See Important 2025 Plex Updates
The $5 unlock fee removed the 1 minute timeout on mobile devices. It had nothing to do with enabling remote access.
As of April 29th, things changed.
The mobile unlock fee is eliminated.
Remote Streaming is no longer free. You will need a Plex Pass or the new Remote Watch Pass to stream remotely from your server. This applies to the new Plex Experience apps, currently Android/Apple mobile. It will also apply to SmartTV, Desktop, etc., when those apps are updated.
This graphic summarizes things for the new apps (it was in another thread, I’d give proper credit if I could find the original post).
The article linked above has additional details.
From the article’s FAQ:
I do not have a Plex Pass, but stream remotely from a Plex Media Server:
To stream remotely starting on April 29, 2025, you will need a Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass subscription on your account or the admin of the Plex Media Server from which you stream will need a Plex Pass subscription on their account.
What if I’ve already paid the one-time mobile app activation fee?
For users who have already paid a one-time, in-app activation for either our mobile Android or iOS app, an extended trial for the new Remote Watch Pass subscription is available. To make use of it, you need to:
- Start your Remote Watch Pass subscription through our mobile app.
- Make sure it is on the same mobile platform where the original purchase was made (e.g., iOS/iPadOS if your activation was through the App Store).
- Ensure you’re using the same app store account that made the original purchase (e.g., the same Apple ID).
Example: If you originally did a one-time activation of our iOS app, then you need to use our new mobile app on an iOS/iPadOS device to start a Remote Watch Pass billed through the App Store, while signed in to the same Apple ID that made the original purchase.
