Most likely not.
While it is true that a Plex Pass allows the owner to use Plex relay with 2mbps instead of just 1mbps bandwidth, it is not the real cause of the issues.
However, if they are using the modern mobile Plex apps (and going forward, other Plex apps in the future), they will be needing either
- a Remote Watch Pass of their own OR
- you to own a full Plex Pass on the server’s account
Because remote access to a Plex server is no longer freely available.
You can find a FAQ about this change here: https://www.plex.tv/blog/important-2025-plex-updates/
If you are currently not using the new mobile apps, but e.g. the plex web app in a web browser:
your and your friend’s remote clients are forced to use Plex relay because your server is not directly accessible from outside of your home network.
Plex relay is only a makeshift workaround to not be fully without remote access.
The only real solution to the issue is to try and make it accessable.
See The Basics of Remote Access Troubleshooting
