Plex has announced a major update to its iPhone app that's coming soon. The app features a major redesign with changes to navigation, more artwork, and more. The app's structure has also been completely rewritten from the ground up.
The focus is currently on the new mobile experience, but Plex says an updated TV experience is coming “very soon.”
In a blog post, Plex explains that one of the main focuses of the new design is an update to the navigation system:
One of the key changes is a redesigned navigation that makes it easier to dive into different parts of Plex and find content with ease. Through extensive testing, we found that this new structure not only helps existing users navigate more intuitively, but also gives new users a much clearer picture of what Plex is all about. We’ve brought our core features to the forefront, saying goodbye to the days of hidden hamburger menus and making it easier to explore with one hand on your phone.
Visually, the new Plex app features larger, more immersive graphics throughout the interface:
One of the standout elements of this redesign is the expanded use of illustrations throughout the app, which adds visual richness and greater depth to your experience. You’ll notice this especially on movie and show detail pages, cast and crew profiles, and even your personal profile page. We’ve also introduced cover art for movies and shows where available, a long-requested feature that adds polish to every page. And we’re just getting started; expect even more improvements here as we continue to evolve these pages to make them both beautiful and engaging.
In addition to the cosmetic changes and new features, Plex says this is also a major internal overhaul. The app has been rewritten from the ground up and unifies its platforms into a single codebase. This should allow for faster development of updates and new features in the future.
For Plex users who manage their own media library, the new Plex app includes a dedicated My Library tab. However, there seems to be a clear focus on pushing users to use Plex’s other features, like the integration with other streaming services in the Home tab.
Plex knows this is a major overhaul, and it’s important to get the changes right. For that reason, the new design is available as a preview starting today and will launch to the general public in 2025.
You can sign up to try out the new app by heading over to the Plex forums and joining TestFlight. The Plex website also has a page detailing the features still missing from the new app, including streaming, selective downloading, offline features, and more.
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