Apple’s iOS 15.1 release brought a handful of new exciting updates, but the best one’s arguably SharePlay — FaceTime’s newest feature. SharePlay lets iPad, Mac, and iPhone users share screens (and streams) with each other, providing the perfect setting for virtual watch parties and movie nights.
SharePlay is a screen-sharing feature that allows you to stream shows and movies with others while being on a FaceTime call with them at the same time. The feature syncs playback and gives video controls to everyone in the call. Simply start a FaceTime call, click SharePlay, and share your screen.
SharePlay seems likely to revolutionize the virtual watch party scene. Let’s look at how exactly SharePlay works and how to use it to stream movies and TV shows or even listen to music with your friends — all without leaving the comfort of your home.
Can You Watch Movies Over FaceTime?
In iPadOS 15.1 and iOS 15.1, FaceTime received a couple of major upgrades, including the ability to share your device’s screen with other people during a video call.
Officially named SharePlay, this new screen-sharing feature also allows you to stream TV shows and movies together with your friends and family. Once you start a FaceTime call, every person on the call will be able to see the same video controls and synced playback.
What Is SharePlay?
SharePlay is a new FaceTime feature and one of its biggest updates to date, making Apple a serious competitor of similar, pre-existing options like Teleparty (previously called Netflix Party) and Zoom. The screen-sharing feature allows you to listen to songs and watch movies with your friends — all while on a FaceTime call.
With SharePlay, anyone in the FaceTime call can control playback, pause content, and completely change what’s being streamed while participating in a video call and talking continuously to each other at the same time.
So, with SharePlay, you won’t need to rely on any third-party apps or extensions that you might have previously been using to remotely watch movies with your loved ones.
Since you’ll basically be able to share your device’s screen with others using SharePlay, you can share a lot more than just videos and music. Apple suggests using the feature to plan a trip together, show off a new video game, browse Zillow with roommates, or help a friend with a technical issue by walking them through the settings they need to change.
SharePlay works across Apple devices, so you’ll be able to share your iPad (on Amazon) or Mac screen in a call as well.
Requirements
It’s important to note that in order to use SharePlay, everyone on the call needs to have iOS 15.1 installed on their devices and a subscription to the streaming service they want to use (like Disney Plus or HBO Max). If you have an older iPad model, it may not support iOS 15.1.
Along with a subscription to the service being shared, everyone will also need to download the app itself on their respective devices. If your friends or family want to SharePlay a funny TikTok video, but you don’t have the TikTok app downloaded on your device, the video won’t be shared over FaceTime.
Keep in mind that SharePlay isn’t available for macOS Monterey yet, and it isn’t compatible with the FaceTime browser version available for non-Apple device users.
How Do You Use SharePlay?
Hosting a watch party with SharePlay is pretty intuitive and simple. When you stream TV shows or movies with your friend or partner, the content will be synced across devices, allowing both of you to access playback controls. And you’ll still be able to talk to each other while you watch.
Another cool SharePlay feature is that you can maintain a FaceTime call with your friends on your phone and cast the streamed content to your Apple TV (on Amazon). This way, you won’t have to squint at your iPhone’s tiny screen or watch your favorite character’s death with your friends’ face blocking their final moments.
Streaming Movies and Shows
Before you start streaming shows and movies with your friends on FaceTime, it’s important to make sure that all parties are using FaceTime on a device that supports iPadOS 15.1 or iOS 15.1; otherwise, SharePlay won’t work.
Here’s how you can use SharePlay to stream movies and shows with others:
- Open the FaceTime app on your iPad or iPhone and start a call.
- Once the call has successfully connected, tap the ‘SharePlay’ button on the screen’s top-right corner in the control panel.
- In the dropdown menu, tap ‘Share My Screen.’ This will initiate a three-second countdown, after which screen sharing will start.
- Launch the TV app or any other streaming app, choose something to watch, and then press ‘Play.’
- Tap ‘SharePlay‘ once the prompt asks whether you want to SharePlay content. Then, everyone else on the call will be asked if they want to join the SharePlay session with you.
- Once the movie or show starts playing, you’ll have access to a playback screen with several different controls, such as seek backward/forwards by 15 seconds, languages, subtitles, play/pause, select playback device, and adjust playback.
Make sure you use these controls carefully, as changing any setting will affect playback on everyone else’s devices as well.
Listening to Music
Using FaceTime’s newest feature to listen to a new song or album with a friend or significant other is very similar to having a virtual movie night. With SharePlay, both parties will be able to play, skip, or pause the music that’s being shared.
You’ll even be able to add more songs to a queue in Apple Music, making a shared playlist that matches both your tastes. Here’s how you can share music using SharePlay:
- Initiate a FaceTime call.
- Launch Apple Music and select a song or album.
- Press ‘Play‘ and both devices will start playing the song at the same time.
Why Isn’t Netflix Supported Through SharePlay?
One reason why Netflix isn’t supported through SharePlay could be that the streaming service is developing its own version of the feature, which it might roll out at any moment. And while this isn’t a feature that the streaming service necessarily needs, it would make Netflix look better if it’s done perfectly.
It’s also important to note that Teleparty and other third-party websites already exist for this purpose, but they usually only work with laptops and not with other streaming devices.
Which Apps Are Supported Through SharePlay?
As we mentioned above, you can only stream shows and movies directly on FaceTime with apps that are supported through SharePlay. Since this feature is relatively new, there are only a handful of apps that are compatible with SharePlay.
These applications include Apple TV+, HBO Max, Pluto TV, Showtime, Disney Plus, Digital Concert Hall, Paramount+, and Hulu.
However, as SharePlay becomes more popular, we might see compatibility with more apps. For now though, you can’t watch shows and movies available on Amazon, YouTube, or Netflix via SharePlay.