5 Simple Steps to Reclaim a Plex Server

An easy-to-follow walkthrough for reclaiming your Plex Media Server

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: April 15, 2025 Fact Checked

Is Plex showing you that your server is unclaimed or is it not showing you your local media files like your movies and TV shows? Claiming your Plex server isn't a difficult process, but it can be pretty complicated depending on how your media is stored (locally, on the same network, or remotely). This wikiHow article teaches you how to reclaim a Plex Media Server on a web browser from your PC or Mac.

Things You Should Know

If the server is on your computer, go to http://localhost:32400/web in a browser. If it's on your local network, go to http://(ip address of your plex server):32400/web.
If the server is remote, set up an SSH tunnel to forward port 8888 of the server to your computer, which will allow you to access the web panel in your browser.
Once connected, launching the Plex app on your PC or Mac will reclaim your server.

Steps

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1
Access the Plex web app in your web browser. The steps for this are a little different depending on how your media server is stored.^{[1]
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- If the Plex server is on the computer you're using right now, go to http://localhost:32400/web or http://127.0.0.1:32400/web.
- If the server is on the same local network, go to http://[Plex Server IP Address]:32400/web. For example, http://192.168.1.25:32400/web.
- If the server is on a different network, you'll need to use SSH to create a tunnel. If you're using Windows, use PuTTY. On a Mac, you can use a Terminal.
  - Windows: Open PuTTY and type the IP address of your Plex server into the "Host Name" field. Then, go to Connection > SSH > Tunnels. For Source Port, type 8888. For Destination, type localhost:32400. Click Add, and then click Open to start the tunnel.
  - Mac: In a Terminal, use this command to start the SSH tunnel to your Plex server, replacing "ip.address" with the IP address of the server: ssh ip.address -L 8888:localhost:32400
  - Both Windows and Mac: Once the tunnel is created, go to http://localhost:8888/web in your web browser.^{[2]
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2
Open the Plex app on your computer.
- On Windows, right-click the > icon in your system tray, then click Open Plex.
- To open Plex on a Mac, click the > arrow in your Mac's menu bar, then click Open Plex.
- If you have at least v1.29.2, opening Plex now will automatically reclaim your server. In this case, you won't have to complete the remaining steps.
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It looks like a wrench in the top right corner of the application.^{[3]
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You'll see this in the menu on the left side of the window.^{[4]
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Enter your login information when prompted and you'll reclaim your server.^{[5]
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