Plex Pass Lifetime – Photos libraries unusable on iOS (functional regression)

Plex Players
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1

Server Version#: 1.40.x.x
Player Version#: Plex for iOS 8.x

I’m a Plex Pass Lifetime subscriber (purchased in 2022) and I’m reporting what I believe is a functional regression affecting Photos access on iOS.

Setup:

  • Plex Media Server on Mac mini M1 (macOS Ventura)
  • Large external storage
  • Plex Pass Lifetime (2022)
  • iPhone with latest iOS and Plex app

Libraries:

  • Library A → Type: Photos
  • Library B → Type: Other Videos

Expected behavior:
Photos libraries should be accessible consistently across platforms, including iOS, as they are on Plex Web and Smart TV apps.

Actual behavior:

  • Photos libraries work correctly on Plex Web and on Smart TV apps
  • On iOS, Photos libraries are not visible or not usable
  • Photos contained inside “Other Videos” libraries are not displayed at all
  • The iOS app provides no clear way to enable or browse Photos libraries
  • The former Plex Photos app has been discontinued, leaving no functional alternative on iOS

Impact:
As a result, remote access to personal photos from iPhone is effectively broken, despite working correctly elsewhere.

Concern:
I purchased Plex Pass Lifetime in 2022 when Plex functioned as a complete personal media server, including photo access across devices. The current situation represents a reduction of functionality with no clear communication or documentation.

If Photos are no longer intended to be supported on iOS, this should be explicitly stated. Otherwise, this appears to be an unresolved regression that significantly impacts Lifetime users.

I would appreciate an official clarification or indication of how Plex plans to address Photos access on iOS.

2

How would you like them to explicitly state this?

3

Since you just created your account you missed this announcement. While they have said they will return music and photos at a later date there is no expectation of when.

4

Thank you for the clarification.

To answer your question, an explicit statement should exist in one or more of the following places, clearly and unambiguously:

  • Plex Pass feature comparison pages
  • Plex iOS app description / limitations
  • Official support documentation for Photos libraries
  • A pinned announcement explicitly stating that Photos access on iOS is currently unavailable

At present, none of these clearly state that:

  • Photos libraries are not usable on iOS
  • This is a temporary removal with no ETA
  • Lifetime users are affected by a functional regression

The announcement you linked mentions that music and photos may return at a later date, but it does not clearly communicate that iOS users currently lose access to a previously available feature, nor how this impacts Plex Pass Lifetime purchasers.

My concern is not whether features might return, but that:

  • Photo access worked when I purchased Lifetime in 2022
  • It no longer works on iOS today
  • There is no explicit warning or limitation stated at the point of use or purchase

That gap in communication is the core issue.

5

How about this?

https://www.plex.tv/blog/the-future-of-plex-focused-streamlined-and-ready-for-feedback/

6

Thanks for the link. I’ve read that post already.

However, it does not explicitly state that Photos libraries are currently not supported or intentionally disabled on iOS, nor does it address the impact on existing Plex Pass Lifetime users.

My concern is not about future plans or a redesigned experience, but about the current state:

  • Photo libraries previously worked (or had a dedicated app)
  • They are now effectively unusable on iOS
  • There is no clear, official statement saying this functionality has been removed or temporarily disabled

From a user perspective, this is a functional regression compared to what Plex offered when I purchased Plex Pass Lifetime in 2022.

What I am asking for is very simple:

  • Is photo library access on iOS currently unsupported?
  • If so, can Plex explicitly document this (e.g. in support docs or app feature lists)?
  • And is there any commitment to restoring this functionality?

Clarity is important, especially for Lifetime subscribers who bought into a feature-complete personal media server.

7

While I don’t disagree with you that Plex should be clearer about what is going on with music and photos in the new app, what does being a Plex pass member (lifetime or otherwise) have to do with it?

8

That’s a fair question.

Plex Pass (Lifetime or subscription) is relevant because it was sold as part of a feature-complete personal media server, including music and photo libraries across clients.

As a Lifetime user, I made a one-time purchase based on the product’s capabilities at that time, with the reasonable expectation that core features would not be removed or significantly degraded without clear communication.

This is not about entitlement to new features, but about a functional regression of existing ones:

  • Photos libraries previously worked (or had a dedicated app)

  • They are now effectively unusable on iOS

  • There is no explicit statement documenting this change

When functionality is reduced, it affects all users, but it is particularly relevant for Lifetime customers because we cannot “vote with our feet” by canceling a subscription.

That’s why clarity and transparency matter here.

9

Photo libraries are still supported by your Plex Media Server and there’s a dedicated Plex Photos app for the mobile platforms.

https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/?cat=mobile&plat=ios#plex-plexphotos

The removal / initially missing support for photo libraries in the „new experience“ iOS app was mentioned in the release notes.

There’s also been an announcement in Plex‘s Blog (and iirc an in-app announcement, though you won’t get those if you’ve disabled notifications).

https://www.plex.tv/blog/the-future-of-plex-focused-streamlined-and-ready-for-feedback/

As pointed out by others, Plex have since then also announced that support for photo (and music) libraries will be added back to the main apps.

10

Thank you for the detailed reply, I appreciate the clarification.

I would like to clarify why, from a user perspective, this still qualifies as a functional regression, despite the points you mentioned.

1. Plex Photos app

While a dedicated Plex Photos app technically exists, in practice it does not represent an equivalent replacement:

  • It is not integrated into the main Plex app ecosystem

  • It is not promoted or clearly presented as the required solution for iOS users

  • Many users (including myself) reasonably assumed photo libraries would remain accessible in the main Plex app, as they were previously

Redirecting users to a separate, largely undiscoverable app is not functionally equivalent to prior behavior.

2. “Mentioned in release notes”

While the limitation may have been mentioned in release notes or blog posts, this does not constitute explicit, prominent communication, especially for:

  • Lifetime Plex Pass users

  • Users upgrading automatically via the App Store

A core feature becoming unavailable on a major platform would reasonably warrant:

  • an in-app notice

  • or a clear statement such as “Photos are currently not supported in the iOS app”

3. Lifetime context

The relevance of Plex Pass Lifetime is not about entitlement to new features, but about expectation stability.

Lifetime users made a one-time purchase based on the product being a complete personal media server, including photos. When a core capability is removed or deferred “to an unspecified future date”, the impact is materially different from that experienced by subscription users.

In summary

I’m encouraged to hear that photo support will be added back to the main apps, but until that happens, the current iOS experience represents:

  • a real loss of functionality

  • with no clear timeline

  • and insufficiently explicit communication

That is the concern I’m trying to highlight, constructively.