Plex users missing Watch Together feature, want it back

Plex users are not happy. The Watch Together feature, a handy tool that let people watch movies and shows with friends and family from anywhere, vanished from the platform’s new app that was launched a couple of months ago. For a lot of folks, this was more than just a neat trick — it was a way to stay close to loved ones, especially during tough times like the pandemic. Now that it’s gone, the Plex community is pushing hard to get it back.

So, what exactly was Watch Together? It allowed users to sync up their playback, so everyone could enjoy the same movie or show at the same time, no matter where they were. Think long-distance movie nights with your best friend or catching up on a series with your parents across the country. It became a big deal for people who couldn’t be together in person, and many Plex fans say it was one of the main reasons they stuck with the service.

One user vented on the main thread discussing the change before it went into effect, saying,

Man this was one of the great features of plex our family regularly use. Some of them are in different states & watch together is the only thing that brought us together to enjoy the films we love.

Another shared how personal it was for them:

Watch Together was how I spent a lot of my time with my then long-distance girlfriend, who’s now my spouse. We both moved to a different country and it’s how we now spend time with my parents and sister. Please bring it back.

You can feel the disappointment in their words. For these users, Watch Together wasn’t just a feature — it was a lifeline.

Plex likely ditched it because their data showed not many people were using it anymore. But not everyone’s buying it. Many of them had analytics turned off, so their usage might not have even been counted. It’s left people wondering if Plex is really listening or just looking at skewed numbers to justify the decision. Some even suspect it’s about cutting costs to keep investors happy, rather than focusing on what users want.

With Watch Together gone from the new apps, folks are starting to look elsewhere. Jellyfin, an open-source alternative, keeps popping up in conversations. It’s got a similar feature called SyncPlay, and while it’s not perfect, some say it’s tricky to set up, it’s enough to make people consider jumping ship. One Plex user admitted they’re already testing it out, and others are threatening to cancel their Plex Pass subscriptions if things don’t change.

The community isn’t sitting quiet. Apart from the OG post on Plex’s forums, a very recent post on Reddit has got over 700 upvotes, with comments piling up from users who want it back. Even those who don’t use it are chiming in to support the cause.

The outcry over Watch Together isn’t just about one feature. It’s about feeling heard. If Plex doesn’t bring it back, they might lose more than just a few users — they could lose the trust that kept people around in the first place. We’ll keep an eye out for any further developments and will post an update if there’s something to share.

In the meantime, feel free to let us know if you miss the feature or are you part of the crowd that never used it.