Plex Stopped Working on My Cloud Home: What You Need to Know

Plex is a powerful media server that lets users stream their personal media libraries across multiple devices. Many users rely on Plex running on network-attached storage (NAS) devices like the Western Digital My Cloud Home for convenient and centralized media access. However, in recent months, a growing number of users have reported that Plex has stopped working on their My Cloud Home devices—leaving many confused, frustrated, and searching for solutions.

What’s Going On?

The issue largely stems from a major change in platform support. As of 2023, Western Digital (WD) and Plex officially ended support for Plex Media Server on the My Cloud Home series. This was a strategic decision by WD, and it means users can no longer install or run Plex directly on these devices.

This has resulted in Plex either disappearing from the device dashboard, failing to launch, or simply not working at all—even if it had previously worked fine. While this may feel sudden, WD did notify users about the upcoming change, although many missed the announcement.

Why Was Support Dropped?

There are a few likely reasons behind this decision:

Hardware Limitations: My Cloud Home devices use lightweight processors that may struggle with transcoding or running modern versions of Plex reliably.

Software Architecture: The My Cloud Home OS is different from traditional NAS operating systems, limiting support for third-party apps and direct server installations.

Security and Maintenance: Supporting Plex means ongoing security patches, updates, and technical support—all of which cost resources and effort.

Rather than keep supporting a limited experience, WD opted to shift focus away from direct Plex integration.

What Are Your Options Now?

If Plex has stopped working on your My Cloud Home, here are several alternatives you can consider:

1. Use My Cloud Home as Network Storage Only

While you can no longer run Plex on the device, you can still store media files on it and use another device to run the Plex Media Server. For example:

Install Plex on a PC, Mac, or NVIDIA Shield.

Add the My Cloud Home’s media folder as a library location within Plex (via mounted drives or network paths).

Stream from that device while keeping your files on the NAS.

2. Upgrade to a Supported NAS

If you prefer a standalone Plex server without needing a separate computer, consider investing in a more robust NAS solution. Popular Plex-compatible NAS brands include:

Synology

QNAP

Scary

These systems come with dedicated apps for Plex and offer far greater control and performance.

3. Transcode Locally, Store Remotely

You can configure Plex to run on a local machine but still point it to the My Cloud Home device for storage. This approach offloads the server and transcoding tasks to your PC while keeping media centralized.

What You Can’t Do Anymore

It’s important to clarify that you can’t:

Reinstall Plex on the My Cloud Home using official means.

Re-enable native Plex support through firmware changes or downgrades.

Use Plex on WD Discovery to manage your My Cloud Home library.

Attempting unofficial workarounds, such as jailbreaking or modifying system files, may void your warranty and result in data loss.

Final Thoughts

While it’s disappointing that Plex no longer works on the My Cloud Home, it’s a reflection of broader changes in how NAS devices are evolving. If Plex is essential to your media setup, your best path forward is either to run Plex on another device or move to a NAS that fully supports it.

For many users, this is a moment to reassess their home media server setup and invest in a more future-proof, flexible system. WD’s My Cloud Home remains a good storage solution—but for Plex, the time has come to look elsewhere.