How to Watch Movies Online with Friends

How do you watch movies online with friends? The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has meant that we cannot be near friends.

By being away from friends, boredom has probably got many people thinking of things to keep themselves occupied and amused.

This includes thinking about what friends could do together even when they are physically apart.

Well, there are a number of apps and sites available which allow different households to watch the same films together at the same time on a laptop, TV, tablet or smartphone.

These apps and websites are specifically aimed at bringing people together during difficult circumstances.

If you’re getting bored of just calling your friends then here are 11 sites which allow friends to watch movies online together along with their pros and cons.

Netflix Party

Netflix Party is the leader when it comes to watching films with friends.

This Chrome extension must be enabled by all parties to work. If one of you has Safari or some other browser, then it won’t work for them.

Netflix Party synchronises video playback, meaning that all parties can enjoy HD video quality.

Once all friends have been invited, a small NP icon sits in the corner with the names of each person viewing, so you know who’s watching.

One great pro is that you can actually chat in real-time with friends while watching the film, thanks to a chatroom tab on the side.

It is a free extension, however, it is only available on Chrome browsers and there is no mobile app.

TwoSeven

TwoSeven is different from Netflix Play as it allows users to access different streaming services all at once.

This includes Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime and much more.

Users can gather as many people as they want and it auto-syncs, meaning that you do not have to synchronise videos yourself.

One great feature is that you can use your webcams to see your friends’ reactions in real-time and live-chat. It is the next best thing to being together.

TwoSeven supports Chrome and Firefox so that it provides more opportunity for users to watch movies online with friends.

However, it can be difficult to manoeuvre so it is advised to thoroughly read the instructions.

Scener

Scener is created by an American company in Seattle, Washington. It is similar to Netflix Party but it lets users stream films from other platforms.

Friends from all over the world can enjoy Scener and with fast automatic syncing, it is like you’re in the same room together.

It is popular in both America and the UK due to the seamless quality.

Scener includes a high-definition video chat feature which allows friends to share every moment as if they are sitting next to each other.

Friends can enjoy talking to each other as well as seeing each other’s reactions.

Kelly, from Nashville, USA, says:

“We love using Scener, awesome way to keep our movie nights up.”

Although it is free and works on Macs and PCs, it is only available on the Chrome Web Store.

Metastream

Metastream is the versatile free app which allows you to watch films on different streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll.

It was developed by Samuel Maddock and there are small monthly memberships of either $1 or $5.

One drawback is that Metastream works better with Mozilla Firefox browsers than with Chrome.

Users can browse for their favourite media and add the URL to the queue. Some popular websites are already supported for playback.

In addition, new features like real-time chat and timestamp markers make the viewing experience much more sociable.

Kast

This video streaming website was formerly known as Rabb.it before Kast acquired its assets in 2019.

It allows multiple people to remotely browse and watch the same content in real-time.

This unique app is amazing as it allows users to chat with each other while watching movies, which can be done through video sharing.

Users create a room and link their friends to it.

Kast can be downloaded for PC and Mac. A Chrome app has been introduced, however, voice and video sharing are not yet available.

Kast is also available as a mobile app for Apple and Android devices, making it appealing to a wider audience.

Gaze

Gaze is a unique option because it targets those who are in long-distance relationships.

Although it is not a dating app, Gaze says that long-distance couples can enjoy watching videos together.

Gaze uses YouTube as its primary video streaming service and it is fairly easy to use. If users have their own video files, they can enjoy watching them also.

Users can also have fun sending messages as well as video calling each other as if they were in the same room.

However, Gaze only allows two people at a time. Both also need to have the same video to watch at the same time.

Watch2Gether

Watch2Gether is one of the easiest apps to use. Users create a room for free and share the link with their friends.

Once everyone has the link, they can watch films in sync with everyone else.

Users can enjoy content from YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion. As well as watching films, friends can also listen to music together.

At the same time, friends can speak with each other thanks to the integrated chat room.

Watch2Gether is free but a ‘+’ version comes with extra features and costs £3.49 per month.

One user named David said: “My friends and I love Watch2Gether. We don’t live near each other any more, but now we get to continue our tradition of watching videos together every day.

“We’ve used Watch2Gether since it first launched and there’s no reason why we would ever stop using it!”

Syncplay

Syncplay is a creation from Poland and it is free software that synchronises media players so that long-distance friends can watch videos together.

Users can either stream films online or watch films from their hard drive.

A positive feature of Syncplay is that it is compatible with all video players.

It does not matter if you are using VLC, KM Player, Media Player Classic, GOM or Potplayer, synchronisation happens over the internet, giving everyone playing the same file in the same virtual room a shared viewing experience.

It is easy to use so it is ideal for those who are not tech-savvy.

My Circle TV

My Circle TV allows all users to watch videos together. Users can enjoy content from YouTube, Vimeo and Soundcloud.

One difference is that users do not need to sign up. All they have to do is to paste the URL into the search bar. Users then instantly create a room where they can invite friends to watch films together.

The search bar can also be used to join a room. The unique code is all that is required.

One aspect is that users get 5GB of free cloud storage which can be used to store movies for future watching.

This site works well on laptops as well as mobile devices.

Airtime

Airtime is another option which allows users to watch movies online with their friends.

It is popular on mobile devices and it has been created to make our lives on social media more sociable.

Users can watch YouTube videos, handpicked TV shows and movies. Friends can also listen and share music with each other.

All of this creates true moments of togetherness while apart from each other.

With Airtime, watching films can be fun as users can see their friends’ reactions in real-time.

Conversations are made more engaging with the inclusion of animated stickers, sound reactions, and masks.

Rave

Rave is all about bringing friends together around the media they love.

Whether it’s binging Netflix together or listening to music with friends, experiences are better when shared.

Users can text or voice chat while enjoying content from YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo and more.

Friends can come together for a long-distance movie night. Users can also join public raves and meet people from around the world, potentially making new friends.

One unique aspect is that friends can combine their phones to create an instant speaker system.

It is an app unlike any other, seamlessly connecting users on iOS and Android.

These are 11 of the best ways to watch movies online with friends when away from each other.

Not only is it great for friends to use but parents can enjoy them with their children who live apart, teachers giving classes and long-distance lovers enjoying a date night.

This is a popular technology feature which allows interaction between people even if they are far away.

This means that you can enjoy watching movies with friends even if they are not physically in the room with you.

Viewers watching content together are advised to act responsibly and abide by all terms and conditions set out by the aforementioned websites in this article.