Tong Family

OK, so Apple just announced their equivalent of Netflix Party, called SharePlay, so you can now watch movies together with friends over a FaceTime chat, but it is bizarrely complicated to figure out how to do it. There are application-specific ways to do this using Disney+ Watch Parties, but this is a more general way.

The list of applications that this works with is pretty limited but includes:

• AppleTV
• Apple Music
• Disney+
• HBO Max
• Paramount+
• Hulu

But doesn’t include NetFlix as example and the way you start it is a little strange:

1. Launch your FaceTime application, this works in iPhone or iPad and then you can type folks in or you can have a URL with Share Link so you can send it over which you get if you put a non-iCloud account into the To line and then you will get Invite with Messages. Anyone who is using Apple devices will get a ring, other you send them a link
2. So get everyone on the FaceTime and now is here is the confusing part, you actually then switch to the other application, so there is no user interface inside Facetime to start a share.
3. What happens then is that say in Apple TV then you should see a little pop down that says, “Choose Content that you will use with Shareplay”. This pop down only comes for a second and then you play in the application

Sharing screens

Screen sharing is not strictly SharePlay, but when you are waiting for others you will see that shows Share Content and below that there is a Share My Screen button.