Plex Fire TV redesign called "unusable" as users slam new navigation

Plex has rolled out a major update to its Fire TV app that introduces a new design and user experience. It has top navigation, overlay menus, and changes aimed at unifying the UI/UX across devices. However, users seem to absolutely dislike this redesign.

The design was first announced on March 31, and it ties remote streaming to Plex Pass. Users report that the changes have made the app significantly harder to use on Firesticks and Fire TV devices. The previous sidebar with pinned and ordered libraries was removed, and they’ve replaced it with a top menu that requires more clicks.

It involves more steps to switch libraries or access content, which users severely disliked. One thread on Reddit described how certain actions went from two clicks to around six, and noted how the old sidebar view was still present on the web and Apple TV. Another thread highlights how the top menu feels like it’s designed for mouse and keyboard use, and not for TV.

To make matters worse, the company seems to have removed player controls, adding to user frustration.

It’s not just the design that’s being negatively received, but also the overall app stability. There are a lot of complaints about the performance. Some people report the app being slower to use, lagging when scrolling posters, and sometimes it takes 30 seconds or more for direct local play. There are also reports of freezes, crashing, missing auto subtitles, and difficulty exiting menus.

There are some workarounds to this, such as downloading the APK of an older version through a reliable website such as APKMirror.

If you’re still on an older version, you can try disabling automatic updates. Additionally, there are third-party clients, such as Plezy, which may help, but they have their own limitations.

Despite growing negative feedback and a disastrous reception to the redesign, Plex didn’t offer the choice to opt out of this new UI. Users are hoping the feedback is taken seriously and that it doesn’t reach other devices, such as Apple TV. Do let us know what you think of the redesign in the comments.

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