Why I Moved Mom from Plex to Emby
Plex’s redesign buried my mom’s library under promtions and hard to use menus, so I switched her to Emby. Here’s why it works better, and how my step-by-step guide can help you set it up too.
Plex’s Redesign Pushed Me to Switch
When Plex rolled out its September 2025 redesign, it stopped being the tool my mom relied on to watch her shows. What used to be simple and familiar was suddenly buried under ads, streaming promotions, and confusing menus. Her carefully organized library was pushed aside, and the redesign turned what should’ve been relaxing into pure frustration.
After testing it myself and seeing the backlash in user forums, I quickly realized Plex wasn’t going to work for her anymore. That’s when I decided to move her over to Emby.
Why Emby Makes Sense
Emby isn’t flashy, but it does one thing well: it respects your own library. Once set up, it runs quietly in the background, keeps her shows front and center, and avoids the constant interruptions Plex now forces. For my mom, that’s all that matters. She wants stability and simplicity.
The Catch
Getting Emby working on a Mac and Roku wasn’t straightforward. From adding it to startup, stopping the constant browser pop-ups, to fixing Roku’s connection errors, it took hours of trial and error to make it run smoothly.
Her Mac launches Emby automatically, Roku logs in without errors, and she has her library back exactly the way she wants it. She likes using it more than Plex. She has called it “much simpler” and “refreshingly simple”. So that’s a win.
Want the Full How To Guide?
This post is the short version. The full, step-by-step guide is available for a one-time purchase at the link below. All of my paid How-To Guides are also available.
If you’re ready to ditch Plex and switch to Emby, my guides will walk you through every step.