Start here
Watch what's here.
Ask for what isn't.
Two things to learn. Plex is where you watch — pick an app, sign in, press play. Overseerr is where you ask for a movie or show that isn't in the library yet. Everything after that happens on its own.
Step one
Get signed in
Everything runs off one login: your free Plex account. The same account gets you into Overseerr, so you only ever set this up once.
- Check your email for a Plex library invite. Open it and accept. If you don't have an account yet, that link will walk you through making one — it's free.
- Sign in at app.plex.tv to confirm it worked. The shared library shows up in the left sidebar under its server name, alongside Movies and TV Shows.
- Use that same Plex account everywhere — the app on your TV, your phone, and Overseerr. Don't make a second account; a new account won't have the library shared with it.
Step two
Pick a player app
Two good options. The official Plex apps run on nearly everything, and Plezy is a third-party app that talks to the same server with a cleaner, faster interface. You can install both and switch whenever — they share your watch history, since the server tracks it, not the app.
Plex
The default. Widest device support, and the only one that handles account and server settings.
- Search your TV or console app store for Plex, or use the browser at app.plex.tv
- Sign in, then open the shared library from the sidebar
- Ignore the Discover and Movies & TV tabs — those are Plex's own streaming catalog, not this library
Plezy
An open-source client built for exactly this: watching a personal library. No promoted rows, faster browsing, and it plays more file types without re-encoding.
- Sign in with the same Plex account — it finds the server itself
- HDR and Dolby Vision, offline downloads, and Watch Together playback sync that also works with people on the official app
- Free from GitHub; the App Store and Play Store versions are a one-time purchase
- Keep the official Plex app around for account and server settings — Plezy doesn't do those
On a TV or streaming stick, either app is the better experience. Casting from your phone works but ties up the phone, so install the app on the TV itself if you can.
Step three
Ask for something new
If it isn't in Plex, request it in Overseerr rather than messaging anyone. Requests are tracked, so nothing gets forgotten, and you can see how far along yours is.
- Go to request.basch.me and choose Sign In with Plex. Same account as before, no separate password to remember.
- Search from the bar at the top, or browse Trending and Popular. Anything already in the library is labelled Available — tap it and there'll be a Play on Plex link instead of a request button.
- Open the title and press Request. Check the poster and year first; remakes and same-name shows are easy to mix up.
- For a TV show, you pick seasons. Tick the ones you want, or select all of them for a show you're starting fresh. Seasons that haven't aired yet can't be requested — come back when they do.
- Confirm. You'll get a confirmation and the title flips to Pending or Processing. That's it — you're done, nothing else is needed from you.
Tip: on your phone, open Overseerr in the browser and use Add to Home Screen. It then behaves like an app, without installing anything.
After you request
What the labels mean
Your requests live under Requests in the Overseerr menu. The label tells you where it is:
Requests that sit in Processing for a long time are usually titles that aren't out on disc or digital yet. A very new film in cinemas won't arrive early, no matter how many times it's requested.
If something plays badly — wrong audio track, missing subtitles, stuttering, wrong episode — open the title in Overseerr and use Report an issue. That's more useful than a text message: it attaches the report to the exact file.
If something looks broken
Check the status page first
Before troubleshooting your own TV, look at the status page. It shows live health for Plex, Overseerr, and the services behind them — so you can tell a server problem from a WiFi problem in about five seconds.
plexstatus.basch.me/status/plexIf everything reads healthy there and it's still not working for you, try in this order: force-close the app and reopen it, switch off WiFi to test on cellular, then sign out and back in. Reboots fix a surprising amount.
Good to know
Common questions
Do I need to pay for anything?
No. A Plex account is free, and watching the shared library costs you nothing. Plezy is free from GitHub; if you'd rather install it from the App Store or Play Store, that version is a small one-time purchase. Plex Pass is not required.
Can I download something to watch on a flight?
Yes. Both apps support downloading a movie or episode to your device for offline playback — do it on WiFi before you leave, and remember to delete it afterwards to reclaim the space.
Can two of us watch different things at the same time?
Usually yes. What limits it isn't the number of people, it's how many streams need converting at once. If playback starts buffering for everyone, lowering your quality setting one notch often clears it up.
Why is a title in Overseerr but not in Plex?
Overseerr searches a global movie and TV database, so it can show you anything that exists — that's the point. Only titles marked Available are actually on the server. Everything else is something you can request.
I requested something and it never turned up.
Open Requests in Overseerr and check the label. Still Pending means it's waiting on approval; Processing means no good copy has been found yet, which happens with very new, very old, or obscure titles. If it's been weeks with no change, mention that specific request.
Should I create a separate account for my kids?
Ask the server owner — they can set up a managed profile with its own watch history and content restrictions. Don't share your own login, or your Continue Watching row will become chaos.