# Plex Pass required to view a shared library?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [April 27, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442 "2020-04-27T02:29:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Garconis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/garconis/32/88942_2.png) [@Garconis](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Garconis)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/1 "2020-04-27T02:29:51Z")

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I am a Plex Pass lifetime subscriber. My wife recently created a free account, and I’m sharing my library to her account. She’s downloaded the Plex app on the Kindle Fire. But it prompts her to get a Plex Pass to view my content. Otherwise, it limits the playback to only one minute.

Why does this happen? I was under the impression that a Plex Pass is not required when playing from a Shared Library.

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 3:26am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/2 "2020-04-27T03:26:35Z")

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Plex mobile apps - phones & tablets - are limited to one minute of playback.

They can be unlocked by:

- Purchasing a Plex Pass
- Paying a one-time in-app $4.99 USD fee
- Joining a Plex Home

You’ve a couple of options (w/o paying more money):

1. She uses your Plex login & password in the app on the Kindle Fire. Since you have a Plex Pass the app will unlock.

2. Add her as part of your Plex Home. It will unlock the app for her.

See _Free Access to Plex apps (Plex Pass)_ section in the Plex Home docs:

> **[What is Plex Home? | Plex Support](https://support.plex.tv/articles/203815766-what-is-plex-home/)**
>
> Plex Home allows you to set up a group of users that all use Plex together. For instance, there might...

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**Author:** ![Coxeroni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/coxeroni/32/21481_2.png) [@Coxeroni](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Coxeroni)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 6:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/3 "2020-04-27T06:17:39Z")

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> [@FordGuy61](#):
>
> Add her as part of your Plex Home. It will unlock the app for her.

That is how it is meant to be. With people living in your home, simply invite them to your home or even create a managed user instead of a normal one. Since your wife already has her pen account, inviting her to your home is what I would do if I was in your place.

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**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 6:20am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/4 "2020-04-27T06:20:57Z")

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… and if the PITA of maintaining an active Plex Home gets in the way of your (her) happiness - the cure is $4.99.

😉

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**Author:** ![Garconis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/garconis/32/88942_2.png) [@Garconis](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Garconis)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/5 "2020-04-27T12:30:26Z")

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She’s already in my Plex Home. But I’d rather not log into my own account, on a device I don’t manage. I realize my options now, but neither of them are really ideal.

1. While she is already part of my Plex Home on other devices (shared, such as the Xbox), I’d rather not be logged in on her own devices.

2. I realize $5 isn’t much to activate her new device under her own account. But it still seems silly, since she’s only accessing the Library of a family member, whom is already a Plex Pass user.

It would be ideal if it were also possible to “share” a Plex Pass membership with a family member… especially since they don’t have their own content anyway. But I understand the implementation of such functionality probably isn’t in the cards.

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/6 "2020-04-27T12:34:05Z")

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> [@Garconis](#):
>
> She’s already in my Plex Home.

I took a look at your account. So far, you have only one managed user.  
Managed users are using the admin’s logon credentials anyway.  
So I assume we are _not_ talking about this managed user.

All the others are regular, “shared” users.

> [@Garconis](#):
>
> It would be ideal if it were also possible to “share” a Plex Pass membership with a family member…

That’s what adding someone to your Plex Home kinda does.  
If she is on your home, she can use those mobile apps for free.

If she has her own, free plex.tv account now, go to [https://app.plex.tv/desktop#!/settings/users-sharing](https://app.plex.tv/desktop#!/settings/users-sharing) and press ‘INVITE HOME USER’.  
Invite her.

She then logs into her plex.tv account and goes to the above link as well and accepts the invitation. Voilà, she is now a member of your Plex Home.  
She can now restart the Android or iOS plex app and the app will unlock itself.

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**Author:** ![Garconis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/garconis/32/88942_2.png) [@Garconis](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Garconis)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/7 "2020-04-27T12:39:38Z")

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Ah. She was already part of my Plex Home a while back, before she made her own account. Using the faux user.

I didn’t realize we could add a real Plex account to the Plex Home too. I just did that, and will check to see if this unlocked the device for her now.

Update: All set! I’ve removed her previous Plex Home faux user, to avoid any confusion too.

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**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/8 "2020-04-27T14:12:33Z")

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> [@Garconis](#):
>
> I didn’t realize we could add a real Plex account to the Plex Home too.

Clarification for other users: with a Plex Pass, you can do that. Without, you cannot.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-pass-required-to-view-a-shared-library/581442/9 "2020-07-26T14:12:43Z")

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