Rename & Remember Devices

Feature Suggestions
1

We should have a way to rename a device and have Plex remember it across IP address changes, browser versions, etc.

having multiple “Chrome” devices is not helpful and creates confusion.

I’d think the Plex devs should be able to do this pretty easily since many other apps (Emby, etc) do it.

Its essential for Home Theater / Home Automation to be able to identify clients consistently, easily and uniquely for things like…
– Sending on-screen notifications to clients (Time for Bed, Dinner Ready, Someone is at the door, etc)
– Triggering Events (lighting changes, sending data/notifications to other systems / dashboards, etc)

2

But a web browser is not a specific thing like a TV. It doesn’t have a serial number or other identifier to make it unique.

3

Plex is generating and saving something, a clientID and anonymousClientID, in the web browser’s HTML Local Storage.

I like this idea, but I probably wouldn’t really use it much. Realistically I’m not going to spend the time to curate client devices.

4

Right, Plex generates random IDs to track the browser, but if the storage gets cleared or otherwise not used, there would be no way to know it’s the same browser instance.

5

Right, agreed. Well, mostly agreed. For some users it would explode as sessions were reset. The worst case is bad.

For others it would be more stable. “Plex Web 4.34.4, Chrome” doesn’t mean much today.

It’s kinda fun to see that I used an old version of the Web App on Firefox 3 months ago. :slight_smile:

6

Naming the Web client would be nice. I’m just not sure how the remember part of this request could work.

7

This request is a duplicate, I think.

8

could you associate the web client login with the user id and track it that way?

9

I think that the HTML Local Storage clientID would enable that. A modern cookie. If it’s there, Plex remembers my login and view preferences. If it’s not there, I have to login and I get the “Customize your media” prompt.

So if the original request was to label and remember devices -

IF clientID was present, THEN if it was also labeled, track that, instead of making a new entry every time the Web App is updated? (Ughh.)

To @anon18523487’s point, then it’s not a “Device” anymore, it’s some weird hybrid-thing. Then again, it’s also not a new “Device” every time the Web App is updated, it’s already a weird hybrid-thing. :slight_smile:

The original request mentioned IP address. I don’t think IP address is considered today. If I change IP address, but use the same browser, I don’t see another entry.

10

@anon18523487

I’d think the Plex devs should be able to do this pretty easily since many other apps (Emby, etc) do it.

Its essential for Home Theater / Home Automation to be able to identify clients consistently, easily and uniquely for things like…
– Sending on-screen notifications to clients (Time for Bed, Dinner Ready, Someone is at the door, etc)
– Triggering Events (lighting changes, sending data/notifications to other systems / dashboards, etc)

1 Like
11

For the automation use case you describe, are web browsers the least important? Things like HTPC and set-top boxes the most important?

12

Indeed.

13

Not seeing a reason to rank them… getting a notification of someone at the door is important if you watching a video on a Chrome browser, just as if you were on a Roku connected to TV or Projector, or on your Tablet. You still need the notification.

14

Early 2021 clean-up: duplicate