Local User Password reset via email

[nodiaque 62]

Then make it as a plugin.

Or bake the feature from the plugin in. Or say the feature need the plugin. 

There never be a way that will be ok for everyone. Fine, create a plugin that can use the email we set in the user and send email to it. 

 

Password reset for users (not admin) is not a critical feature. Keep the current password reset option and Add (not replace) the option for self user reset. Admin should never have a self reset anyway. 

I agree with the frustration. We see lots of lesser feature getting added without anyway to control them (like the way pin work, pin at screensaver or auto sign-out) that isn't useful for the majority of user. 

Everyone here is all ok with stuff being add as an optional feature that can be enabled or not. Saying we can't do x because of y like in that scenario is a big way to say "don't care won't do it". Good way to send your user base to competition like jellyfin that is open source. 

Edited September 26, 2025 by nodiaque

[Luke 42077]

We definitely want to improve this. Can you help think of a way that would work for all Emby Servers?

[nodiaque 62]

Why ALL emby server? We have many feature that don't work with all client anyway. 

But yes. A email system can work with ALL server. Why it couldn't? Implement SMTP services like the plugin does, either use the already present email field or add one on the user and.... That's it? 

 

All you need after is either a challenge like it randomly put a 4 or 6 challenge code that get sent per email where the user must enter it on a password change page. 

 

And no, we aren't looking for a way to get a password change on a tv. We are talking smartphone, iPad, pc. Something with a browser for email and navigation. 

And if, for any reason, that person cannot use email, we'll don't use that feature. Why must it be for all server? Why it's not just an added feature? Keep the current one and put a toggle on this one, making it optional for the user. 

It could even be simpler than that. Currently the password reset feature dump something locally. Phase 1 rollout could simply be to send that thing through email instead. 

[Luke 42077]

1 minute ago, nodiaque said:

Why ALL emby server? We have many feature that don't work with all client anyway. 

But yes. A email system can work with ALL server. Why it couldn't? Implement SMTP services like the plugin does, either use the already present email field or add one on the user and.... That's it? 

 

All you need after is either a challenge like it randomly put a 4 or 6 challenge code that get sent per email where the user must enter it on a password change page. 

 

And no, we aren't looking for a way to get a password change on a tv. We are talking smartphone, iPad, pc. Something with a browser for email and navigation. 

And if, for any reason, that person cannot use email, we'll don't use that feature. Why must it be for all server? Why it's not just an added feature? Keep the current one and put a toggle on this one, making it optional for the user. 

It could even be simpler than that. Currently the password reset feature dump something locally. Phase 1 rollout could simply be to send that thing through email instead. 

Even if it helped the majority but not all, that would be a win. We are aware that this is a pain point and we want to improve it.  We're just trying to think a little more broadly and come up with something that would help a larger percentage of servers.

[darkassassin07 652]

You've been stuck on that question for 2 years, refusing to budge, and haven't come up with or been given a better solution.

Stop stalling, implement the common solution users are familiar with and have asked for over and over again, and if something better eventually comes along adapt.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_is_the_enemy_of_good

[rechigo 364]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

Even if it helped the majority but not all, that would be a win. We are aware that this is a pain point and we want to improve it.  We're just trying to think a little more broadly and come up with something that would help a larger percentage of servers.

How about this Luke. We offer premiere users an option to use an Emby-hosted email service (i.e. password-reset@emby.media), but also give users the option to use their own smtp servers.

That way, people can either host their own smtp service, use an email provider like outlook or Gmail, or use Emby's own email service. This gives a lot of flexibility to accommodate different users needs.

[Luke 42077]

Yea email with seamless fallback from personal email server to our email server would be better.

 

 

[rechigo 364]

4 hours ago, Luke said:

Yea email with seamless fallback from personal email server to our email server would be better.

 

 

This is kind of a separate feature request, but also plays into this email feature so I can pitch it here -

 

There needs to be a way for users to add their own email through the profile section in the apps. This also solves the problem of users not being able to link their emby connect email. As of now, only server admins can assign email addresses to a user's account. Is there any reason that this action is restricted to admins?

[Luke 42077]

6 minutes ago, rechigo said:

This is kind of a separate feature request, but also plays into this email feature so I can pitch it here -

 

There needs to be a way for users to add their own email through the profile section in the apps. This also solves the problem of users not being able to link their emby connect email. As of now, only server admins can assign email addresses to a user's account. Is there any reason that this action is restricted to admins?

Because it originally started out as an invitation feature. But yes that makes sense.

[nodiaque 62]

6 hours ago, rechigo said:

How about this Luke. We offer premiere users an option to use an Emby-hosted email service (i.e. password-reset@emby.media), but also give users the option to use their own smtp servers.

That way, people can either host their own smtp service, use an email provider like outlook or Gmail, or use Emby's own email service. This gives a lot of flexibility to accommodate different users needs.

Don't need to host SMTP server. All public email service allow smtp. Hotmail, google, etc. I already use it with ombi, jellyseerr, emby email notification plugins and many other service I run on my unraid

[rechigo 364]

Just now, nodiaque said:

Don't need to host SMTP server. All public email service allow smtp. Hotmail, google, etc. I already use it with ombi, jellyseerr, emby email notification plugins and many other service I run on my unraid

Some users really want the privacy/customizability of controlling all the aspects of their media server. At the end of the day that's up to them. I tried it myself, but stopped because I ran into issues of email providers marking the mail as spam (common with self hosting smtp server). It's cheap and convenient enough to just pay for email from my domain registrar.

[nodiaque 62]

Hosting SMTP yourself is a sure way to be on a ban list. SMTP is very checked these days, you can't just decide to host one out of the blue like that. Sending email from your own account shouldn't be spammed more then using it to send email to your friend. 

But what I'm telling is you can use any SMTP. Do not make emby a SMTP email service, this will be blacklisted fast enough cause making a secure SMTP serveur require a lot of time to be on trust list. And it's very easy to be on a blacklist. I manage company email provider and it's not a small thing to do. 

My big question is why going big? Can we go in step? Let's start by just using a simple SMTP like the plugin does. Step 1, make it work with custom SMTP. User can choose if they want to use a public email relay (like I do with all my service and no one get it spammed since they know me). Once this work, then you can slowly start pushing more service / option for those that want to do it differently while keeping this option. 

Small easy change one at a time. Push the email with the content of the file (not with the file) at first. If user doesn't have an email? Fail or print a message to context the admin, simple if in the processing. 

But again, public registrar aren't a spam problem, their are known entity and way less likely to be treated as spam. Private unknown can be totally blocked by recipient service and user will never see them. Could simply add a message "an email was sent, please check junk folder" like 99% of service out there that send email telling them to whiteliste x email. 

 

I do understand the privacy concern (although outgoing reset aren't big privacy but won't argue on that). Address one thing at a time. Giving the user the choice to use whatever SMTP service they want is the easiest and most versatile option. No one is locked. 

And if emby start hosting SMTP, what tell me that my data is properly kept? What tell me that my privacy is good? You guys switched to a paid closed model so you are now like Microsoft and other company, not transparent anymore. So there's no guarantee that your SMTP service properly save my privacy. 

Edited September 27, 2025 by nodiaque

[ebr 16169]

1 hour ago, nodiaque said:

And if emby start hosting SMTP, what tell me that my data is properly kept? What tell me that my privacy is good? You guys switched to a paid closed model so you are now like Microsoft and other company, not transparent anymore. So there's no guarantee that your SMTP service properly save my privacy. 

Yeah, also a good way for our domain/IP to end up on a ban list. 

I don't think we should get into the business of email routing.

[nodiaque 62]

I agree, I don't think you should invest time and money in something big and risky like that that also stray from the "mission" of emby.

Just enable use of SMTP like in the plugin and tied it to the email lost password feature. I think to make it easy, it could be a plugin first that add lost password email and require the SMTP plugin, and then later on can be backed as an optional feature. It make development in step easier, the feature doesn't need to do everything day one. 

[nodiaque 62]

Just to add. I understand it used to be an invitation system, just like now it can be tied to an emby account. 

 

I would say, go check ombi. Ombi use emby user/pass for authentication but it has its own email field and use its own SMTP configuration. All my users receive email based on their preference from ombi. The only problem right now is hotmail disable basic authentication so you can't use it anymore unless modern auth is implemented. But you can still use any other SMTP provider. I created one specially for my server or you can use alias too. 

Small step, don't try to have the holy Grail at the first thing. It's great to think of the big picture, but also think about quick win. While external SMTP service might not be the holy Grail, it's better then what's present. Start with that, and then improve /build on it based on user feedback. Once you have a better system then a file dump on the server (and you could still do it for admin account as a safety), it's easier to start implementing other ways or feature for users that doesn't want the email. 

 

In business and programmation, we call that agile development instead of waterfall. Don't try to make one big change that have everything in it, take forever to be release and won't be perfect anyway. Small incremental change that are easier, faster (we talk weeks span not months/years) and allow faster feedback from user for continual development 

Edited October 5, 2025 by nodiaque

[fricelander 10]

Most people able to setup Emby and open the router ports to give access to people outside their home would be able to get a smtp server either by a domain they own or via an free email service, I don't get why smtp reset password isn't yet available that way.

Implementing it this way would not prevent future improvement with another way to do it giving Emby administrator even more choice in the future 

[fricelander 10]

@Lukeactuellement si l'on souhaite la possibilité d'être autonome aux utilisateurs sur la réinitialisation du mot de passe l'option disponible est un serveur LDAP avec une interface type PWM pour le self service du mot de passe, je pense qu'un reset via mail est tellement plus simple à mettre en place

[nodiaque 62]

Does Luke speak French? But LDAP is currently supported? Wild, it's such a niche feature, something way less user would use vs a SMTP email. How many have an active directory at home.... I used to do that, 20 years ago... 

[fricelander 10]

@Lukemy bad, French people think everyone speaks French ahah

i was saying right now if we want our users to be able to reset their own password via self service the option is to have a ldap server with PWM like web interface, an email reset via smtp would be way easier to setup and anyway even PWM would requires to setup an smtp

[KolbyG 3]

It seems so silly that this doesn't exist. All this talk about users that might not have an email server, yet there are tons of services that allow SMTP. Gmail and such if you have a very small volume, or a service like Mailgun or SMTP2GO if you want to do it properly. Emby themselves running a server for this seems like a bad idea, for reasons mentioned above, but why not give us the option to use a custom one?

The current password reset system may as well not exist from an end-user perspective. Having to contact the server admin to manually reset it is just about the most user unfriendly process it could possibly be. Why not add SMTP reset? Hell you can make even more users happy by adding support for Twilio or other similar services, cover both SMS and email, but SMTP already exists in Emby and I'd imagine it wouldn't be too hard to implement.

Let's not make this over complicated and try to make it perfect, if some server owners don't want to set it up they don't have to. Someone running an Emby server with one family member probably doesn't see a big deal with a manual reset, and anyone with a large user base is generally not going to have a problem taking 10 minutes to setup SMTP with a proper provider.

This feature being missing is one of the reasons I'm looking at using LDAP to manage users instead. If this feature existed, I might not have to.

 

[fricelander 10]

5 minutes ago, KolbyG said:

This feature being missing is one of the reasons I'm looking at using LDAP to manage users instead. If this feature existed, I might not have to.

 

I'm actually thinking about setting up a LDAP just to give my users the ability to reset their passwords themselves, seems a bit overkilled...

[nodiaque 62]

Wait is LDAP already supported in Emby?

[KolbyG 3]

1 minute ago, fricelander said:

I'm actually thinking about setting up a LDAP just to give my users the ability to reset their passwords themselves, seems a bit overkilled...

There are a few options out there. I played with this one yesterday:

https://www.manageengine.com/products/self-service-password/

Free for 50 users. Pretty easy to setup if you already have the infra to support it. Seems to work well enough. Setup is fully automated for users, (it pulls the maill attribute from AD and uses that to send a verification code). Then I modified the Emby login page to add a link to this and removed the regular "forgot password" link.

[KolbyG 3]

3 minutes ago, nodiaque said:

Wait is LDAP already supported in Emby?

Yes, but you need premiere, and it looks like it needs a little TLC (I'm guessing its a somewhat niche plugin).

It works well enough for login via AD using LDAPS, but creating users is... clunky. The native Emby user manager is better for copying settings/templating. I might look at scripting something for permissions, because this lack of permission copy makes LDAP rather impossible to use for my use case, hence why I'm also hoping for this SMTP password reset

 

[nodiaque 62]

Why not just put openLDAP?

I'm surprise LDAP is supporte by Emby. According to the dev reply, reason for not putting smtp email password is because not everyone can use it. How many user have LDAP at home? How many emby user use LDAP? Talk about a feature used by the least...

Edited November 10, 2025 by nodiaque