Transforming Media Management
Plex is revolutionizing how you manage your media library, offering an all-in-one solution for movies, TV shows, music, and photos. To enhance user experience and streamline development, Plex is moving some features out of the main app and into dedicated companion apps.
Introducing Plex Photos
In a recent announcement, Plex revealed plans to adapt its services by creating companion apps tailored to specific media types. While the main app has traditionally handled all functions, including movies, music, and media management, Plex is now introducing Plexamp for music, and now, a dedicated photos app.
Plex Photos in Open Beta
Plex Photos is currently in open beta, mirroring the photo features of the existing Plex app. Users can synchronize their photos and videos with a Plex server and enjoy a gallery view much like Google Photos or Apple’s Photos app. The key difference? All your data is stored on your server, giving you control and privacy.
Enhancing User Experience
Plex emphasizes that these companion apps will allow them to deliver specialized features. For instance, Plexamp offers unique mixes and visualizers, while Plex Photos will enhance photo management with improved search, seamless casting to TVs, and better integration with your existing Plex Media Server library. Plex stated, “Companion apps allow us to deliver specialized features and improvements tailored to the unique needs of music and photo enthusiasts.”
Future Developments
The plan is for Plex Photos to exit beta testing in the fourth quarter of 2024, with additional features based on user feedback. Following this, support for music playback and photo management will gradually be phased out of the main Plex app. In 2025, users can expect to see the photos app on more platforms.
Availability of Apps
You can experience the new Plex Photos app on Android and iOS. Meanwhile, Plexamp is already accessible on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, with a “headless” version available for Raspberry Pi devices.
Stay Updated
For more information, check out the official blog post on the Plex website.