Plex is the best way to find movies on Apple TV

• The Plex app solves the problem of finding where a show or movie is streaming on various services.

• Finding third-party apps on Apple TV is unreliable due to a lack of data access from streaming services.

• All Apple TV searches now start with Plex, thanks to its powerful content search engine.

If you’re like me, you probably have several streaming services running side by side. It’s annoying enough, but trying to figure out what show or movie is streaming where turns out to be a real waste of time for me until I discovered that Plex has solved this problem with its streaming app.

I’ve always asked for a unified streaming search

All I need is one app or search tool that will tell me where something is streaming. Of course there are sites like Just watch who do just that. However, for those living outside the US, these types of sites tend to be less useful because they always incorrectly determine availability in my region. So, most of the time when I’m told something should be on Netflix, it’s not my region’s Netflix.

Even if you live somewhere where the information matches that on such sites, it’s still annoying to have to use a completely different device just to figure out what content is in the streaming window that’s right in front of you! This resulted in me renting content on the Apple TV when it was streaming on an app that was already there, or just giving up and watching something else, perhaps from my Blu-ray and DVD Collection. So how can I at least look at my shelf and know what I have!

Integration of third-party apps on Apple TV is unsatisfactory

I use an Apple TV 4K as my main streaming device, and tvOS has a system-level search feature. The problem is that not all streaming services disclose their data in a way that tvOS search can determine whether something is in their catalog or not. In my experience, this means that the built-in search function is virtually useless for finding anything that isn’t on one of Apple’s services (or YouTube), since they obviously integrate best with their own device.

I can’t blame Apple too much for this, if at all. Ultimately, streaming app makers have the ability to fully integrate their apps with system search functionality, but that still leaves me with the consequences of fragmented streaming services.

The Plex app knows where things are streaming

Except, as I recently discovered, the Plex app fills this role almost perfectly. Plex is a streaming app that allows you to stream your own digital content locally. So you can, for example, digitize your physical media collection or download public domain movies and TV shows, and Plex will extract all the metadata and organize it all for you. It’s easy set up Plex and I have dedicated Plex server in my house.

Apple TV 4K (3rd generation)

With this streaming device, you get all the Apple features. The A15 chip provides great hardware for all your apps, Apple exclusive or otherwise.

Plex now also has its own streaming channels, much like traditional cable TV, as well as a library of ad-supported streaming content that you can watch for free. I was looking for something on Plex, hoping it would be in its free catalog, when I noticed that Plex not only tells me if a show is on my server or in its library, but it also tells me if it’s on Netflix. Amazon Prime, Apple TV and so on.

I can also just press a button and it will take me straight to the corresponding show. I can also tell right away if I need to rent a show and see if it’s cheaper on Apple TV or Google Play.

All my Apple TV searches now start with Plex

Having learned that Plex is such a powerful content search engine, any search for a movie or show now starts with Plex, and within seconds I know exactly where to go to see the content I want. Even if you have to order a DVD or Blu-ray because they don’t stream them anywhere. This doesn’t just work in the app: if you use Plex on your desktop in a browser, it offers the same functionality. Search. Click. Start watching.

I’ll never go back.