Plex help • Smoother streaming on every device

Optimize your Plex app for smoother streaming.

Use this page to make Plex run better on your device. These settings are meant to improve playback and make the app easier to use without digging through confusing menus.

App Navigation Open Device Guides Quick Fixes Official Help
Best starting point

Use the Plex app, not a browser

Dedicated Plex apps on streaming devices usually give the best playback support and the cleanest settings.

Best quality

Set streaming quality to the highest setting first

On most Plex apps, choose the highest available quality setting first, then lower it only if playback struggles.

Simple fix

Only lower one quality setting at a time

If video pauses or buffers, change one playback quality setting one step lower and test again before changing anything else.

Make Plex easier to navigate

A few quick app changes can make Plex feel much cleaner and easier to use before you even start changing playback settings.

Clean up the sidebar

Pin the shared libraries you actually use

This keeps your main Plex sidebar focused on the parts of EncinoFlix you actually want to open.

  1. Open the Plex app on your device.
  2. Find the left sidebar or main navigation menu.
  3. Highlight EncinoFlix shared libraries like Movies or TV Shows.
  4. Pin the libraries you want easy access to.
  5. Unpin anything you do not use so the sidebar stays cleaner.
Keep your place

Leave “Remember Selected Tab” enabled

This helps Plex reopen where you last were instead of constantly dropping you back into a less useful view.

  1. Open Plex settings on your device.
  2. Look for interface, experience, or general app settings.
  3. Find “Remember Selected Tab” if your app version shows it.
  4. Leave it on or enabled so Plex remembers the section you were using.
Use the better view

Open libraries and switch from Recommended to Library or Browse

If Plex opens on Recommended, you can usually move to a cleaner full-library view with just one extra step.

  1. Open one of your pinned libraries like Movies or TV Shows.
  2. If Plex lands on Recommended, move across to Library or Browse.
  3. Stay in that tab so the app keeps the cleaner view the next time you open it.
  4. Repeat for your main libraries if needed.

Choose your device

Tap the section that matches your device. Menu names can vary slightly by app version, but these are the settings to look for first.

Apple TV Xbox PlayStation 5 Fire TV Stick Roku Samsung TV VIZIO Android iPhone Other devices

Apple TV

Apple TV usually performs very well once the playback quality settings are raised.

  1. Open the Plex app on your Apple TV.
  2. Go to Settings inside Plex.
  3. Open Video Quality.
  4. Set Home Streaming to Maximum or Original.
  5. Set Internet Streaming to the highest setting available.
  6. Turn on “Play Smaller Videos at Original Quality” if you see it.
  7. Leave Auto Adjust Quality off if you want the app to stay at the quality you selected.
If one setting causes trouble, lower only that setting one step and test again.
Official Plex Apple TV guide
🎮

Xbox

Xbox gives you more direct playback controls than many other apps.

  1. Open Plex on your Xbox.
  2. Open Settings and go to Video.
  3. Set Local Quality to Original.
  4. Set Remote Quality to the highest setting available.
  5. Make sure Allow Direct Play is turned on.
  6. Make sure Allow Direct Stream is turned on.
If you ever changed Direct Play or Direct Stream off, turn them back on. Leaving them off can force unnecessary video conversion.
Official Plex Xbox guide
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PlayStation 5

The PlayStation Plex app uses settings similar to Xbox.

  1. Open Plex on your PS5.
  2. Go to Settings and then Video.
  3. Set Local Quality to Original.
  4. Set Remote Quality to the highest setting available.
  5. Turn on Allow Direct Play.
  6. Turn on Allow Direct Stream.
If playback gets rough, lower only one quality setting at a time instead of changing everything.
Official Plex PlayStation guide
🔥

Fire TV Stick / Fire Stick

Fire TV menu labels can vary, but the quality section is the key area to check.

  1. Open Plex on your Fire TV device.
  2. Go to Settings and look for Quality or Video Quality.
  3. If you see Quality Suggestions, turn it off so your manual quality setting is used.
  4. Set Home Streaming to the highest setting available.
  5. Set Maximum Remote Quality to the highest setting available.
  6. If you see Play Smaller Videos at Original Quality, turn it on.
On newer Plex app versions, Fire TV may show Quality Suggestions and Maximum Remote Quality instead of older menu labels.
Official Plex Fire TV quality guide Official Plex quality suggestions guide
📺

Roku

Roku is simple once the quality limit is raised.

  1. Open Plex on your Roku.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Find Maximum Remote Quality and raise it as high as your connection allows.
  4. Leave H.264 Maximum Level at its default unless you are troubleshooting a specific issue.
  5. If subtitles cause trouble, try turning subtitles off for that title or using a different subtitle track.
Roku may not use the exact same wording as other apps. The main thing is to raise the playback quality setting as high as possible first.
Official Plex Roku guide
🖥️

Samsung TV

Samsung TV menu labels can vary by model year, so look for the closest matching quality options.

  1. Open Plex on your Samsung TV.
  2. Go to Settings and open Video, Playback, or Quality.
  3. Set streaming quality as high as possible.
  4. If your TV offers multi-channel audio support, leave it enabled if your sound setup supports it.
  5. If a stream buffers, lower one playback quality setting one step instead of changing everything.
Some Samsung TV models have more limited media support than streaming boxes. If a title still struggles, an Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV device may work better.
Official Plex Smart TV playback guide Official Plex supported smart TVs
📡

VIZIO SmartCast

VIZIO uses the broader smart TV guidance from Plex.

  1. Open Plex on your VIZIO TV.
  2. Open the settings menu inside Plex.
  3. Find playback or quality settings and raise the video quality as high as possible.
  4. Keep audio and video settings at default unless you are fixing a specific problem.
  5. If playback is inconsistent, adjust only one quality setting at a time and test again.
Smart TV apps can be more limited than dedicated streaming boxes. If you run into repeat issues, a separate streaming device often gives smoother results.
Official Plex Smart TV playback guide Official Plex smart TV support list
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Android phone / tablet

Android lets you set different quality levels depending on how you are watching.

  1. Open Plex on your Android device.
  2. Open Settings and go to Quality or Video.
  3. Set Local Quality to the highest option available.
  4. Set Wi-Fi Quality to the highest option that works reliably.
  5. If your phone has cellular service, keep Cellular Quality lower unless you truly want to use mobile data for higher-quality playback.
  6. If you see Adjust Automatically, turn it off when you want Plex to hold your chosen quality level.
Official Plex mobile guide Official Plex Android TV guide
📱

iPhone / iPad

On iPhone and iPad, quality settings are split by connection type.

  1. Open Plex on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Set Local Quality high for playback on the same network as the server.
  4. Set Wi-Fi Quality high for playback away from home on Wi-Fi.
  5. Set Cellular Quality carefully if you watch over mobile data.
  6. While a video is playing, you can also open playback settings and adjust Quality there for that session.
If you only have problems when using mobile data, leave Local and Wi-Fi alone and change only Cellular Quality.
Official Plex mobile guide Official Plex iOS playback guide
⚙️

Other devices

If your device is not listed above, these are the most common settings to check.

  1. Open Plex on your device.
  2. Go to Settings and find Video, Playback, or Quality.
  3. Set streaming quality to the highest setting available.
  4. Turn on Direct Play and Direct Stream if those options exist.
  5. Turn off automatic or suggested quality settings if those options appear.
  6. If playback buffers, lower one quality setting one step and test again.
Menu names can vary between devices, but these settings are usually present in some form.
Open Plex Guide

Quick fixes if something still buffers

These are the easiest things to try before changing a bunch of settings.

1. Lower only one quality setting at a time

Do not lower everything at once. Change one playback quality setting one step lower, then test again.

2. Keep Direct Play and Direct Stream on whenever those options exist

Turning either one off can force extra conversion and make playback harder on the server.

3. Try another subtitle track or turn subtitles off for that title

Some subtitle formats are heavier than others and can make playback less efficient on certain devices.

4. Use the official Plex app on the device

If you are using a web browser or a smart TV app that struggles, a dedicated streaming box often works better.

Official Plex help

These links go directly to Plex support pages used to build this guide.

Official

General playback quality help

Best if you want the broader Plex explanation of local, remote, and playback quality settings.

Open Plex Guide
Official

Why buffering happens

Useful when a device is still pausing even after the settings above have been adjusted.

Open Plex Guide
Official

Quality suggestions

Helpful if your app shows Quality Suggestions or Maximum Remote Quality instead of the older menu labels.

Open Plex Guide