Plex makes content discovery a little more human on Android TV

Tired of having an algorithm telling you what to watch next? Plex is bringing a human touch to content discovery. New social tools could help you find the next show you want to invest your time in.

Today, Plex is rolling out social features to Android TV. These features include Discussions, Lists, Reviews, Reactions, and Follows. That means users on Android TV can now talk about what they are watching, create and share lists, rate and review titles, react to them, and follow other users. This way, you don’t have to solely rely on an algorithm for your recommendations.

As most other platforms don’t have social features like these, Plex hopes this rollout will help it stand out. The company says users are already taking advantage of these features. It claims that 59% of reactions and 47% of watchlist adds are happening on the big screen.

This rollout on Android TV follows on the heels of an earlier rollout on Apple TV, which happened in mid-September. It’s nice that it didn’t take the company too long to bring both experiences into parity. Along with the new social tools, Plex has also relocated the primary menu to the left-hand side of the screen.

In related news, it appears that the service has closed a popular loophole. A Reddit post (via XDA), highlights changes to remote streaming requirements. Firecore is notifying users that remote streaming from a Plex server will require a paid Plex license, even through third-party apps like Infuse.