I’m sorry that this might be a repeat of what may have been already published. I’ve read the Support Articles and the “Simpson’s” explanation, but I would appreciate some clarity:
I run 2 plex servers: Synology NAS and my laptop
I have 4 people in my family and multiple devices (Tablets, Phones, Laptops, Smart TVs)
I would like to give access to my family to the plex libraries on their devices.
Now the questions are:
a) Do I need a Plex Pass in order to do so? There are articles out there saying that its not required and that the apps can be installed and then logged into via my own account - is that right? If I do that, then I’m unable to manage my children’s accounts…
b) If I set my wife and children up with accounts, do those accounts need to be on their own devices in the first instance?
a) You do not need a PlexPass to share. However, the apps on devices come free with PlexPass (maybe not the Apple one though but the android one for sure) and are paid to access more than 1mn without a PlexPass.
b) I believe that PlexHome is a PlexPass feature so your wife and kid would need their own account created for Plex while with a PlexPass you could create a PlexHome and managed users who would then benefit from your PlexPass status (ie. free apps when it applies) and they can use their own credential (with or without you having a PlexPass) on any device to have access to the content you share with them.
To sum up, having one PlexPass is like having a PlexPass for each member of the familly as long as they are in your PlexHome so quite good value. But you don’t need a PlexPass to share with familly an friend. The simply have to have a Plex account with which you share. The device apps are I think one shot pay.
Thank you. I think Plex is an awesome platform for sharing content through a household. It’s just a little tricky for a non-tech savy person to use… I appreciate all of the advice
So that does that mean that if I get a Plex Pass, the devices (which are all android) would be unlocked from that 1min playtime because my family would be part of the user group or would I still need to pay to unlock the app on each device: that would be 2 laptops and 4 tablets.
Would you recommend setting up a family Plex User Account in the first instance for access to plex or is it ok to just use the current account that I have and then cascade it down?
Once you are PlexPass user, all android devices you install plex on are automatically unlocked with your account and therefore all PlexHome linked accounts.
No need to create a new account, just use yours. The benefits like you said cascade from it.
