Having your friends stay over for a movie night may seem to be a thing of the past. Although you can text, and Facetime that may never be enough. So why not host a movie night with your friends while social distancing with Netflix Party?
Netflix Party is a Chrome extension for watching Netflix remotely with your friends. It synchronizes video playback and adds a live group chat on the side of your screen. The app is only for use with Netflix and is available on Chrome and Edge for Desktop and Laptop users.
To use the Netflix Party, you will need to have your own subscription and everyone watching will have to be signed onto their own account. The extensions work on top of your existing subscription to sync the videos with your friends it does not provide non-subscribers with free viewing.
Here’s how you can host a movie night with your friends on Netflix Party:
- Download the extension.
- Open up Netflix and start playing a video.
- The Netflix Party extension icon next to your address bar should change from gray to red. Click on it.
- A window will pop up instructing you to “Create a Netflix Party.” You have the option to either give yourself total control over the playback or leave it open to everyone. Click “Start the party.”
- Another window will pop up with a link. Click “Copy URL” and share it with your friends. If you need to, you can find this link again by clicking the Netflix Party extension icon.
- Netflix Party will automatically give you an icon. By clicking on the icon, you can change it (there are a few alternatives) as well as your nickname.
To join an existing Netflix Party:
- Click on the link.
- Click on the Netflix Party icon
- There you have it, you can now virtually hang out with your friends while social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.