all Age 12 content EXCEPT a couple movies, then you can instead add a âname of kidâ label and use that for access control for that kid. The Age labels still allow you to Advance Filter the content and add and remove the âname of kidâ label more easily as the kid grows up.
Anyway, this is how Iâve been doing it for many years and it works quite well.
@Kilgry I think weâve done something pretty close to what youâre describing already, if Iâm understanding correctly.
How do you filter Plexâs content for the kids accounts?
While it would be more convenient for each parent to have direct control over what their kids watch, I am happy to manually filter if thereâs a way to give the kids filtered access to Plex and my server.
Settings â Manage Library Access â Select User â go to âRestrictionsâ tab menu
Now select the Labels you wish the user to have access to. In the example below, this child has access for content from Age 0 to Age 12. They also have access to content labelled with â[childâs name] Allowedâ in case there is an Age 14 movie that is acceptable for the child.
So, this child would not have access to âAge 16â and thus couldnât see âPlanet of the Apes.â
If a parent wanted more specific movie control, and I have one of them in my group, then only use the â[child name] Allowedâ label in the userâs restrictions:
The nice part here is that it usually follows the Age ratings fairly closely, so I can do an Advance Filter and then group select content and add/remove the childâs specific label to multiple pieces of content at one time:
The part about the âPlex Home,â is really so a family can have multiple accounts setup in their home and shared on their streaming devices. It is optional. I have one family who only uses one kid account for the entire household. I have other families who have multiple accounts in their household (kids, parents, grandparent, house guest) and they have a Plex Pass and all their users are part of their âPlex Home.â
Right, all that makes sense to limit access to content on my server. What I canât figure out how to do is filter Plexâs content for the kids account if they have their own. Have you been able to configure that somewhere?
The only way I have been able to do it is with the managed profiles so far. I havenât figured it out with separate accounts.
Thatâs what @Kilgry has been explaining above.
Since you will be sharing with each kid account directly, you can (or rather âhave toâ) edit their access permissions. Regular accounts have a Restrictions tab just like your own managed users.
So, you mean content that is not on your server but is instead streamed from Plex, inc.?
If so, then Iâm not sure you can filter specific content from there, but you can turn it OFF COMPLETELY on separate accounts:
I recommend that you create separate accounts for the kids but keep the login a secret to an adult (donât give it to the kid until they are an adult). Yes, you can create managed accounts for kids in your household, but not for remote families - unless you are sharing your Plex Pass account, which I DO NOT recommend. I found separate accounts are usually best even for your own kids, so they can transition to adults more easily later.
Now, once each kid account is created:
TURN OFF ALL DISCOVER options for that account (do this for every kid account):
As mention earlier, if the parents want their own accounts and also have kid accounts, then each household should have at least one of their own Plex Pass accounts. All the other household members should then be added to the Plex Home of the Plex Pass account.
Because of the higher cost of the Plex Pass, families will many times balk at the cost. I do have a couple families sharing a single Plex Pass account, it works, but it is a bit messy.
Also, since Plex is currently using a numeric pad for PIN entry, many times kids will see a parent entering the parent PIN. To get around this using Roku, you can use the mobile Roku appâs keyboard function to enter Plex PINs. This keeps the PIN hidden. (Plex needs to add a feature for a remote control button combination PIN entry system instead.) Our family also trained our own kids to look away when a PIN is entered.
