Server Version#: 1.41.5.9522
Player Version#: 2025.11.1
Fantastic, just got around to the best april fools day joke this year.
I Updated the app - which I bought on iOS - an to my surprise I now am forced to sign up or log in. Annoying as that is, I create an account some time ago cause I needed access to the forum. Account still works, great!
But all I get now are streaming services, some community features an NO access to my local server. Since my server is in a TrueNAS-Jail I had some autodiscovery issues here and there, but usually I just needed to put the IP into the settings and it works. To my surprise there seems to be no more configuration for this!
Please correct me if I am wrong, I just read a lot of bad things about the new app but could not find anyone who could not access there own media anymore, like me. What am I doing wrong? How can I access my local server again, which is not connected to the internet and just on the local network.
Edit: All the support documents I can find on the net are referencing the old app, very poorly coordinated launch of the new app!
The idea is to claim your server into your account, so that both clients and the server are in the same account. Which then serves as a way to
- tell the clients how the server is reachable
- grant access permission of your clients to your server
As of now, your server is either unclaimed, or claimed into a different plex user account.
You are right, my Server is unclaimed. But there is a reason for that. I use my server on my vacation home/cabin network. Because there is not internet there, it makes no sense to claim it. I take it home to update and put new media on it. Same goes for my tablet/phone. When I am at my other place, there is just the local network for all my devices and no internet.
So far this was no problem since I could input the IP and all went well. How do I do this now?
How do I do this without access to the internet? Or will this work if I claim the server once and than move it my location where there is no internet?
Plex cannot be used without Internet connection. It can survive shorter interruptions in connectivity, but it is not able to be used permanently offline.
Ok thx, that is an rather unfortunate change for “New Plex Experience”. It worked quite well as long as I could add my local server manually. So I guess I will use the old version of the App on the SmartTV in my cabin as long as I can and start looking into other software like Emby.
I really don’t know what the policy is behind this, but for me the reason to use something like Plex is, that I can stream my own media, from my own server to my own clients on local network where I do not have internet.
I would really like you to consider making It possible to use local connections again or at least make it possible to activate everything and than use it in offline mode indefinitely. Should be no problem with something like a “Life time license” since there is no reason to force this to stay online.
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I have the same problem. I have only one plex account (w/plex pass) and not only does my local server no longer appear in the ios app, there is absolutely no setting anywhere to add a server, just a vague reference to “the forums.”
“Hey, here’s our great new version. To actually use it for its intended purpose, please go on a scavenger hunt in our forums.”
Clearly, you’re phasing out support for local servers. Just announce it already and stop stringing people along.
I would work If you can claim the local server. In my case this does not work, since I use Plex in my Cabin where there is no internet connection. So I hope this at least helps you.
For everyone trying to use plex where there is not netflix cause of missing internet, it seems dead by definition.
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Can you claim a server that’s not configured for remote access? I have internet service, but I only use the media server locally, the ports aren’t open remotely.
The one has nothing to do with the other.
Claiming a server means to conenct it to your plex.tv user account. And it’s necessary for several of other features to work. Not just for remote access.
I only have one plex account and the server is logged into it. Does that not connect it to my account?
Also, the server indicates that it’s claimed by my account.
You should be able to claim the server if it and your other devices habe internet connection. I am not entirely sure how the claiming process works and whats gets transmitted. But as far as my understanding goes, it has to send network information and other server settings. Furthermore the device you are trying to connect to the plex server as well as the plex server must be on the same network and have an internet connection to negotiate the local connection.
Thats as far as my guesses go, cause thats exactly my problem. I can claim my server at home when making updates and loading media, but it wont work if I move it to an location without internet where client (player) and server have no internet connection and the network has changed.
Since there is no way to put in an IP manually any more, you could try disconnection the server and claiming it again. This could help if any settings have change or something like that.
My server was already claimed, I must’ve done it a long time ago. The iOS client was able to see it again after I rebooted the server.
Overall, I feel like Plex support for personal media and broadcast TV is being deprecated in favor of being just another streaming service.
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Same here, sadly I am already looking into alternatives. I need a streaming server where I cannot use a streaming service, otherwise why bother?
I hope it gets better, but I doubt it. Glad that it worked for you though.
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I don’t get it. @OttoKerner does it really means Plex won’t implement the add of additional server(s) back in the “new experience app” as it was in 8.45?
I am using Plex for more than 10 years. This is absolutely a must have.
As kluOffline mentioned there may reasons for having two or more servers even my other servers are connected to the internet, but are claimed to a different account which is not logged on to my iOS device.
You can have as many servers as you like. There is no real restriction here.
Okay that sounds promising. Any ETA when the additional server(s) function will be re-added to the new experience app?
There is no such thing.
All your own servers, as well as all servers shared with your account should appear under All Libraries, from where you can favorite those which shall contribute to the Home page.
Perform a long-press on the Libraries tab at the bottom.
First Server is claimed by my first account - this account is connected to my Plex iOS.
Second Server is claimed by my second account - both PlexPass - and this account is not logged on at Plex iOS and should never do so. Also linking/sharing to my first Account is not how it should work.
Seconds servers is totally blocked internally by Firewall - only a few (~5 IPs) are allowed to connect to the seconds server on port 32400.
With the previous version (8.45) this was possible by adding the IP as an additional server. (Everytime I reopened the app otherwise I have to delete and readd the IP → this was also a nice to have)
