Sync Netflix Streams With Distant Friends With This Chrome Extension
A few years ago (now 7 years old, actually – phew!) I moved across the country, to a time zone, away from my family and most of my friends. Getting around the country comes with a number of challenges, but the biggest one ultimately is friends. Going from a decently large network of friends to knowing that one guy I was hanging out with at a party a few years ago caused some serious FOMO when my friends at home were going out for a walk or throwing a movie night.
One thing we tried early on in my move was to arrange a video call for group events like movies. The whole idea was for us to all press the play button for the movie at the same time, and then we could talk about it while it was going and kind of watch it together. It never worked as planned.
Based on personal experience, it’s almost impossible to sync Netflix streams on your own. Someone is always a few seconds late or a few seconds late, and in the end this leads to the fact that there is much more trouble than it is worth.
Fortunately, there are now several different tools with which you can perform this magic.
My favorite option is Netflix Party ( Showgoers is another good option). This is a Chrome extension that you and your friend download.
To use it, you open the video you want to watch (but don’t click the play button!) And then click the Netflix Party button in the Chrome toolbar. Each “group” has its own unique identifier, so you can pass the code to your friends so everyone can sync.
There is also a built-in group chat so you can discuss what you are watching in real time without annoying someone in the group who would rather everyone shut up and take notice.
The downside is obviously that you have to use Chrome, which can be annoying if you want to watch with a band on TV. If you are traveling and want to watch something with your significant other at home, or you just want to relive a movie night with distant friends, this might be a decent way to pull it off.