How to watch TV with friends—even when you can't be together

This article has been updated. Originally published on August 19, 2018

When you're at home alone, you can enjoy a wide variety of videos: cute cat shorts on YouTube, latest episodes on Netflix, and even the Super Bowl – to name a few. But sometimes you don’t want to hold a movie party alone. With the magic of the internet and some carefully selected tools, you can invite family and friends into the same virtual space and watch whatever you want, no matter where your team is actually.

You are ready for popcorn and we will show you how to watch the video together while you are separated.

Applicable to any online video: Kast

Kast is the most comprehensive video viewing option here, but it costs a fee. The free tier invites people to watch anything available on Kast TV, but sign up for a basic membership ($10 a year) and you can unlock the ability to share the screen with virtual party guests—even if they have a free account. There is also an advanced level ($78 per year) that offers additional benefits such as HD screen sharing. The interfaces for web, desktop and mobile applications are carefully designed and feature text and video chat.

First visit the website and register an account. In the dashboard, click Create Party to set it up. Then, invite guests by sending them a party link or searching for their Kast username. Use the icon at the bottom of the window to browse the video or share the screen to start the party. If this all feels like Rabbit, a video party service that no longer exists now, you are right—Kast acquired the remainder of Rabbit after the latter closed in 2019.

Kast Free paid tier for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and iPadOS.

Applicable to streaming services: Teleparty

If you want to watch Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or HBO with friends, install Teleparty—the browser extension for Chrome, Opera, and Edge. Previously known as Netflix Party, this plugin creates a virtual viewing session that all participants can watch, and everyone's video and audio will automatically remain synchronized. If you especially want to watch the Super Bowl, Teleparty can help as long as you subscribe to Hulu Plus Live TV.

It's very easy to use: When you want to set up a viewing session, just use your browser to open the video on a streaming service and click the Teleparty button. You can decide whether to let others control the video content or keep it all for yourself. Click to start the party to get the unique session URL that you can pass to your other viewers. They will use the version of the same extension to connect to your viewing session. When you watch together, you can enter your reactions and comments into the group chat box.

Teleparty Applicable to Chrome, Edge and Opera browsers, available for free.

For YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, TikTok and other social media: Watch2Gether

Watch2Gether works very similarly to other websites on the list: you create a virtual room, select some content, and invite your friends to watch and chat together. But it offers more features than most other options, for example, if you're not sure what to watch next, it offers popular and recommended videos. In addition to standard text chat, it allows you to add webcam feeds so that you and your friends can see each other’s faces.

You can use Watch2Gether without an account. Simply go to the website and click to create your room , which should take you to a unique network address. When you enter that virtual room, you can use the search box at the top of the page to find the video by keyword or paste URLs from various websites. It's great for YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch, but you may need to install a Chrome extension to use videos from other websites, such as TikTok. When you know what you want to watch, click the Invite a friend button in the upper right corner (avatar with a plus sign) to share the room address with others. They can join you by clicking on that URL without registering. This might also be a good alternative if you're a fan of Facebook's Watch Party feature, which the site has turned off in April 2021.

Watch2Gether Free online.

For YouTube: Sync-Tube

To watch YouTube clips with friends, try Sync-Tube, which has a clean layout that makes its interface very easy to use. Sync-Tube works through the website, so you don't need to install new software or add browser extensions. You don't even need to create a dedicated account. Instead, you can visit the site, watch the room with a unique URL, and add links from YouTube to the room's playlist. Then share the URL with anyone you wish to join. A text chat box below or next to a video allows your friends to make continuous comments on what is going on. And make sure you check the settings to make sure you have not accidentally set the room to public or applied incorrect permissions.

Sync-Tube Free online.

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