Plex has launched its new Plex Photos app in beta as it seeks to streamline its main app to focus on movies, shows, and Live TV. The launch of the Plex Photos app follows the success the company has had with its Plexamp app for music.
The media company revealed that music playback in its main app is used by a paltry 2.5% of users while its photos features are used by an even smaller 0.2% of users. Clearly, these features don"t warrant the work that"s going into improving and maintaining them so by moving them to their own apps, development can be more focused in the main app on the video features.
One way in which the main Plex app will improve with these changes is that you"ll no longer have to look through music tracks or photo albums to find the movies and shows you want to watch. Additionally, the app interface will get updates so it"s optimized for video content. This will make the app appear cleaner and you"ll get a more focused experience tailored to your viewing habits.
If you"re among that small cohort of users that do use the music or photos features, the move to companion apps will also be beneficial to you. The Plex team is planning to deliver specialized features and improvements for enthusiasts. For example, Plexamp also provides mixers, visualizers, and offline listening. With Plex Photos, you"ll get features like improved search, casting to TV, and seamless integration with your existing Plex Media Server library.
The Plex Photos app is now available in open beta so anyone can download it now from their respective app stores. In the fourth quarter, Plex Photos will leave beta with additional features and improvements based on feedback. In late Q4 and early Q1, Plex will start phasing out support for music and photos in the Plex mobile app for iOS and Android. By early 2025, the Plex app will be entirely focused on helping you discover movies, shows, and TV shows.