To share libraries with friends outside the network, both have to have plex pass?
A Plex Pass is not required for you or your friends.
They do need a free account at plex.tv.
See Remote Access and Server Sharing in Plex online documentation.
but when they want to see something of what I have at the minute it stops. has as a time restriction
The Plex clients for non-mobile devices, such as streaming boxes (AppleTV, AndroidTV, Roku, etc), SmartTVs (Samsung, LG, etc), and the Mac and Windows apps are free and do not have a timeout.
The mobile clients - phones and tablets - have a one minute timeout.
Purchasing a Plex Pass will unlock the mobile clients for the Plex Pass owner.
An alternative to purchasing a Plex pass is to make a one-time in-app purchase to unlock the client and eliminate the timeout. The cost is $4.99 USD.
See:
Unlocking or Activating Plex for Android
Unlocking or Activating Plex for iOS
What are the features and limitations without unlocking the app?
Note that the purchase is tied to the app-store account of the person making the purchase. It cannot be transferred between app-stores or people.
Example: They have a iPhone and iPad tied to the same Apple account. One purchase covers both the phone and the tablet.
Example: Two iPhones, tied to two separate Apple accounts. Two purchases, one for each device.
Example: One person with an Android phone and an iPad. Two purchases, one from each app store.
There is an additional alternative: Plex Home.
If the owner of the Plex Server has a Plex Pass, they can invite people into their Plex Home. The mobile apps are unlocked for members of a Plex Home.
Plex Home is meant for family members living in the same household, not for occasional friends. There is a limit of 15 members to a Plex Home.
Read through all the documentation before implementing a Plex Home, as there are implications for account security.
For example, Plex Home Managed Users have access to Fast User Switching. Unless protected by a PIN, this lets a Managed User switch to another Managed User’s account.
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