Emby for android 3.1.80 keeps asking for purchase premium.

[rajivkaushal 0]

I have purchased the android app and after i installed it on my android device, it keeps asking me to purchase premium and only lets me play 1 minutes of video.

I even tried to buy it again just to make it work and was willing to pay twice but then google playstore does not let me do that and give me messaqe (and quite rightly so) that i have already purchased the app.

What should i do...

[Carlo 4560]

Have you tried restarting the Emby app?

Was this mobile or ATV?

[Carlo 4560]

Just now, cayars said:

Hi, Have you tried restarting the Emby app?

Was this mobile or ATV?

 

[Guest]

Purchasing the APP, and I hope you are on one made by EMBY.. On Windows I never knew the app had to be purchased but his may be done to cover development costs.

Does not purchase a Premier Subscription for the Server...

This has to be done in order to allow more than 1 min of playback and use many of the apps features... Currently the WebUI feature is the only one which is free.

Edited April 18, 2021 by Guest

[rajivkaushal 0]

This is simple android device... called RK3318.... Simple android  is on it...

[Carlo 4560]

On 4/18/2021 at 2:31 PM, Hxemby001 said:

This has to be done in order to allow more than 1 min of playback and use many of the apps features... Currently the WebUI feature is the only one which is free.

There are a few free Emby Clients https://emby.media/support/articles/Premiere-Feature-Matrix.html

Edited November 6, 2025 by GrimReaper
KB article link updated

[Guest]

Where is your server?

[Carlo 4560]

2 minutes ago, rajivkaushal said:

This is simple android device... called RK3318.... Simple android  is on it...

Not familiar with that box.

Does it run Android Mobile or Android TV?

[rajivkaushal 0]

Server is on my local land, literally 2 meters from the device... Its simple android on it...

I purchased the app...

[Carlo 4560]

@ebr Can you assist with any ideas?

[rajivkaushal 0]

Clearly app knows i have purchased it as it never asks me for activation.... It just directly asks me to buy emby premium when i try to play...

[ebr 16169]

5 hours ago, rajivkaushal said:

Its simple android on it

More that likely the mobile app.

@rajivkaushal what is the exact name of the app in the store that you installed?

[Luke 42077]

Either that or please tell us what version of the app you have installed. Thanks.

[rajivkaushal 0]

Emby for android 3.1.80... I am actually surprised that its an known issue... There are so many people reporting it and yet you guys keep asking exact same things from everyone... App clearly is activated. Else it would ask me to activate it.

Yet it refuses to play the videos... Purely internal app issue....

[Carlo 4560]

I've not seen others with this issue.

You could try the latest beta version to see if this improves things for you.

 

[Luke 42077]

Hi there, please provide a log from the android app:

Thanks.

[rajivkaushal 0]

Thanks luke... I believe this is all i could do for  now... This is little too much to ask from a customer... Provide this, provide that... It seems to end no where... I bought Plex app and all i want to do is watch movies and it does the job perfectly... I believe its an app issue so i would install your next version after few months and see if it works... You should have better support if you intend to compete... This is not support but interrogation... Take care...

[Luke 42077]

On 4/18/2021 at 11:30 PM, rajivkaushal said:

Thanks luke... I believe this is all i could do for  now... This is little too much to ask from a customer... Provide this, provide that... It seems to end no where... I bought Plex app and all i want to do is watch movies and it does the job perfectly... I believe its an app issue so i would install your next version after few months and see if it works... You should have better support if you intend to compete... This is not support but interrogation... Take care...

Hi, I'm sorry to hear that. I think if you had done that we would have seen in the log that your android device was unable to contact our Emby Premiere server for validation. If you'd like to proceed further we're happy to help you look into it. Thanks.

[adminUser123 0]

I've tried emby yesterday - absolutelly love it.

But I am having a similar issue as descussed here.

I run emby server on one Android Box.

And trying to run a client on another android box on the same LAN.

It keeps asking for Premier subscription when i try to play my videos (local HDD connected to the first box).

I have tested emby client on other devices - works fine there, but not on my second box.

Tried installing/unstalling, clearing cache....

Still same issue on this specific device...

Web client works ok on that troubled box.

Could you help?

thank you

[Carlo 4560]

Hi @adminUser123, Have you either picked up an Emby Premiere license or did an app unlock for the Android client?

If not you should get that message as Android isn't one of the free clients that will playback media without one of the two things mentioned above.

You can refer to the chart on this page to see what clients are free and which ones are not as well as features of each.
https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001173099-emby-premiere-feature-matrix

Hope that helps.

[adminUser123 0]

1 hour ago, cayars said:

Hi @adminUser123, Have you either picked up an Emby Premiere license or did an app unlock for the Android client?

If not you should get that message as Android isn't one of the free clients that will playback media without one of the two things mentioned above.

You can refer to the chart on this page to see what clients are free and which ones are not as well as features of each.
https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001173099-emby-premiere-feature-matrix

Hope that helps.

@cayars hey, thanks for prompt response. I

am a bit confused with the fact that the feature matrix shows Full playback should not be available for any android device in a free client version(unlock and subscription wise).

Yet i can see this functionality available on three other devices, just not on the one i actually need it:))

[Carlo 4560]

If you've just recently installed the client you likely are running in a trial period.

[adminUser123 0]

9 minutes ago, cayars said:

If you've just recently installed the client you likely are running in a trial period.

@cayars

I can confirm i've seen the client for Android TV - indeed launched in a trail mode.

Not the Android client, at least it doesn't say so.

But even if it was - why would it show different behaviour on two fairly similar devices?:))

Edited August 2, 2021 by adminUser123

[Carlo 4560]

That I can't answer but I can tell you this.  If both devices are linked to the same Google App Store account you can unlock on one device, then restore the lock on the other device.  So basically unlock both devices for roughly $5ish.

Don't know if that tidbit is helpful or not but thought I'd mention it.

[adminUser123 0]

2 minutes ago, cayars said:

That I can't answer but I can tell you this.  If both devices are linked to the same Google App Store account you can unlock on one device, then restore the lock on the other device.  So basically unlock both devices for roughly $5ish.

Don't know if that tidbit is helpful or not but thought I'd mention it.

@cayars

I've just spent 15min looking for the place it would show an option to pay.

There is nothing i can pay for aside from Premier subscription if we talk about Android client....

I'll try Jellyfin.

Thanks