The whole plex log in, is nothing but the problems, to me! (ie. Plex goes down sometimes, and I can’t play my own stuff on my server… but this is another discussion).
Example. A friend of mine, who hasn’t logged in in a while, calls me and says, how do I get on your Plex?
So, I say, just go on your plex, and go to login.
So, he says, “OK, it’s asking for a 4 digit number”.
So, I say, “hold” on… And I log into ‘plex.tv./link’, and I give him the number XXXX.
So, he then says, “all I see is your login?? Wheres mine?”
Sure enough, His log in only has my account, where he gets into my account without even being prompted with the PIN I set on my account!!
What the hell is PLEX doing now?? Was there’s a change, or an announcement baring friends to share PLEX now?
I guess the link page is for (mostly non-portable) devices on which you can’t login with your Plex credentials (for example TV, streaming device or others). After opening plex.tv/link you enter the 4 digit letter code and the device is connected to your account.
It is simpler if your friend creates his own account and you share with him the libraries you want.
Go to “Settings>user and share>friends” click “add friend” and add his username or email address. Then you select the libraries you want to share.
Login using your username & password, either directly or via plex.tv/link, depending on Plex client.
Select your username.
Select Change User
Select desired user and enter PIN if required.
See screenshots below.
As mentioned by @Fluamsler, consider adding your friends as Friends instead of Managed Users. They will each have their own username and password. They will not need your username/password when activating a device that uses username/password instead of plex.tv/link. Also, they will not have to contact you when logging in from a new device. They can perform the task themselves.
Screenshots from Plex for Windows app. Process is the same for Android TV, etc apps.
This is why managed users are intended for people who live under the same roof. Solve this problem by having your friends create a Plex account, remove them from your home and invite them as friends.
When you do a “friend” set up, they can’t use their PLEX TV to log in! They have to use their computer because the friend login is given an email, thus they have to use a computer to log in, and NOT there TV or RoKu or Player, right?
Do you see the other users on your Plex clients and can you change to them?
If they are using a Smart TV app, Android TV app, etc., they will be prompted to go to plex.tv/link (just like now). They will use their plex.tv account, not yours, to login and enter the 4 digit code.
Edit: They login to plex.tv/link from a browser (instead of contacting you). The browser does not have to be on a computer. They can use a mobile phone, tablet, etc if desired.
Once they’ve done that, their device is authorized. They do not have to repeat the process every time they use the app.
If they use Plex for Windows, Plex Web, or any client that does not use plex.tv/link, then they just login with their Plex username and password.
You can test it for yourself.
Go to Google/Yahoo/etc and create a new account.
Use that account to create a new, free, non-Plex Pass account at plex.tv (ex: borg357-test).
Share some libraries with the test account.
Login using the test account and see how it works.
Note: If you login to the test Plex account via the web, use a different browser or a private/incognito window. If you login to two Plex accounts at the same time from the same system using the same browser it messes with the cookies and other things Plex uses to track your login. Basically, it just gets messed up and you’ll probably get logged out of one session.
“Do you see the other users on your Plex clients and can you change to them?”
Yes, I see all the users. I always have.
“They will use their plex.tv account, not yours, to login and enter the 4 digit code.”
Grandma doesn’t want to go through all these complicated steps just to log into the PLEX on her TV… If grandma has to sign up with a plex account, and Grandma has then verify that PLEX account, then grandma is NOT going to do it.
Why did it get so ridiculously complicated?? Why did it used to be so easy, and they made it so difficult now??
You can do it for Grandma. Provide the managed service. Create the Plex account for her. Make a good password and keep track of her login information. Help with the http://plex.tv/link process when she gets a new 80" TV.
For many reasons, the results will be a lot better than signing everybody in on your account. And better than signing them in on your account, while hoping they switch to the correct managed user.
It has never been a good idea to share a single account, or to use Managed Users outside of one home.
But I’m not sure what’s gotten more difficult - I don’t have any problems switching between Managed Users.
If you want to troubleshoot that - can you describe what’s going on? Or provide screenshots or a video clip of the managed users NOT appearing where expected?
