Plex settings to enable for enhanced privacy

While many people love Plex and rely on its features for their personal libraries, they don't want to share more data than they have to. This isn't a criticism of Plex, but you should change these privacy settings to increase your security.

6. Go incognito with profile privacy settings

No one likes the idea of ​​people seeing what they're watching on Plex, not because of embarrassment, but because of the rules of the matter. You also don't want your friends' usernames to be exposed when someone looks at your friends list. You can adjust these settings to make it completely private:

1. In Plex, open Settings and select Privacy on the left side, near the top of the page.
2. For ACCOUNT VISIBILITY & ACTIVITY SHARING , select Edit .
3. For maximum privacy, set everything to Private .

The only option that can't be private is Account Visibility , so the next best option is Friends Only . Make sure to save it and you'll be able to be a little more private.

5. Unsubscribe from annoying marketing emails

It's annoying to see marketing emails piling up in your inbox, and that's one of the main reasons why many people have two email accounts (or a great reason to use email! aliases). One account is used to sign up for services, while the other is for personal use. Luckily, if you have an email, you can at least unsubscribe from Plex's marketing emails.

1. In Plex, go to Settings > Account .
2. In Preferences, click the hyperlink there to access your email preferences.
3. In Email Preferences, uncheck every box for maximum privacy.

Once you've completed your email preferences, complete the process by selecting Update Preferences at the bottom.

4. Prevent Plex from selling personal data

While you can only use Plex to access your media library, it also has ad-supported content you can stream. This is a great way to expand your options if your library is lacking, although there are cheaper ways to expand your Plex library. However, this is a way to collect more data, so avoid that:

1. In Plex, open Settings > Privacy .
2. Click the hyperlink for Privacy Preferences to access how your personal data is used.
3. Uncheck If this box is checked, then Plex may sell your personal data as described in the Privacy Policy. and also select All No , then finish with Save Preferences .

Now, this will prevent Plex from selling and sharing certain information, but it won't remove ads, even if you opt for a Plex Pass.

3. Disable Plex's Playback Data Collection

There is data about your playback performance that can be used to improve Plex, but the more you give in, the more the companies will encroach. So disable it for good.

1. Log in to the Plex website with your account and visit the Plex privacy policy page.
2. Scroll down until you reach the "Your Plex Privacy Rights" section.
3. Click You have the right to limit what activity data is sent from your Plex Media Server to display the check box.

Uncheck Send playback data to Plex and you're done. Refresh the page to check for saved changes.

2. Opt Out of Plex's Free Content

Since there's no way to avoid the ads that Plex offers, you can avoid free content altogether; in fact, you can disable free content from your homepage entirely and avoid the risk of accidentally viewing Plex's streaming library.

Whether from the Plex app or a browser, open Settings and select Online Media Sources . Under LIVE TV and MOVIES & SHOWS , click Edit and set it to Disabled . Now, the only content you'll see is what's in your Plex library. Maybe it's time to turn Plex into a streaming hub!

1. Ask Plex to delete your data

Even if you use all of these tips to enhance your privacy on Plex, it won't help the data that's already been collected. While there's nothing you can do about it, if you stop using Plex entirely, you can delete your data when you leave the service. Note that this will permanently delete your account and all of the content associated with it.

1. First, you need to visit Plex's Privacy Request Center website  and select your country.
2. Next, select Start Deletion Request , provide your first and last name, email, and write any comments.
3. Finish by clicking Review Request .

If you still have Plex and are curious, you can also submit a data access and transfer request to see what kind of data is being collected.

The fact that fewer services collect, send, and sell your data is a win. You may like what Plex offers in terms of features, but like most businesses, there's no reason to blatantly hoard personal data.

Kareem Winters

Update 17 June 2025