Plex Desktop Controller

Plex Desktop Controller adds local playback controls for the official Plex Desktop Flatpak to StreamController. Put the controls you use most on dedicated keys without entering a Plex server address, account password, or access token.

Features

• Open Plex Desktop once, or bring its existing window to the front
• Play/pause and stop playback
• Skip backward or forward
• Go to the previous or next playback item
• Toggle mute or fullscreen mode
• Show Plex not running on playback controls while the app is closed
• Assign each command to a short press, long hold, or another supported StreamController key event
• Local-only operation with no Plex credentials or plugin network requests

Available actions

Action	What it does
Open Plex	Starts Plex Desktop if needed, otherwise brings its existing window to the front.
Play / Pause	Toggles playback.
Stop	Stops the current playback.
Skip Back	Uses Plex Desktop's backward-seek shortcut.
Skip Forward	Uses Plex Desktop's forward-seek shortcut.
Previous	Opens the previous item in the playback queue.
Next	Opens the next item in the playback queue.
Mute	Toggles only Plex Desktop's audio stream, without muting the rest of the system.
Fullscreen	Toggles fullscreen mode.

Requirements

• Linux
• StreamController 1.5.0-beta.16 or newer
• Plex Desktop from Flathub (tv.plex.PlexDesktop)
• An X11 or XWayland desktop session
• PipeWire with WirePlumber (wpctl), used for Plex-only mute control

Plex Desktop's Flatpak runs through X11/XWayland. The plugin controls only the local Plex Desktop window; it does not control Plex on a television, streaming box, phone, or another computer.

Install from the StreamController Store

When the plugin is available in the store:

1. Open the Store in StreamController.
2. Search for Plex Desktop Controller.
3. Select Install.
4. Restart StreamController if prompted.

Manual installation

Download the ZIP

1. Open the Plex Desktop Controller GitHub repository.
2. Select Code, then Download ZIP.
3. Extract the downloaded ZIP.
4. Rename the extracted StreamController-PlexDesktopController-main folder to com_larkum_PlexDesktopController.
5. Copy that entire folder into StreamController's plugin directory.

For the Flatpak version of StreamController, the finished location must be:

~/.var/app/com.core447.StreamController/data/plugins/com_larkum_PlexDesktopController

Make sure manifest.json is directly inside com_larkum_PlexDesktopController; an extra nested folder will prevent StreamController from finding the plugin. Completely close and reopen StreamController after copying it.

Install with Git

Alternatively, close StreamController and run:

git clone https://github.com/larkum/StreamController-PlexDesktopController.git \
  ~/.var/app/com.core447.StreamController/data/plugins/com_larkum_PlexDesktopController

Reopen StreamController when the download finishes. To update this installation later, close StreamController and run git pull inside the plugin folder.

Set up a control

1. Add an action from Plex Desktop Controller to a StreamController key.
2. Open Plex Desktop and start playing something.
3. Press the assigned key.

Only Open Plex can start the app. The playback controls never launch Plex and display Plex not running while its window is closed.

To change the trigger, open the action's event configuration and assign it to a short press, long hold, or another supported key event. This makes it possible to place multiple compatible actions on one physical key.

The exact distance used by Skip Back and Skip Forward is determined by Plex Desktop's own left/right playback shortcuts.

How it works

StreamController is normally installed as a Flatpak, while Plex Desktop runs as a separate Flatpak. The plugin uses StreamController's permitted host bridge to locate the local Plex X11/XWayland window, asks the desktop to activate it, sends Plex's standard keyboard command, and then returns focus to the previous window.

No additional Python packages or command-line utilities are required.

Privacy

Plex Desktop Controller operates locally. It stores no Plex credentials, collects no playback data, and makes no network requests. Plex Desktop itself continues to communicate with Plex services normally.

Troubleshooting

• Plex Desktop is not installed: install the official tv.plex.PlexDesktop Flatpak from Flathub.
• The key shows an error: make sure Plex Desktop is open and its main window has finished loading, then try again.
• Nothing happens under KDE Wayland: accept any desktop prompt that asks whether StreamController may control input, then retry the key.
• The action cannot find Plex: confirm that the standard Plex Desktop app is running, not Plexamp or a browser tab.
• A manual installation does not appear: check that manifest.json is directly inside the com_larkum_PlexDesktopController folder, then completely restart StreamController.
• Skip distance differs from another Plex client: the desktop app decides the distance associated with its left and right arrow shortcuts.

If the problem continues, open an issue and include the StreamController log and your desktop environment.

Licence and trademark

Plex Desktop Controller is licensed under GPL-3.0. The icon, banner, and action artwork are original assets created for this project.

Plex is a trademark of Plex, Inc. This independent community plugin is not affiliated with or endorsed by Plex, Inc.