Plex Users: Uninstall the Windows Store App and Download the Updated App
One of the great things about Plex – aside from using it to build your own private, shared streaming library – is how many platforms it supports. You can use the service (and server) on Android, iOS, PC, Roku, smart TVs, and even your web browser.
Plex recently released a new desktop client that aims to bring its Windows, Mac and web clients together, as well as the standalone Plex Media player, into a single app. And for Windows users, this new version of Plex is (currently) not available in the Windows Store. Here’s a rundown of what this means for you and all the new features that come with the updated Plex program.
New Plex Replaces Old Apps
The new Plex app completely replaces the previous desktop apps for Windows and Mac. In fact, as of today, Plex is no longer available in the Windows Store, and it is unclear if this version will appear there at some point in the future. So if you’re currently using the Windows Store version of Plex, uninstall it – as Plex doesn’t update it – and download the standalone version instead .
Plex is also going to ditch its Plex Media Player app in favor of packaging under just one roof. This also means a few feature changes :
“For TV layouts, we want to make this clear: in the long run, the new desktop application should replace Plex Media Player as our only desktop solution. The new desktop app noticeably lacks a TV mode, which means we’re going to stop supporting the traditional HTPC setup (using a desktop connected to a TV or home theater) with this app. There. We said that. This marks the end of an era for us, and we would be lying if we said it wasn’t a little bittersweet. But take heart. We’ve looked at how most people have used the app and most of you will have an equal (if not better) experience with the streaming device and our new players. “
If you’re not quite ready to switch, Plex Media Player will receive updates until January 30, 2020. After that, it’s time to switch.
New Plex features
In terms of media playback, the new Plex desktop is functionally equivalent to apps on other platforms such as Android and iOS, but with the addition of the Plex web client server management tools. This means that you can add, remove and organize your server media files from one application on all PCs.
More importantly, the new app comes with an updated “offline” mode, now called “download” rather than “sync”, which can offload your media to your device faster than before. You will get more information about your downloads and they (hopefully) won’t have as many bugs as the expired Plex “sync” feature. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is that you still need to be a Plex Pass subscriber to watch media offline.