Plex’s update fallout feels like déjà vu after Sonos’ rough year

Plex’s latest app update was meant to be a big win. Launched in March 2025, it promised smoother navigation and a dedicated tab for media libraries. Users were thrilled at first, expecting a fresh, unified experience across their devices. But that excitement didn’t last long. Within weeks, complaints started piling up on Reddit, with people slamming the update for bugs, lag, and a clunky design that made Plex harder to use than ever.

The backlash has been brutal. Users report playback errors, slow performance, and a general downgrade in functionality. Some say the app feels like a step back from what Plex used to be. User chatter is clear that the previous app was reliable and user-friendly platform for streaming personal media. One frustrated user wrote,

I haven’t been watching anything on Plex on my iPad since the update, but wanted to watch a show in bed today. How is it possibly this bad? Halfway into the first episode, and I’ve already experienced weird lag, especially when skipping back or forwards 10s.

In another post, a user said,

The new Android app is abysmal. It’s absolute garbage. It plays 1% of my library and even that’s generous.

These are only a couple of posts out of several on Plex’s subreddit. Such posts have garnered hundreds of upvotes and comments within days. So there’s no doubt that Plex users are frustrated with the app, albeit, a few have defended the update saying they had no issues.

That being said, if this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it before. Sonos went through a similar mess earlier this year. Their app update was a disaster too, sparking outrage over glitches and broken features. Sonos scrambled to fix it, rolling out patches and a recovery plan. But the damage was deep. It got so bad that their CEO, Patrick Spence, was sacked over the fiasco. The full story on that shakeup is here. Now, Plex seems to be walking the same rocky path.

Plex had big plans with this update. They wanted to streamline the app across platforms, adding perks like faster load times and a sleep timer. Recent release notes show they’re still tweaking things, fixing playback bugs and boosting performance. But for many users, it’s too little, too late. Some are so fed up they’re jumping ship to rivals like Jellyfin or Infuse. Others are begging Plex to roll back to the old version entirely.

The parallels with Sonos are hard to ignore. Both companies bet on flashy updates to wow their loyal fans, only to trip over poor execution. Sonos paid a steep price as the whole debacle turned into a PR nightmare, with many losing trust in the company. At last, they were left with a new boss tasked with cleaning up the mess. Plex isn’t there yet, but the warning signs are flashing. Ignoring user feedback could push them into the same corner.

Both Plex and Sonos are at a turning point. Plex still has a chance to listen, fix what’s broken, and win back its community. User trust is tough to rebuild once it’s gone, and Sonos learned that the hard way. Hopefully the folks over at Plex iron out the bugs and issues before things spiral out of control.

What are your thoughts on the update? Let us know in the comments below.