What it protects#
The Admin PIN adds a local interaction check before managed configuration changes on a Roku. Its purpose is to reduce accidental or casual changes when a server-owner session is accessible to other people.
Only managed controls require this check. Personal preferences, including personal controls exposed under Advanced, remain available. Advanced is a presentation category; it does not independently make a control administrative.
| Control | Authority |
|---|---|
| Publish shared Reel configuration | Plex server ownership, with the additional Admin PIN check when configured. |
| Edit personal Reel choices | The active profile and the relevant user permission. No Admin PIN for personal controls. |
| Enter a protected Plex Home profile | The Plex profile PIN. It is separate from the Reel Admin PIN. |
| Access media libraries | Plex sharing and content-access rules. The Admin PIN does not grant media access. |
Set or remove the PIN#
Open Admin PIN in the owner's Server settings. New PINs require six digits, entered twice to confirm. A mismatch does not set the PIN. Existing four-digit PINs from older builds remain accepted by the challenge.
When a PIN is set, the row provides a removal action. Follow the confirmation shown in the application. PIN changes use their own write operation; they are not a side effect of choosing a different theme or publishing an unrelated default.
The PIN is shared configuration associated with the server. A successful challenge unlocks the protected interaction for the current session; it does not change the signed-in Plex identity.
Security boundary#
Reel stores a server-bound hash rather than the raw PIN. A short numeric PIN is still only a basic safeguard. It is not a replacement for protecting your Plex owner account, server administration, or physical access to the TV.
If Reel cannot read the current PIN state, it cannot validate a challenge reliably. Reload the configuration and resolve the read failure. Do not interpret an unavailable PIN state as an absent PIN.
For help with an inaccessible administrative configuration, use support and include the displayed error and Reel version. Do not send the PIN or a Plex authentication token.