Video streaming has been a great distraction during pandemic-related lockdowns. And while states and cities are now easing restrictions, allowing people to resume backyard movie nights and in-person theater outings, maybe you’re not ready to be around a lot of people yet, or your loved ones are in far-flung places around the globe. That’s where virtual watch parties come in.
You could get everyone on Zoom and press play at the same time, but there are easier ways to watch together. Multiple browser extensions allow you to stream Netflix and HBO Max as a group. Services like Amazon Video, Disney+, Hulu, and others even have their own built-in watch-party features. Plus, you can always watch together over Facebook (and coming soon, FaceTime via iOS 15).
While each service and extension is different, every viewer will need access to their own subscription in order to join. Here’s how to get everything set up for your remote viewing party.
Teleparty (Netflix Party)
Supports: Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, NetflixLimit: 50 people
Remember Netflix Party? It’s called Teleparty now because it supports Netflix as well as Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max (and to avoid a lawsuit). Before you can create or join a watch party, you must first install the official browser extension (Chrome and Edge) and have access to a streaming subscription. The service can support up to 50 viewers at once.
Once the extension is installed, pin it to your toolbar for easy access and control. Navigate to a streaming service on your browser and pick out the show or movie you wish to watch. Start playing the video, then click the red TP icon on your toolbar to open a small window. Click Start Party to generate a shareable code you can send to your guests. They will be able to join the party you have set up and talk via the extension’s text chat feature.
By default, Teleparty allows anyone to control playback on the video. Since the video is synced, if someone pauses their feed, it pauses for everyone. This is probably the most convenient option, but you can change it if you want to keep things more organized. Before creating the chatroom, check the box for Only I have control to ensure that you are the only person who can play, pause, fast forward, and rewind.
Once the shareable link has been sent out, guests only have to click the URL. The link will open to the video you have chosen. They only need to click the red TP icon in their browser and the private chatroom will open. You should now be able to chat with your friends and the video will be synced between all your devices.
Overall, Teleparty is a fairly barebones service, so there isn’t a whole lot you can do inside the chat. When you join the chatroom, you will be assigned a random user icon. Click your icon in the top-right corner to add a nickname and customize the icon. The changes you make will be saved for your next viewing session on that device.
According to the Teleparty Patreon page, the developers are also working on support for emoji, voice chat, and other streaming services.
Scener
Supports: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Amazon Video, Disney+, Funimation, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Showtime, Shudder, Vimeo, YouTubeLimit: 10 people (Room) / Unlimited (Theater)
Head to the Scener website, add the Scener Chrome extension to your browser, and create a free Scener account. Click Host a watch party to create your own viewing session and you will be given a few options. If you’re just looking to invite up to 10 friends to a watch party, choose Room. You can then either immediately start the party by clicking Host now or make a link for later by clicking Create link for later.
For bigger public or private events, choose Theater, which lets you host an unlimited number of viewers. These events can be set to private and be created immediately or scheduled for later.
Click Host now > Launch watch party or Create link for later > Join room to get into the watch party. The extension will create two pop-up windows that will show the content, chat window, and various options. Invite other people to the watch party by clicking the small URL link above the chat window.
You can either send someone the link or give them a theater code to join. Once a Room has been created, you can return to it as many times as you want for subsequent watch parties.
If you’re joining someone else’s party, the code will take you to the Scener website where you must sign up for an account and add the extension before you can join. Use a theater code by clicking Have a code? on the website and pasting in the code to jump to the viewing session.
Scener allows you to choose a service to use and then opens it inside the Scener pop-up screen. You must grant Scener permission to access your various streaming accounts.
You can watch video from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Amazon Video, Disney+, Funimation, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Showtime, Shudder, Vimeo, and YouTube. Select a service from the main screen or from the drop-down menu next to Choose something to watch on the chat screen.
Video will be synced for all viewers, and the host will be the only person able to control playback. To pass the controls to someone else, click the remote control icon next to your name and select someone the list of users. If you created a Theater, you can also designate a co-host.
Viewers will be able to chat with one another and send emoji within the Scener chat box. Besides text communications, you can also add video and audio to fully chat with your fellow viewers. Click the camera and microphone buttons above the chat box to grant Scener permission to use these features. Click them again to disable them.
TwoSeven
Supports: Amazon, HBO Max, Netflix, Vimeo, YouTube, personal videosPremium: Disney+, HuluLimit: No hard limit
To use TwoSeven, you must first head to the website and create a free account. The TwoSeven browser extension for Chrome and Firefox is also necessary for certain services to work. Then add friends to TwoSeven by inviting them from the website or wait to create a room first.
Click Start Watching and customize your room. By default, all participants can user their webcam and mic, but you may want to turn this off for larger groups. You can also decide if only admins should control playback. If you previously added friends via email, you can add them here too. Otherwise, click Just Me and add guests later.
Invite viewers by clicking the Add friend to room button at the top of the screen. Copy the link and send it to anyone you want in on the session. Click the camera and microphone buttons to enable voice and video chat. Text chat takes place within the drop-down Messages box.
TwoSeven allows you to watch Amazon, HBO Max, Netflix, Vimeo, YouTube, and personal videos for free. Hulu and Disney+ support are available for Patreon supporters. Choose a service everyone can access and grant TwoSeven permission to view your account. Playback will be synced across everyone’s computer, with playback controlled by those with permission.
Click the gear icon in the top menu to turn Night Mode on/off, turn on Theater Mode, mute the chat, and enable/disable Reactions. Click Room Participants > Manage Room to determine who should have the ability to control playback and use chat features.
Twitch Watch Party
Supports: Amazon Prime VideoLimit: Unlimited people, 48-hour limit
Want to watch something with your gaming community? You can stream shows and movies on Twitch, but it’s a bit complicated to set up and there’s no way to set up a private stream for just your friends. However, once you have your stream set up and ready to go, it’s easy to start watching shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Click your Twitch profile, then click Creator Dashboard > Stream Manager. If you already have Start Watch Party in your Quick Actions menu, click that. Otherwise, click the + icon and click Add on the Start Watch Party action.
Then sign intro Amazon Video and grant access to Twitch. Search for the video you want to stream, select the title, then click Select Title > Start Watch Party to go live.
A much easier alternative for gamers is Discord, which allows you to create private channels and simply share your screen with your friends through a Voice Channel of your making, which means you can watch more than just Amazon Video. (In some cases, Firefox plays nicer with Discord streaming than other browsers.)
Amazon Video Watch Party
Limit: 100 people
Amazon goes big with its Watch Party feature by allowing up to 100 people to view a show or movie together at one time. Every viewer will need to have a Prime subscription or rent/buy the movie or episode to watch. Get started by selecting a show or movie, then clicking the Watch Party icon that looks like a party blower.
From here, enter a name for yourself in the chat and click Create Watch Party. The video will open like normal, but there is also an extra Watch Party menu with a Chat tab for messaging viewers and a Settings tab. From the Settings tab, copy the shareable link, or share it directly through email, Facebook, or Twitter.
To join a Watch Party, all you need is the shareable link. Only the host can control video playback, but anyone can create a shareable link for the viewing session. The host also has the power to end the viewing by clicking End Watch Party under Settings.
Disney+ GroupWatch
Limit: 7 people (4 profiles per account)
The GroupWatch feature on Disney+ works on the web and mobile versions of the service, but does not offer a chat feature. Instead, viewers can send emoji (called Reactions) during the screening. You can invite up to six other people to the session, up to four of whom can come from the same subscription.
All you have to do is select a show or movie to watch, then select the Group Watch icon to view the GroupWatch page for that media. Press the + icon to get a shareable link to invite other people. When others click on the link and join the GroupWatch, their profile icons will become visible on this page.
Choose Start Stream to begin watching. Anyone in attendance will be displayed under the profile icon. Select the emoji face to send a Reaction to the group. Audio and subtitle options can be changed for each individual user. Everyone will able to pause, fast forward, or rewind.
To officially leave the group, you must return to the GroupWatch page and select Leave GroupWatch. If you change devices or exit out of the group, you can always rejoin by returning to the show or movie page and selecting the GroupWatch icon again.
Hulu Watch Party
Limit: 8 people
Hulu has a feature called Watch Party that lets up to eight users watch select shows or movies together on the web. You can start such a viewing session by opening a show or movie to the Details page and clicking the Watch Party icon. For TV shows, you can also navigate to an individual episode, click the three-dot menu, and select Start a Watch Party.
Click the Start the Party button to open the invite page. From here, copy the session’s shareable link to invite other viewers. It’s interesting to note that if someone’s Hulu account is ad-supported, the synced video will pause whenever an ad is displayed. When you’re ready to begin, click Start Party.
You can then chat and sense emoji while the show or movie plays. Unlike similar watch party services, Hulu’s does not actually sync your video. If someone pauses during the session, everyone else will keep watching. When the paused video is unpaused, Hulu will note that the viewer is out of sync and allow them to catch up to everyone else.
Just Use Screen Share
Supports: Any web-based serviceLimit: Various
Perhaps the easiest way to set up a watch party is to get everyone on a single video-chat service and have one person share their screen. This way, there’s no complicated setup, no worrying about compatibility, and no confusion about who has control over playback.
You can do this in Zoom, Google Meet, Discord, and many other free video chat services. In most cases, all you have to do is invite your friends to the group chat and click the Share Screen button to start watching.
