The coronavirus outbreak is forcing many people to work from home. Many cinemas are still closed. The good news? Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Disney Plus will help you pass the time. The bad news? You could still be alone. Is there a way to watch Netflix with friends for a Netflix party or with one of the other streaming services?
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In fact, there are ways to do just that. Some Chrome and other browser extensions allow you to watch movies and TV shows with friends on Netflix. While not officially supported by the service, they make it easier to share the streaming experience, especially now. Let’s look at a few ways you can watch Netflix with friends. We’ll also talk about some officially approved ways to watch HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime video content with friends too.
Netflix party
Netflix Party is perhaps the most popular app or extension for watching Netflix with friends. It’s been around for a couple of years, but obviously a lot more people are looking into it. However, it only works on PC in Chrome browsers. How to set it up:
- Download and install the Netflix Party extension from the Chrome Store.
- Launch Netflix on your PC and go to the movie or TV show you want to watch with your friends.
- You should see an NP icon next to the Chrome address bar. Click it.
- Finally, click Start Party and you can send the url to your friends.
This browser extension also has a chat bar that you can use to keep in touch with your friends while you are watching the movie or TV show. Plus, users can upload pictures, emojis, and more.
While the extension is free to download, the developers behind it have a Patreon page that you can support so they can keep adding features.
Scener
Scener is a newer entry in this subgenre. Like Netflix Party, this is a Chrome extension for your PC. However, a variety of different streaming services are supported, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Funimation, and Vimeo. This is how it works.
- Set up a free account on the Scener website.
- Download and install the Scener Chrome extension.
- Click on that Private theater Option in the extension, and then select the service you want to use.
- Finally, go to the show or movie you want to watch and send the URL it contains to friends.
Scener allows you to chat via text, audio or video while watching Netflix with friends or any of the other supported services. You can even set up groups so that, for example, your Office friends are different from your Park and Rec friends. You can invite up to 10 friends to your private theater.
There is a second mode that you can use to create a public shared streaming theater. In theory, up to a million people can watch the same movie or show they are watching. The procedure for starting this function is essentially the same as for private theater.
- Set up a free account on the Scener website.
- Download and install the Scener Chrome extension.
- Click on that Host a live public theater Option in the extension, and then select the service you want to use.
- Finally, go to the show or movie you want to watch and send the url included to anyone and everyone.
You can host the event and invite up to nine other people to host it with you. You can even set up a video camera so the people who watch the movie with you can see you watch and comment on it.
rave
If you want to watch Netflix with friends on the go, Rave is for you. It’s available for iOS and Android. Not only does it let you watch Netflix movies and TV shows with others, but you can also watch YouTube and Vimeo. You can even create your own music mashup with the RaveDJ feature. If you’ve uploaded your own videos to Google Drive or Dropbox, you can watch them remotely with friends in the Rave app.
Kast
Another way to watch Netflix with friends is Kast. This app, formerly known as Rabbit, also supports YouTube and other services. You can download the official app for Windows and Mac PCs from the official website. There are also Kast apps for iOS and Android. In addition to sharing videos, the apps also offer video chat and other features. It’s free to download and use, but there is a Kast Premium subscription available for $ 4.99 per month. It turns off ads and improves video quality, among other things.
Twitch Watch Parties (Amazon Prime Video)
Amazon’s Twitch streaming service recently added support for its new Watch Parties feature. Currently, PC Twitch users who have subscribed to Amazon Prime Video can participate in watch parties operated by other parties. You can have these parties with all of the thousands of movies and TV shows available on Amazon Prime Video.
Again, this is only for PC Twitch platforms; This service does not yet work for cell phones, game consoles or smart TV apps.
This is how it works:
- Open a Twitch account if you haven’t already.
- On the Twitch.tv website in the upper right corner, click your Twitch username / icon, then click Creator dashboard Possibility.
- From the Creator Dashboard, click the Home menu in the upper left corner, then click the Stream Manager Possibility.
- Click the quick action selection on the right side of the screen, then click Start Watch Party Possibility.
- A menu will then be displayed with the recommended Amazon Prime Video options. You can enter which ones you want to use for your Twitch Watch Party. Once you find it, select it.
That’s it. All you have to do is start your stream and begin your Twitch Watch Party.
Amazon Prime Video Watch Party
Although Amazon recently launched the Twitch Watch Party, the company has now introduced another way to watch Prime Video content with others online. The Amazon Prime Video Watch Party is slowly rolling out for US Prime members. This feature is only available to Prime Video PC web users in the United States.
The big difference between the two systems is that Amazon Prime Video Watch Party does not require an app or extension. Just go to the Prime Video website on your laptop or desktop and go to the movie or TV episode you want to watch and share. To start the Watch Party function:
- There should be a Watch Party icon on the side if the service is supported. Click it.
- There should be a section on the right side of the page for you to enter your name. Enter it in the box, then click “Create Watch Party”.
- You can then send the randomly generated web link to any family or friends you want to watch the movie or TV show with. They must all be Prime Video members and all be in the United States.
- Once those friends get the link, click on the movie or TV show to start the Watch Party.
As the host, you can also control the video that everyone else is watching. You can pause, rewind, or fast forward the video while the rest of the group is watching. They can also communicate with you using the text chat feature, which also supports stickers. You can have up to 100 people watching the video with you.
Hulu Watch Party
Like the Netflix Party, the Hulu Watch Party is just a PC-based experience. As with Amazon Prime Video Watch Party, this new feature doesn’t require any apps or extensions to be downloaded. Friends can watch it online with you and leave chat comments while you all watch together. This is how it works:
- Visit Hulu.com using a web browser.
- On the detail page, find a movie or TV show that you want to watch with other people with the Watch Party logo (three people in a circle).
- Click the Watch Party icon.
- Then click on “Start Watching”.
- The movie or TV show should be playing. You can then select the link icon to copy the link to the Hulu video. You can then send it to up to seven of your friends.
Your friends must have a Hulu account too, but it doesn’t matter what subscription they (or you) have. It is available to all subscribers.
Disney Plus GroupWatch
Disney Plus allows you and six of your friends to remotely watch content on their service. Unlike Netflix Party, this works on PCs, mobile devices, and even smart TVs. There’s no video chat, but you can text and use emojis with your friends. We have a whole article on how it works at the link below:
Continue reading: Disney Plus GroupWatch
Watch movies together anywhere
Movies Anywhere, Disney’s digital movie store, recently introduced a new “Watch Together” feature called “Watch Together”. Up to 10 people can watch the same movie remotely on their smart TV, mobile device and PC. The best news is that some of these people don’t have to own the movie to watch it. Movies Anywhere has a Screen Pass feature that allows a Watch Together host to send up to three passes to friends who do not own the movie so that they can watch it for a limited time. There’s no video chat here either, but you can text and emoji with your friends.
Continue reading: Watch movies together everywhere
These are some ways you can watch Netflix and more with friends, with Netflix Party remaining the most popular option. We will update this post as more services start.