Plex has rolled out a new update for Android and iOS, bringing a host of new features alongside fixes. Among the features, there’s a highly requested one that has finally been added. Plex will now allow users to upload custom artwork directly from their mobile app.
Plex users have been asking for the ability to manage and upload artwork from mobile phones for years. It’s a recurring request on Reddit and Plex forums where users ask how to change cover art on mobile, with the only answer being a workaround by using the browser website on your mobile phone instead of the Plex app.
It’s now possible to upload artwork from the mobile app on both Android and iPhone. Just make sure you’re using Plex Media Server version 1.43.1 or later for this feature to work.
Beyond the artwork feature, the update will now let Live TV users long-press the Live TV tab to quickly switch between available sources. Speaking of live TV, there’s now a fix for channels not re-tuning when returning to the guide.
As for decent quality-of-life additions, Spoiler is now available as a report reason for reviews, and there’s now a loading spinner when saving or editing a review.
There are several bug fixes for Android, such as a fix for images disappearing sometimes during screen transitions. As for the iPhone, there’s a specific fix for reviews as well, as swiping back from a review screen would no longer bypass the discard changes confirmation. Now you will no longer lose your review progress without a confirmation prompt if you accidentally swipe back.
Plex Changelog
Full changes below
Credit: Patrick Campanale/How-To Geek
Features
Add progress indicators to local extras on details screens.
Added Spoiler as a report reason for reviews.
Added activity type filters to the activity feed screen.
Edit Artwork screen includes inline descriptions.
Loading spinner when saving or editing a review.
[Android][iOS] Add ability to upload artwork from mobile devices. Requires Server version 1.43.1.
[Android][iOS] Live TV: Long-press the Live TV tab to quickly switch between available sources.
[tvOS] Player: support for rewinding on resume.
General fixes
Live TV: Playing channel was not being re-tuned when returning to the guide.
Record badge’s icon was misaligned when next to a text-only badge.
Server names would be truncated, incorrectly favoring the server owner name.
Some activity cards’ text was unreadable.
The watch history privacy icon did not match the label when adjusting the privacy level.
Bottom sheet menus no longer announce an unresponsive “Close” button to VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Clear logo could briefly flash when opening preplays.
The character count was not visible when entering long comments.
Android-specific fixes
A rare crash on details screens when availabilities finished loading.
Fixed images occasionally disappearing during screen transitions.
iOS and tvOS fixes
[iOS] Swiping back from a review screen with unsaved changes no longer bypasses the discard-changes confirmation.
[iOS][tvOS] Player: Show play button in OSD when playback is paused due to Airpods disconnecting.
tvOS fixes
Adjacent auto preview content on Live TV hub would sometimes not start playing
Focus would disappear after selecting a privacy option.
Focus would get stuck after entering text in the Create/Edit Managed Account and Edit Username screens, so the action button below was unreachable.
Jumpbar could permanently trap focus if using swipe controls.
Personal Media Browse screens were not always focusing properly when opened.
Some items were getting cut off at the top of browse screens.
The first time I encountered mesh Wi-Fi was when I went to university. One Wi-Fi password, but no matter where you roamed on campus you’ll stay connected. I’ve always thought of mesh networks as enterprise technology that you need an IT department to handle, but then router makers figured out how to make mesh easy enough for mere mortals.
Now I consider a mesh network the default for everyone, and if you’re still using a single non-mesh router you might want to know why. So let me explain.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Home Networking & Wi-Fi
Think you know your routers from your repeaters — put your home networking know-how to the ultimate test.
Wi-FiRoutersSecurityHardwareProtocols
What does the ‘5 GHz’ band in Wi-Fi offer compared to the ‘2.4 GHz’ band?
That’s right! The 5 GHz band delivers faster data rates but loses signal strength more quickly over distance and through walls. It’s ideal for devices close to the router that need maximum throughput, like streaming 4K video.
Not quite — the 5 GHz band actually offers faster speeds at the cost of range. The 2.4 GHz band travels farther and penetrates obstacles better, which is why smart home devices and older gadgets often prefer it.
Which Wi-Fi standard, introduced in 2021, is also known as Wi-Fi 6E and extends into a new frequency band?
Correct! 802.11ax is the technical name for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. The ‘E’ variant extends the standard into the 6 GHz band, offering a massive swath of new, less-congested spectrum for faster and more reliable connections.
The answer is 802.11ax — that’s Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Wi-Fi 6E adds support for the 6 GHz band, giving it far less congestion than the crowded 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. 802.11be is actually the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard.
What is the default IP address most commonly used to access a home router’s admin interface?
Spot on! The vast majority of consumer routers use either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 as the default gateway address. Typing either into your browser’s address bar will bring up the router’s login page — just make sure you’ve changed the default password!
The correct answer is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. These are the most common default gateway addresses for home routers. The 255.x.x.x addresses are subnet masks, and 127.0.0.1 is your own machine’s loopback address, not a router.
Which Wi-Fi security protocol is considered most secure for home networks as of 2024?
Excellent! WPA3 is the latest and most robust Wi-Fi security protocol, introduced in 2018. It uses Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) to replace the older Pre-Shared Key handshake, making it far more resistant to brute-force attacks.
The answer is WPA3. WEP is completely broken and should never be used, WPA is outdated, and WPA2 with TKIP has known vulnerabilities. WPA3 offers the strongest protection, and if your router supports it, you should enable it right away.
What is the primary difference between a mesh Wi-Fi system and a traditional Wi-Fi range extender?
Exactly right! Mesh systems use multiple nodes that talk to each other intelligently, handing off your device seamlessly as you move around your home under one SSID. Traditional range extenders typically broadcast a separate network and can cut bandwidth in half as they relay the signal.
The correct answer is that mesh nodes form one intelligent, seamless network. Range extenders are actually the ones that often create separate SSIDs (like ‘MyNetwork_EXT’) and can significantly reduce speeds. Mesh systems are far superior for large homes with many devices.
What does DHCP stand for, and what is its main function on a home network?
Perfect! DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the unsung hero of home networking. Every time a device joins your network, your router’s DHCP server automatically hands it a unique IP address, subnet mask, and gateway info so it can communicate without manual configuration.
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and its job is to automatically assign IP addresses to devices on your network. Without it, you’d have to manually configure a unique IP address on every single phone, laptop, and smart device — a tedious nightmare!
What is ‘QoS’ (Quality of Service) used for in a home router?
That’s correct! QoS lets you tell your router which traffic gets priority. For example, you can prioritize video calls or gaming over a family member’s file download, ensuring your Zoom meeting doesn’t freeze just because someone is downloading a large update.
QoS — Quality of Service — is actually about traffic prioritization. By tagging certain data types (like VoIP calls or gaming packets) as high priority, your router ensures latency-sensitive applications get bandwidth first, even when the network is congested.
What does the ‘WAN’ port on a home router connect to?
Correct! WAN stands for Wide Area Network, and the WAN port is where your router connects to the outside world — typically to your cable modem, DSL modem, or ISP gateway. The LAN ports on the other side connect to devices inside your home network.
The WAN (Wide Area Network) port connects your router to your ISP’s modem or gateway — essentially your entry point to the internet. The LAN (Local Area Network) ports are for connecting devices inside your home. Mixing them up can cause your network to not function at all!
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Mesh Wi-Fi solves a problem most homes already have
The internet is no longer confined to one spot in your home
In the early days of home internet, there was no real reason to have Wi-Fi coverage all over your home. You installed the router in your home office, or near the living room, and that was enough. People didn’t have smartphones, tablets, or smart home devices that all needed access to the LAN.
As Wi-Fi devices proliferated, that central router became a problem. There’s only so much power you can push into the antennas, and the inverse square law drains that signal of power in very short order.
It was a problem that had many suboptimal solutions. Wi-Fi repeaters destroy performance, access points need long Ethernet runs, and Powerline Ethernet only works well in ideal conditions. Most older homes can’t provide that with their aging wiring. In short, trying to expand a central router’s reach has usually involved some janky mishmash of solutions.
A modern mesh router kit just solved that problem without any fuss. The biggest problem you’ll have is how to position them. Everything else is usually just handled automatically.
Brand
eero
Range
1,500 sq. ft.
Mesh Network Compatible
Yes
The eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi router allows you to upgrade your home network without breaking the bank. Compatible with the wider eero ecosystem, you’ll find that this node can either start or expand your wireless network with ease.
Mesh systems prioritize consistency over peak speed
Good enough internet everywhere
Credit: Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
I think it’s important to point out that with Wi-Fi it’s much more important to get consistent and reliable performance wherever you are in your home than to hit crazy peak speeds. Sure, if you buy an expensive router, you can blast data when you’ve got line of sight and are a few feet away, but then you might as well just connect to it with an Ethernet cable.
For the price of one very fast centralized router, you can buy an entry-level mesh router kit and have fast enough internet everywhere, and never have to think about it again. I’m still running a Wi-Fi 5 mesh system in my two-storey rental home and I get 200+ Mbps minimum anywhere. If I need more speed than that on a single device, it’s going on Ethernet.
As prices come down on Wi-Fi 6 and 7 mesh systems, we’ll all eventually get access to that gigabit or better wireless tier, but I’d rather have a few hundred Mbps everywhere rather than a few Gbps in just one place and zero internet elsewhere.
It’s hard to overstate just how easy modern mesh routers are to set up. After you’ve got the first unit up, usually by using a mobile app, adding more is generally just a matter of turning them on close to any previously activated router and waiting a few seconds.
As for the actual management of the network, on my TP-Link system you can see the topology of your network, how the pods are doing in terms of bandwidth, and you can automatically optimize for network interference and signal strength. The days of cryptic and largely manual router configuration are over. Even port forwarding, which has always tripped me up on old routers, now just works with a few taps on my phone screen.
The price argument doesn’t hold up anymore
There’s something for every budget
The biggest reason I think people have avoided mesh systems is cost. That’s perfectly fair, because mesh systems are more expensive than a single router. The thing is, prices have come down significantly, especially for mesh on older Wi-Fi standards.
But, even if you want newer Wi-Fi like 6E or 7, you don’t have to start your mesh journey with a full kit. You can buy a single mesh router, use that as your primary, and then add more as you can afford it. Even better, if you’ve bought a new router recently, there’s a chance it already supports mesh technology. It doesn’t even have to be that recent, since some older routers have gained mesh capability thanks to firmware updates.
If you already have a router that’s mesh-capable, then extending your home network any other way would be silly. Also, keep in mind that all the routers in your mesh network don’t have to be identical. That’s a common misconception, but the only thing they need to have in common is support for the same mesh technology. Just keep in mind that your performance will only be as good as the slowest device in the chain.
Mesh is for everyone
The bottom line is that mesh network technology is now cheap enough, mature enough, and easy enough that I honestly think everyone should have a good reason not to use it rather than looking for reason to use it. Wi-Fi should be like water or electricity. You want everyone in your home to have easy access to it no matter where they are. Mesh will do that for you.
9/10
Brand
Unifi
Range
1,750 square feet
The Unifi Dream Router 7 is a full-fledged network appliance offering NVR capabilities, fully managed switching,a built-in firewall, VLANs, and more. With four 2.5G Ethernet ports (one with PoE+) and a 10G SFP+ port, the Unifi Dream Router 7 also features dual WAN capabilities should you have two ISP connections. It includes a 64GB microSD card for IP camera storage, but can be upgraded for more storage if needed. With Wi-Fi 7, you’ll be able to reach up to a theoretical 5.7 Gbps network speed when using the 10G SFP+ port, or 2.5 Gbps when using Ethernet.
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