Streaming accounts for around 38% of all TV consumption, according to Nielsen, making it the most popular method to view TV programming. Streaming watch parties make it possible to enjoy a program with a buddy who lives miles away, or your spouse when they’re on a business trip. Some services, including Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video, historically permitted consumers to create watch parties, but those ways are no longer accessible. But there are two ways you can hold watch parties on those streaming sites and many more, and we’ll teach you how to do it.

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It’s crucial to remember that both of these ways need you and the participants in your viewing party to have access to the same streaming providers. In other words, everyone requires access to a Netflix account or things won’t operate — and that applies for other streaming providers. It’s feasible to utilize shared accounts if you or someone else pays for them. Both of these strategies also need you and your friends and family to employ the same way to work.

Here’s what you should know about these approaches and how you may hold watch parties with people from miles away.

Teleparty

Teleparty, previously known as Netflix Party, is a browser plugin that works on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Opera browsers. It also has an app for Android smartphones now in testing, and the business claims it’s working on iOS and Apple capabilities.

Teleparty helps you arrange a watch party for up to 1,000 other people and its free edition enables you to conduct watch parties for streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and more. It also includes a premium version (which costs $6.59 a month or $47.88 yearly) that works with additional services including Apple TV Plus, Crunchyroll and ESPN Plus.

A Disney Plus Teleparty window. Toy Story 4 is now showing.
Disney Plus, Netflix, and several more streaming services are compatible with Teleparty.
Teleparty
Here’s how to host a watch party after downloading the Teleparty applications or extensions from the aforementioned sites.

1. Launch a video on one of the streaming services that are compatible.
2. Select the toolbar’s TP icon.
3. Select “Start the Party.”
4. The video and a shareable link are shown on a new page. In whichever way you want, copy the URL and forward it to your loved ones.

In order to join the watch party, your invitees must click the TP symbol in the toolbar after opening the link. This will connect them to the watch party. Additionally, Teleparty has a group chat option that allows users to converse while the program or movie is playing or to express their opinions to certain sequences.

SharePlay devices.png shareplay

You and your friends may watch TV series and movies together wherever you are by sharing your screen with other Apple devices via SharePlay.
Apple
With iOS 15 and MacOS Monterey, Apple debuted SharePlay in 2021. This feature allows Apple customers to host watch parties by sharing their screen with others over FaceTime. If none of your friends have a bigger screen and you don’t want to be crammed around one phone, you could even utilize this approach to broadcast anything across two or more iPhones.

All of Apple’s own applications, including Apple TV and even Apple Music for listening parties, are compatible with SharePlay. Other streaming services including Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Max are also compatible with SharePlay. Netflix doesn’t operate on SharePlay at all, and other sites, like YouTube, need you to subscribe to their premium membership in order to use SharePlay.

All members of the watch party must have iOS 15.1 or later installed on their devices in order for SharePlay to function.

Here’s how to view streaming services together using SharePlay.

1. Launch a FaceTime session.
2. Tap the Share symbol, which resembles a person standing in front of a screen, in the upper-right corner of your screen.
3. Select Share My Screen from the new menu.
4. Return to your home screen without stopping the FaceTime connection.
5. Launch a streaming service that is compatible and begin viewing.

You can still have normal FaceTime conversations with your loved ones while the program is playing. You may all shout at the teens for separating in the pitch-black forest if you’re viewing a scary movie.

Here are CNET’s recommendations for the top streaming services and gadgets that provide VPN-enabled streaming for further information.