Plex Web Requires Re-Login on Every New Browser Session - Token Not Persistent

General Discussions
1

I am dealing with a persistent authentication issue where Plex Web does not remember my login session. I am forced to sign in again every time I open a new browser window, and my authentication token appears to change with each login.

This is different from general server access problems. My server is running and accessible, but the client-side web session will not stick.

My Environment:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 Pro

  • Access Method: Primarily through the Plex Web interface in a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).

  • Server Status: The server is claimed, updated, and running as a Windows Service.

Specific Symptoms & What I’ve Tried:

Symptom What I’ve Tried
New Session = New Login: Every new browser tab/window to app.plex.tv or localhost:32400 requires a full login. • Cleared all browser cache, cookies, and site data.
• Tried multiple different browsers and Incognito/Private modes.
• Disabled all browser extensions.
Token Volatility: Checking the token via the X-Plex-Token or in the URL shows it changes with every new session. • Used “Sign Out of All Devices” at plex.tv/security and then logged back in.
• Ensured the Plex Media Server is properly installed as a Windows Service.
Session Not Persisting: The “Remember Me” option during login seems to have no effect. • Verified no VPN is active that could be changing my IP.
• Temporarily disabled Windows Firewall and antivirus.

• Tried multiple different browsers and Incognito/Private modes.
• Disabled all browser extensions. |
| Token Volatility: Checking the token via the X-Plex-Token or in the URL shows it changes with every new session. | • Used “Sign Out of All Devices” at plex.tv/security and then logged back in.
• Ensured the Plex Media Server is properly installed as a Windows Service. |
| Session Not Persisting: The “Remember Me” option during login seems to have no effect. | • Verified no VPN is active that could be changing my IP.
• Temporarily disabled Windows Firewall and antivirus. |

The Core Question:

Why is Plex Web not saving my session cookie? Is this an intended security behavior after the recent breach, a bug in the web client, or a misconfiguration on my end?

Any insight or guidance from the community or Plex staff would be immensely appreciated. Thank you.

2

Click the wrench, is “Automatically Sign In” checked?
(This should take you to Plex Web “General” settings.)

3

I saw that in another post. When I check it and save and the reload its alway pops off to unchecked. I do not have any users assigned or pincodes etc.

I am simply trying to load the webpage of my server on my server. It worked fine before the breach but even after following the password reset steps and reclaiming my server it always requires me to sign it with a new browser. Not a cookies issue

4

@JamesPlexServer So not from API maintenance yesterday.

I thought if your browser was storing the cookie from Plex that your login would persist. Would you verify that a cookie is being created after login and whether it’s still there the next time you start the browser?

Assuming you’re on a laptop or desktop computer, if restarting the browser forces you to login as you said, does every login create a new player device in your Settings → Authorized Devices → Desktop

Which browsers are you using to test?
Maybe try clearing from Authorized Devices anything from before the reset.

5

is the browser set to delete site data after closing windows?

in chrome the setting is here chrome://settings/content/siteData ( individual sites behavior can be customized)

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6

Sadly not a browser issue. ChannelsDVR, Disquetv, and a few others tied to my homepage all load when I open the browser. Plex is the only one that continues to require that I sign in each time. And each time the xml Plex Token changes which wrecks havoc on my docker containers

7

Chrome and Edge (yes edge… calm down haters). Yes a cookie is being created. Yes the cookie is still present.

Yes it does create a new Authorized Device every time. So if I don’t clear them out it grows quickly.

I have cleared all AD and reset password and checked the box to sign all devices out. Rebooted PC. Issue is still present.

Issue only started on the day of the breach. Just haven’t been able to try and resolve it until now. So I have been signing in daily and my AD count climbs.

Desktop PC

8

"I’ve confirmed that CORS preflight requests are blocking Plex Web from saving settings and maintaining login sessions.

Technical Evidence:
Console shows: Sending POST request with Content-Type "application/json". This can result in an unnecessary OPTIONS preflight request.

This occurs when trying to save settings via user/saveExperienceSettings. The preflight OPTIONS request appears to be blocked, preventing the actual POST request from completing.

Symptoms:

  • “Automatically Sign In” setting resets immediately after saving

  • Login session never persists between browser restarts

  • All settings fail to save

  • Occurs even when accessing via app.plex.tv

What I’ve Verified:

  • Database is healthy (ran VACUUM/REINDEX)

  • Multiple browsers show same behavior

  • Network requests show CORS preflight issues

  • No browser extensions interfering

The core issue appears to be that authentication and settings persistence rely on successful API calls to Plex’s servers, but CORS policies are blocking these requests at the preflight stage."

9

I’m posting this solution after weeks of struggling with Plex requiring me to sign in every time I opened a new browser session, along with my authentication token constantly changing. After extensive troubleshooting, I found that the issue was caused by a combination of server configuration and browser settings.

My Symptoms:

  • Required to sign in on every new browser session

  • Authentication token changed frequently

  • “Automatically Sign In” setting would not save

  • Server was accessible and showed as “claimed”

  • Issue occurred on both app.plex.tv and local server access

The Root Causes (Two Problems):

Problem 1: Server Using Relay Mode
My server status showed relay="1" even though I had port forwarding configured. This caused unstable authentication.

Problem 2: Browser Clearing Data on Close
Microsoft Edge was set to “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows” which wiped all Plex authentication data on every browser close.

The Solutions:

Solution 1: Fix Server Relay Mode

  1. Go to Settings → Server → Network

  2. Disable “Enable Plex Relay”

  3. Set “Secure connections” to “Required”

  4. Verify remote access shows “Fully accessible outside your network”

  5. Restart Plex Media Server

Verify fix: Check your server status at:
https://plex.tv/api/resources?X-Plex-Token=YOUR_TOKEN
It should show relay="0" and httpsRequired="1"

Solution 2: Fix Browser Settings (Microsoft Edge)

  1. Go to Edge Settings → Cookies and site permissions

  2. Click “Cookies and site data”

  3. Scroll down and ensure “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows” is OFF

  4. Also check that tracking prevention isn’t too aggressive

For other browsers: Look for similar “clear data on exit” settings in privacy/security options.

Verification Steps:

After applying both fixes:

  1. Login to app.plex.tv

  2. Enable “Automatically Sign In” in Settings → Web Client → General

  3. Close and reopen browser

  4. You should remain logged in with settings preserved

Why This Combination Was So Problematic:

  • Relay mode created authentication instability

  • Browser clearing data prevented session persistence

  • Together they created a perfect storm of constant re-authentication

Additional Tips:

  • Use app.plex.tv instead of local IP to avoid CORS issues

  • If problems persist, check router DNS rebinding protection

  • Verify port forwarding is working on port 32400

Final Server Status (Good):

xml

<Device ... relay="0" httpsRequired="1">
<Connection ... port="32400" uri="http://your-public-ip:32400"/>
</Device>

I hope this helps others experiencing similar issues. The key was addressing both the server AND client-side problems.

10

You can go ahead and clear that one off your list. Relay only affects remote connections. Or really, really messed up local networks with issues such as DNS rebinding protection issues, cross-VLAN routing without proper routing, etc… But I assume you don’t have those.

The sole source of your problem was likely:

Which is entirely expected. Whenever you open a private/incognito window, or explicitly tell your browser to drop all sessions/site data/cookies) you can reasonably expect it to do so. So what you saw was the intended behavior with such a configuration.

You indicated pretty early on that you were seeing this with multiple browsers. Had you configured all of them to delete site data and cookies on exit for Plex? Or using private/incognito windows?

@BigWheel suggested as early as post 4 that you ensure that site data wasn’t being cleared and you insisted it wasn’t a browser issue.

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