When you create a Plex Home, there are certain changes that are made and things you should be aware of that may be important to you. Remember that Plex Home is intended for people that physically live together.
Note: You should only join a Plex Home if you completely trust the Home admin and there’s typically little reason to join a Home if the members aren’t actually physically together. You can also only be a member of a single Plex Home.
Related Page: What is Plex Home?
Limitations
Single Home Admin
There is a single admin for the Plex Home. This is the user that originally created the Home. Only the Home admin user can add, remove, or edit who is in the Home.
Note that a Home admin does not necessarily have a server. They could only control streaming content restrictions for their Managed users.
Though not common, if a server admin joins another’s Plex Home, they still control their server content and who has Library Access to their server. The Home Admin will not take over their server.
15 Total Members
Up to 15 members can be in a Plex Home. For Plex Pass users that includes a combination of both Managed Users as well as regular Plex accounts that are invited.
Access to Shared Libraries
Users only have access to libraries shared with that particular user.
- Managed Users can only receive shares from is the Home Admin that is also the Server admin
- Regular Plex Accounts can have shares from other people outside the Home
- The Home Admin can not re-share external library access they got from other Server Admins, with other members in the Home
Related Page: Remote Access and Granting Library Access
Internet Access
In order to use Fast User Switching to switch between members of a Plex Home, you must have an active internet connection. Apps will cache information related to the last-used user, so if you’re offline you’ll still be able to access an app with that last-used user while in a Plex Home.
Access When Switching to Another User
When switching between users in a Home, there are certain things to keep in mind.
Other Users Can Switch
Any member of the Home can choose to switch to any other user. If you try to switch to a user that has a PIN set, then you will be prompted to enter the PIN in order to unlock and access that account.
Note: Remember that setting a PIN on an account is not a replacement for good account security. A PIN should not be considered true security and is provided as a convenience to help control access when young children are involved. Do not share your account password/credentials with others and do not let others access your account.
When You Switch, You Become That User
When you switch to another user, you really are switching to that user. You effectively BECOME that user. That means that you have the same access as that user:
- If the user runs a Plex Media Server, you can access and change the Server settings
- You can see libraries shared with that user (either in the Home or shared from outside the Home)
- You can view (and, in many cases, change) their account information
Warning!: Remember that you should only join a Plex Home if you completely trust the Home Admin. You should set a PIN on your account if you don’t want other users switching to you, but do not rely on the PIN as actual, true security.
Changes to Plex Media Server
When creating or joining a Plex Home, certain changes are made to the Plex Media Server to help keep the media safe.
- Any app, device, or tool communicating with your server will need to be signed in to a Plex account (whether online or offline)
- The account from above must be authorized to access the server (either the owner account or one to which libraries have been shared)
- The DLNA server will be disabled by default
See the dedicated support article for more details.
Related Page: Plex Home Security Changes