Tv show downloads functionality broken in new Plex

Server Version#:v1.41.5.9522
Player Version#:2025.10.2 (966828339)
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The latest update to plex doesn’t seem to have the ability to allow you to set the downloads of tv episodes so new ones are automatically downloaded. I had several setup, and they ate now just long lists of episodes and not sorted by tv shows. Am i missing something or is there an intention to bring back this functionally. I travel a lot and not having to think about what is downloaded at least when it comes to tv episodes is essential.

Why exactly would you general release a comprimised new version of plex?

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Same issue for me. No smart downloads and exist downloads have no groupings or artwork.

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Same. No scheduled download option for example new/unwatched episodes anymore. What they are thinking?

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I am having the same issue. can see option to download a single tv episode but no option to download the next unwatched ones. which is a issue for me as well. Also downloading of playlists is not an option anymore as well.

Same issue. The downloads feature has become pretty much useless. Very disappointing update.

Discovered a new oddity in downloads. When playing downloads while offline several times randomly for no reason the video goes back to where it was resumed from. It will play normally for a few minutes and then just go back to the resume part.

I might just about understand that rolling out features on new software might take a minute (smart downloads) but surely playing a video shouldnt bw that complicated.

Same issue on IOS App - list of TV episodes does not give the TV show cover or episode name, not grouped by Show does not go to next unwatched, nor does it show what is watch or unwatched nor skip to next episodes.

Same thing for me, no automatic download for unseen episodes.

The new Downloads functionality may be more robust, but it’s fundamentally broken for TV series without the ability to download a whole Series, Season or the next NN unwatched episodes.

Additionally the presentation of the episodes in the Downloads section is abysmal. Episodes from the same TV show aren’t grouped under the Series name and aren’t even in order.

I can’t understand how this feature has been shipped like this. I hope it gets iterated on VERY quickly.

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Same for me. No smart downloads. No grouping of downloads. No downloading of seasons or shows, only single episodes.

Same for me. Can’t download entire series. Very disappointed.

I hope this returns soon! I rely on it pretty heavily. In fact, if I had the option, I probably would have stayed on the older app if I knew this was missing.

Another data point: all of my downloads were migrated from the old app. Because this feature is missing, the downloaded TV shows I watched today were not auto-deleted when the app synched with my server - I had to remove them manually.

Same issue. Became basically worthless to me

Adding another annoyed user that use TV Downloads (Let me have the next 5 episodes) on my phone so I can watch when not connect to my Server, I am in London UK and our Tube network does not have phone signal when in the tunnels) or download a playlist rather than each separate home movie.

But will say that the status screen where you can see a download happening is better than previous, but automated downloads for those of us that need to download files to be able to watch is a very needed feature.

Adding another +1 to this being a serious downgrade of functionality. The new app shouldn’t have been released until it reached reasonable parity with the old one.

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Yes downloads functionality was simplified to what we have now.
There are already some planned improvements. Like downloading full seasons, etc.

But just validating that yes smart downloads have not been implemented.

Yup, same. But it also seems that (not sure of the original name) “Prefer downloaded media” option is gone. So if I play something off the home screen, it still tries to stream and not try to use the content already downloaded?

Looking in Tautulli, I think you’re correct. My iPad opted to stream the episodes I watched yesterday (over Tailscale, weirdly) instead of playing the downloaded copies.

Thanks Craig, it’s great to hear that the team have further plans to restore removed functionality.

Is there a timeline on this though. Saying it’s on the plan is great, but if that’s months away when the download capability has taken a serious backwards step from a usability perspective, the presentation of downloaded content is nonsensical and watched episodes have to be manually deleted, then that would be a massive further disappointment.

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Can we get an ETA as to when this will be restored? It’s absolutely ridiculous to ship an app with such a major regression and no way to go back to the old one. I’m going on a trip in a couple weeks and planned to make heavy use of the downloads feature. Now I’m completely screwed. It never even occurred to me to check if this feature was gone, because what company in their right mind would make a decision like this.

I thought the new experience was a good start, needed lots of work but I could see where they were going with it, might have been good in 3-6 months.

Then they just… shipped it. Ignored all the feedback about issues with the preview and just shoved it out the door. I’ve been supporting & defending Plex for over 16 years, since 0.8.0 when it was still an XBMC fork. This is the biggest slap in the face I’ve experienced in that time, and I’ve put up with a lot. I feel so let down.

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