9 best ways to watch movies together on Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and more

As the 2021 year-end holiday season kicks off with Halloween, you may want the experience of gathering around a bright screen with friends or family to catch a horror movie or holiday TV show. But if you can’t see them in person, or they’re just too far away, don’t worry. We live in an internet age full of options for almost every streaming platform available.

Once upon a time, the option to go to movie night with remote friends was Rabb.it, a video streaming website that allowed users to stream their own screens to others or use the built-in virtual browser to log into an account. . The service has since gone beyond the big internet (press F to pay your respects), but luckily, there are successors to the Rabb.it legacy, albeit with different strengths and weaknesses, as none of them have the technique. exact screen share of that service. As more officially sanctioned watch party options are rolled out, there really isn’t one that can do it all, but here are your options:

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Teleparty: The application formerly known as Netflix Party

What does it support? Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and HBO

Does everyone need to have their own accounts? Yes

How do i use it? Formerly known as Netflix Party, the Chrome extension was recently expanded to include Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO. Now, Teleparty lets you broadcast Haunted Mansion of the Muppets, or anything else your Halloween party requires. After installing the Chrome extension, navigate to the streaming service of your choice and click on the extension in the corner. This will start a room and from there send the link. Teleparty supports a group chat feature, although it doesn’t come with video. You can even choose your own little avatars. The capacity depends on the current state of the servers (so expect some caps during the holiday season), but in ideal cases, you can fit up to a thousand people in this bad boy, if you know that many people. Teleparty is available in all countries where Netflix is ​​available. However, before watching with international friends, be sure to check if the title you are watching is available in their countries.

Image: Netflix Party

What does it support? Hulu, but only Hulu (no ads) and Hulu (no ads) + Live TV tiers

Does everyone need to have their own Hulu accounts? Yes, and not only that, everyone must have the levels of Hulu (no ads) or Hulu (no ads) + Live TV

Image: Hulu

How do i use it? Hulu Watch Party is integrated directly into Hulu and can be activated via a small icon located on a title’s details page, towards the bottom of the screen. From there, click “Start Watching” and share the link using the chain icon. Not all titles have this option, but according to Hulu, “thousands of movies and shows are available on demand.” Titles that are not supported by Hulu Watch Party include live TV and premium add-ons, like Starz stuff. Up to eight people can watch Hulu together using Watch Party.

GroupWatch: The Official Choice of Disney Plus

What does it support? Disney Plus

Does everyone need to have their own Disney Plus accounts? Yes

Image: Disney Plus

How do i use it? GroupWatch is part of the Disney Plus experience. Navigate to a title on Disney Plus and click on the little GroupWatch icon, right next to the Star Watching button towards the bottom of the screen. The next screen will ask you to send the invite link to up to six other people. Unlike the other options, GroupWatch does not have a chat function. Instead, use little emojis to react to key moments. Another drawback of GroupWatch is that it is designed for users within the same country and cannot be used internationally.

What does it support? Prime Video

Does everyone need to have their own streaming accounts? Yes

Image: Amazon

How do i use it? Like the other official options, this one is built into the title itself. Navigate to a title in Prime Video and click the Watch Party icon towards the bottom of the screen to the right of the Watch Now button. Enter your name and send the invitation link. The chat room is off to the side. You can also watch on your Fire TV and chat on your mobile by scanning a QR code, if you prefer.

wardrobe: Experience the vast kingdom of Tubi

What does it support? Tubi and YouTube, although a premium account will allow you to share your screen and give you access to Kast’s own library.

Does everyone need to have their own streaming accounts? No, but you will need to create a free account for Kast.

Image: Kast

How do i use it? For some reason, several Rabb.it Chrome extensions are still active, but the links redirect to Kast. It’s not exactly the same, but Kast is pretty solid, even if the selection is limited to YouTube and Tubi on the basic plan. Just create an account, throw a party, and browse the selection. You can then send invitation links. Kast also allows video chat and text messaging.

Scenes: be the host you want to see in the world

What does it support? Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, HBO Max, YouTube, Vimeo, Shudder, Alamo, Showtime, Hotstar, Hulu (ad-free), Funimation (ad-free)

Does everyone need to have their own streaming platform accounts? Yes

Image: Scener

How do i use it? The advantage of Scener is that, in addition to cozy private parties of up to 10 people, you can also use it for larger public visits of up to a million, perfect if you want to try hosting. Rocky horror or Cats or any other movie that really benefits from a large, engaging audience of loyal fans. Be the Elvira you’ve always dreamed of being!

To start a Scener room, you need to create your own account and download the Chrome extension. From there, navigate to the home page, where you will be asked to create a public or private room. You can also schedule an event in advance.

What does it support? YouTube, Vimeo and Twitch

Does everyone need to have their own streaming platform accounts? No, but mostly because it doesn’t really support streaming platforms.

Image: Petrana Radulovic / Watch2Gether

How do i use it? If you want to listen to the next episode of your favorite podcast with friends, enjoy the same music, or just explore the same wikipedia holes together, Watch2Gether is for you. This one doesn’t require any fancy Chrome extensions (probably because it’s the more limited scope), but it works well for easy sharing. Just start a room, upload a link, and share the room using the people icon at the bottom of the screen. The chat option is in the lower right. You can also enable your camera for some live reactions.

Two seven: Fill in the gaps in Teleparty

What does it support? YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max, Vimeo, Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Uploaded Video (Hulu and Disney Plus with Patreon options)

Does everyone need to have their own streaming platform accounts? Yes

Image: TwoSeven

How do i use it? Teleparty doesn’t cover every streaming service out there, but TwoSeven picks up some of the big loopholes like Crunchyroll.

To see anything where you need to sign into an account (, you need to install an extension. You will also have to manually go into the Chrome extension’s settings to make it work specifically with Netflix. Once installed, you will be able to play the Desired content directly in the TwoSeven browser. Another advantage of TwoSeven is that you can also upload movie files that you would like to watch – it’s time to relive your high school iMovie files, like the music videos you made for a microeconomics class, about him Four principles. (Not that I have one of those floating around or anything like that.) The best advantage of TwoSeven is that, in addition to regular chat, it supports video and audio, so if you want to see a friendly face, it is perfect.

Metastream: for a shared queue experience

What does it support? Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, SoundCloud, Twitch, Reddit and Google (?)

Does everyone need to have their own streaming platform accounts? Yes

How do i use it? This one is especially good for the timeless party activity of uploading YouTube and watching old music videos and Vine compilations. Once the Chrome extension (or Firefox) is installed, navigate to the Metastream window and add the media you want by clicking in the sidebar. It’s a bit strange for Netflix, which will appear in a separate window, but everything else can be added by copying and pasting a link. If you have problems with Hulu or Crunchyroll, you will have to adjust some Chrome extension settings. (Details are in the Metastream FAQ.) One cool feature of Metastream is that it can queue media, which really brings the whole experience of “watching old internet videos together” to life.

Once logged in, click on the invite icon to get a link to share. From there, add media with the “add media” button in the center (or to the side if something is already playing). There is a chat, but there is no support for audio or video.