Plex just released a beta version of its standalone Photos app, which is a notable shift in how they plan to organize media on their platform. Previously, photos were accessible through the main Plex app alongside other media types like movies, TV shows, and music. You can see it in action in my latest video.
Now, Plex is pushing toward a new strategy where music and now photos has its own dedicated app. This approach mirrors their earlier release of Plexamp for music. Eventually both music and photos will be removed from the mainline Plex app.
The app is still in its early stages, but users can already download it on iOS or Android and connect it to their existing photo library on a Plex Media Server. Upon setup, the app brings up a minimalistic interface that offers basic features like viewing recently added photos, favoriting images, and accessing media from specific time periods. Videos can also be integrated into the photo library, making it easier to access all media types stored in the same place.
One key aspect of this app is the file structure on the server. The user can set up folders and subfolders that reflect directly within the app. Each folder in the file system shows up as an album with the ability to nest folders underneath. There’s also some options to filter images based on exif data stored in the image.
The app currently lacks an upload feature, so users can’t yet add new photos directly from their mobile devices, nor can they modify photo metadata, such as dates. However, they can add photos to their favorites list, which syncs back to the server.
The community’s feedback is actively being sought through this forum post that is being monitored by Plex developers.
It’s clear this initial release is more of a groundwork for future development, and Plex is positioning itself to make ongoing improvements. They’re also discussing adding an API layer to the Plex Media Server, which would allow external developers to create client applications for specific media types like audiobooks, offering more specialized experiences without needing the official app to support everything directly. You can read more about that here.
Disclosure: This is post was a paid sponsorship from Plex, but they did not review or approve this post or my video before it was uploaded.