How to Control Plex with Alexa

Plex is a Media Server that allows you to organize video, audio, and photos from your collections and online services to enable the player to access and stream the contents. With the use of voice command, you can easily control Plex in a variety of hands-free ways, thanks to the Alexa support feature. This will allow you to save on time and save you the stress of having to use your remote or mouse to perform control.

Plex
Plex

Therefore, there is a need to control Plex with Amazon Alexa. This enables you to start playing your favorite TV shows, music, and movies on your devices, all by use of voice commands. For instance, you can comfortably request Alexa to ask Plex to play a movie of your choice without the need of moving an inch or using a remote control. Hence, let us now go through this guide that provides all the steps you need to enable Alexa voice control on Plex.

Most noteworthy, you will need a device that is compatible with Amazon Alexa voice assistant platform. Also, you will need the Plex skill from the Amazon Skill Store as well as a wide range of Plex apps. These features will enable you to easily control Plex with voice control.

Devices with Alexa Support

These involve the devices that are compatible with the Alexa digital assistant. This is a necessity for Plex voice control. Hence, these devices include:

  • Amazon Echo
  • Amazon Echo Dot
  • Amazon Echo Show
  • Amazon Echo Spot
  • Amazon Echo Plus
  • Amazon Echo Tap
  • Amazon Echo Look
  • Amazon Fire Tablet
  • Amazon Fire TV (the US only)
  • There are also third-party Alexa supported speakers e.g. Sonos One, JBL Link 20, Sonos Beam, Bose Home 500, etc

Amazon Skill Store

In addition to this, you will need the Plex skill from the Amazon Skill Store. However, the Plex Skill is only available in the following Amazon Skill Stores:

  • US
  • UK
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Germany
  • India

Supported Plex Apps

Moreover, you will need several supported Plex apps. To use the apps with Alexa, you will need to ensure that they are signed in to your Plex account and are active and running on the device. These supported Plex apps involve the following:

  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Android TV
  • Android Mobile device
  • Apple TV
  • Chromecast
  • iOS
  • PlayStation 4
  • Plex Media Player
  • Plex Web App
  • Roku
  • Samsung Smart Hub
  • Smart TVs (newer models)
  • Windows/Windows Phone
  • Xbox One

Enable Remote Access

You need to ensure that the Plex Media Server is accessible to allow Alexa to control it. Therefore, you will have to enable the remote access for the server to achieve this. Be sure to follow the steps given below:

  1. Go to the Plex Web App to access the Plex Server.
  2. Click on the Settings icon at the top of the screen.
  3. Select the Remote Access option from the sidebar.
  4. Now, click on Enable Remote Access.
Enabling the remote access
Enabling the remote access

Once the remote access is enabled, you can now enjoy the top-notch experience with the Amazon Alexa voice control service.

Link Plex to Alexa

To be able to control Plex with Alexa digital assistant, you will need to enable the Plex Skill in Amazon’s Alexa voice control service. To achieve this, you will require the Alexa app for your mobile device or the Alexa web app which will let you sign in and perform the settings. With these, you will be able to link Plex account to Alexa.

Amazon Alexa app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Thus, you can download and install the app from the Google Play Store or the App Store. To download the Amazon Alexa app, follow the steps given below.

For iOS users:

  1. In your iOS device, go to the App Store.
  2. Search for Amazon Alexa app in the search bar.
  3. Click on Get to install the app into your device.
Downloading Amazon Alexa for iOS devices
Downloading Amazon Alexa for iOS devices

For Android Users:

  1. Go to Google Play Store on your Android device.
  2. Tap the search tab and search for Amazon Alexa app.
  3. Tap on Install.
Downloading Amazon Alexa for Android devices
Downloading Amazon Alexa for Android devices

Now, to enable the Plex Skill, you will have to follow the steps as outlined below:

  1. Open the Amazon Alexa app on your mobile device or the Alexa web app.
  2. Click on the menu icon at the top left corner of the screen.
  3. Select the Skills & Games option at the sidebar menu.
  4. Search for Plex in the search bar and select Plex Skill from the results.
  5. Click on the Enable You will have to sign in to authenticate your Plex account.
Enabling the Plex Skill
Enabling the Plex Skill

6. Lastly, click on the Authorize button to link your Plex account to the Alexa Skill.

Authorizing Amazon Alexa
Authorizing Amazon Alexa

Choosing the Media Server to Use

Now that you have successfully linked your Plex account to Alexa skill, you can now set the media server to use by telling the Plex skill which Plex Media Server to use. All you have to do is to voice command Alexa to communicate with Plex. For instance, you can say; Ask Plex to change my server. This will give you a list of servers associated with your Plex account from which you will select the desired server and it will be set as your default server.

Media Server
Plex Media Server

However, if there is only one Plex Media Server available, Alexa will recognize that there is only one server, therefore, it will automatically set it as a default server. On the other side, you can as well ask Alexa to directly change the Plex Media Server using the name of the server. For instance, you can say, Ask Plex to change my server to Eccentric.

Choosing the Plex Player to use

Next, you will have to select the Plex Player to use. This is the final step to preparing Plex control with Amazon Alexa. The Plex Player chosen will be set to default and to accomplish this you need to voice command Alexa to ask Plex to change my player.

 Media Player
Plex Media Player

This will provide you with a list of all the players available from which you can choose the one that you wish to set to default. So, if you know the name of the player of your choice, you can say, Alexa, ask Plex to change my player to Android TV. Note that, you will able to change the default player at any time.

Now, after the above steps, you will be in a good position to easily control Plex with Alexa voice control. You can now enjoy the comfort and the great experience that come with the Plex integration with Amazon Alexa. additionally, you can get more out of it by interacting with Alexa through voice commands.

Voice Commands on Plex

With the Plex Alexa Skill enabled, you can easily control Plex with several voice commands. Before saying a command, you must begin with, “Alexa, ask Plex…” or “Alexa, tell Plex…” followed by the command you want to use. There are a sheer number of voice commands used and below are some examples of voice commands that we provide to you.

For Player Controls

Ask Plex to play/pause/resume/stop/next/previous

For Specific Content

Ask Plex to play/start (Movie/Show Name)

Ask Plex I would like to watch (Movie Name)

For Suggested Content

Ask Plex can you give me a suggestion/recommendation

Ask Plex what’s good?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.