Share Libraries with Friends and Family

TL;DR

Hub sharing lets you grant access to your media library to friends and family through the hub. Open the Shares page (/app/shares) → choose what to share → invite by email or link. Recipients see your server under "Shared with me" on the same Shares page in their hub account without needing to install anything or be on the same network. Permissions are configurable from view-only to full playback with optional download access.

The sharing model is simple:

You (library owner) grant access from the Shares page (/app/shares)
Your friend receives an invite by email or a shareable link
Your friend logs into the hub and sees your server under "Shared with me" on the Shares page
You retain full control — revoke or change permissions at any time

Scope	What the recipient sees
Entire library	All items in the selected library
Specific folders	Only the folders you chose (e.g., `Movies/Classics`)
Specific media items	Only the individual items you selected

Three permission levels

Permission	Browse	Play	Cast / DLNA	Download
View only	✅	❌	❌	❌
View + Playback	✅	✅	❌	❌
View + Playback + Download	✅	✅	✅	✅

Note: DLNA casting requires the View + Playback + Download permission — the download component enables the stream to be redirected to a DLNA renderer.

2. Granting Access via the Hub Web App

Log into the hub at https://hub.phlix.app (or your self-hosted hub URL)
Open the Shares page (/app/shares) from the top navigation
Click Share Library
Choose what to share (entire library, specific folders, or specific items)
Select the permission level: View only / View + Playback / View + Playback + Download
Choose invite method:
- Email — enter the recipient's address; optionally set an expiry date
- Shareable link — generates a direct link anyone can use
Click Send Invite

You can restrict shared content to G-rated media for certain recipients. This uses the same rating filter system as user profiles. When granting access, enable "Restrict to G-rated content" — the recipient will only see media approved for general audiences in that shared library, regardless of the actual library contents.

3. Granting Access

Library sharing is managed entirely from the Shares page (/app/shares) — there is no server-side CLI for sharing. Grant, list, change, and revoke access from the Shares page described in §2 above:

Grant — click Share Library, choose the library/folder/item, pick a permission level (View only / View + Playback / View + Playback + Download, the last of which enables DLNA casting), and send the invite.
List — the Shares page lists every active share and its permission level.
Change / Revoke — adjust the permission level or revoke access inline; revocation takes effect immediately.

Sharing state lives on the hub, not on the media server, so these actions are only available through the hub web app.

Via email invite

Open the invite email (check spam if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes)
Click Accept Invite — if you don't have a hub account yet, create one first
Log into the hub — the shared server appears under "Shared with me" in your dashboard
Select the shared server to browse and play the library

Via shareable link

Click the link — if you're not logged in, sign in or create a hub account
The shared library is immediately accessible under "Shared with me"

5. Managing Shared Access

As a library owner, you can manage all active shares from the Shares page (/app/shares):

View all active shares and their permission levels
Change a permission level for an existing share
Revoke access at any time (immediate effect)
Set an expiry on email invites — after the expiry date the link becomes invalid

As a recipient:

Shared libraries appear under "Shared with me" on the Shares page
You cannot re-share content you have been given access to
Your access can be revoked by the library owner at any time

6. What Can Go Wrong

1. Friend doesn't receive the invite email

Symptom: The sender sees "Invite sent" but the recipient cannot find the email.

Diagnosis:

bash

# Check the hub audit log for invite events:
grep "share_invite_sent" .logs/hub-audit.log | tail -20

# Verify the email address — the most common cause is a typo

Fix: Ask the recipient to check their spam/junk folder. If still not found, re-send the invite with a verified email address. For enterprise users, ask their mail admin to allow-list noreply@phlix.app.

2. Friend creates an account with a different email than invited

Symptom: The invite link is clicked but the library doesn't appear under "Shared with me" after login.

Diagnosis:

bash

# Check the hub audit log for invite acceptance:
grep "share_invite_accepted" .logs/hub-audit.log | tail -10
# The log shows the invited email vs. the accepting account email

Fix: The invite is tied to the exact email address it was sent to. The friend must use the same email address that received the invite, or the library owner must grant access afresh to the friend's actual email address via the dashboard or CLI.

3. Shared library appears empty or doesn't appear

Symptom: Friend accepts the invite and logs in, but the shared server shows no libraries or an empty library.

Diagnosis:

bash

# On the server, check library status via the API:
curl -s http://localhost:32400/api/v1/libraries -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

# Check if a scan is currently running:
ps aux | grep -i "media_scanner\|phlix" | grep -v grep

# Manually trigger a rescan of a library (use the library id from the call above):
curl -X POST http://localhost:32400/api/v1/libraries/{id}/rescan \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

Fix: Library sharing requires the library scan to be complete. If a scan is still in progress, wait for it to finish. If no scan is running, trigger one manually. The friend should refresh the hub page after the scan completes and verify the library contents.

4. View-only user cannot cast to DLNA

Symptom: Friend logs in, browses the shared library, but pressing Cast or Play To on a DLNA device does nothing or shows an error.

Diagnosis: Check the current permission level on the share from the hub's Shares page (/app/shares) — it lists each share and its permission level.

Fix: DLNA casting requires View + Playback + Download permission. Ask the library owner to upgrade your permission level from the hub's Shares page (/app/shares) — change the share's permission to "View + Playback + Download".

7. Next Steps

Claim your server to the hub — connect your server to the hub before you can share libraries
Hub: what is the hub? — overview of all hub features and account management
Self-host the hub — run your own hub instance for full control
Troubleshooting — if sharing issues persist after trying the fixes above

Share Libraries with Friends and Family ​

TL;DR ​

1. How Hub Sharing Works ​

Three sharing scopes ​

Three permission levels ​

2. Granting Access via the Hub Web App ​

Per-profile sharing (content filtering) ​

3. Granting Access ​

4. Accepting a Share Invite ​

Via email invite ​

Via shareable link ​

5. Managing Shared Access ​

6. What Can Go Wrong ​

1. Friend doesn't receive the invite email ​

2. Friend creates an account with a different email than invited ​

3. Shared library appears empty or doesn't appear ​

4. View-only user cannot cast to DLNA ​

7. Next Steps ​

Share Libraries with Friends and Family

TL;DR

1. How Hub Sharing Works

Three sharing scopes

Three permission levels

2. Granting Access via the Hub Web App

Per-profile sharing (content filtering)

3. Granting Access

4. Accepting a Share Invite

Via email invite

Via shareable link

5. Managing Shared Access

6. What Can Go Wrong

1. Friend doesn't receive the invite email

2. Friend creates an account with a different email than invited

3. Shared library appears empty or doesn't appear

4. View-only user cannot cast to DLNA

7. Next Steps