KidsWatch for Plex

Free, open source and self-hosted

Your kids' own Plex, with you in charge

Give each child their own Plex account. Choose what they watch, set screen time and bedtime, and pause it all from your phone.

I run a Plex server I'm a parent

KidsWatch for Plex is installed by whoever runs your family's Plex server. Parents sign in with the Plex account they already watch with. Run the server? See how to install it.

What it does

Set it up once, then adjust from your phone

Everything works on the Plex apps your kids already use. You make the rules in KidsWatch, and the server keeps them.

Choose exactly what they can watch

Use an allow list or block list for individual movies and shows, or switch to "Only titles I allow" for the strictest setup. Allows stop at PG-13 movies and TV-14 shows; R, NC-17, TV-MA and unrated titles stay hidden.

  • Little kids, Kids and Teens levels, based on official ratings
  • Always allow or always block a title for finer control than its age rating
  • Search by title, genre or rating
  • New titles on the server are marked New for you to review
  • Toy StoryRated GMovie · Allowed
  • Sesame StreetRated TV-YShow · Allowed
  • FrozenRated PGMovie · Allowed
  • SpongeBob SquarePantsRated TV-Y7Show · Allowed
  • Jurassic ParkRated PG-13Movie · Blocked
  • WednesdayRated TV-14Show · Blocked

In the app, you'll see the real cover art from your own Plex library.

Tap a title to allow or block it.

Titles are shown only as rating examples. KidsWatch for Plex is not affiliated with their owners.

Screen time that keeps itself

Set daily minutes and watch hours for school days and weekends. Time only counts while a video is playing. When it runs out, the video stops with a friendly message on the TV.

  • Quick starts for the school year, summer or weekends only
  • Friday as a weekend, Sunday as a school night, and school breaks
  • See exactly how the next 7 days play out
Playback Error

"alex" asked to stop your playback from this server: That's all the screen time for today. See you tomorrow.

Example of the message Plex shows when time runs out. Plex adds the server owner's name.

One tap when plans change

Pause for dinner, add 15 minutes to finish an episode, push bedtime back for movie night, or use weekend rules on a sick day. Tapped the wrong thing? Undo is right there.

  • Pause for 30 minutes, an hour, until tomorrow, or until you resume
  • Videos stop within a minute, with a short message for your child
  • Extra time and later bedtimes reset on their own the next day

See what they watched

A 7-day chart compares each day with the limit, and the watch history lists every show and the device it played on. Spot something you don't like? Block it right from the list.

And the little things

Made for real family life

  • Share the job

    Ask the server owner to add a co-parent or grandparent who can help manage a child.

  • Siblings in one step

    Start a new child with a brother's or sister's rules, or copy rules across any time.

  • Every screen

    Rules follow your child's Plex account on the TV, tablet, phone or browser.

  • Safe by default

    Downloads stay off, and the free online movies and Live TV from Plex are switched off on kids' accounts.

  • Who changed what

    Every change is listed with who made it and when, so co-parents stay in sync.

  • Ask the server owner

    Get a new movie or show added, ask for more access, or suggest a feature.

Getting started

Ready in three steps

  1. The server owner installs it

    It runs in Docker next to their Plex server. Your family's movies and shows stay where they are.

  2. Parents add each child

    Sign in with Plex, give each child a free Plex account, connect it with a one-time link, and pick their titles and screen time.

  3. The server owner approves

    Their titles appear in Plex, ready on any TV, tablet or phone they sign in to.

Where to next

Pick the page that fits you

  • For Plex server owners

    You run the Plex server your family and friends watch from. See what you need, how it works, and how private it is.

    Read the server owner guide

  • For parents

    You watch on someone else's Plex server. See what you get, what your kids will see, and how to ask your server owner to set it up.

    Read the parent guide

In the works

Coming soon to GitHub

KidsWatch for Plex is free and open source. The source code is private for a little longer while we get it ready.

GitHub (coming soon)

MIT license. Needs your own Plex Media Server, with Plex Pass on the server owner's account.