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Watch Parties

Watch parties let you watch the same movie or episode together with friends — playback stays synchronized in real time for everyone, no matter where they are.

Everything happens through the Party button (the people icon) in the top toolbar. It is available on every page and shows a badge with the member count while you are in a party.

Creating a party

  1. Click the Party button in the toolbar and choose Create
  2. Optionally give the party a name (e.g. Movie Night)
  3. Decide whether to enable Allow others to control — when enabled, all members can play, pause, and seek; otherwise only you as the host
  4. Click Create — you get a six-character party code to share with your friends

If you create the party while you are already watching something, that title automatically becomes the party's media. Otherwise the party starts empty: as soon as you (the host) start playing a movie or episode, it becomes the party's title and all members are taken to it automatically.

Guest control

The Allow others to control setting is chosen when the party is created. Leave it off for a classic "host runs the show" experience, or turn it on so everyone can pause when someone needs a snack break.

Joining a party

There are two ways to join:

  1. Click the Party button in the toolbar and choose Join
  2. Enter the six-character code the host shared with you
  3. You join the party — if it is already watching something, you are taken straight to playback at the current position

If a friend is hosting an active party, it appears under Friends' Parties in the Party menu — click it to join without typing a code.

Party codes

  • Six characters, letters and numbers
  • Not case sensitive
  • Valid as long as the party is active

Host and members

Action Host Member
Play, pause, seek for everyone Yes Only if guest control is enabled
Switch to a different movie or episode Yes (everyone follows) No
Remove a member from the party Yes No
Copy and share the party code Yes Yes
Leave the party Yes — ends the party for everyone Yes — the party continues

The host leaving ends the party

There is no separate "end party" step: when the host leaves, the session ends and all members are disconnected.

How synchronization works

  • Play, pause, position, and playback speed are pushed to all members in real time
  • Small timing differences (under a couple of seconds) are tolerated; if you drift further, your player jumps back to the shared position
  • The host's position is re-broadcast periodically, so anyone joining late lands at the right spot
  • When you join a party mid-playback, the party position is used for resume — not your personal viewing history

Each participant streams the title with their own account and their own quality settings, so one member's slow connection does not degrade the picture for everyone else. See Streaming & Playback for how playback itself works.

The Party menu

While you are in a party, the toolbar Party button shows:

  • The party name and the party code, with a copy-to-clipboard button
  • The member list, with a Host badge and a live Connected / Disconnected status per member
  • Remove Member buttons (host only)
  • Leave Party

Your app regularly signals the server that you are still there; if that signal stops (for example, a closed laptop), you appear as Disconnected to the others.

Limitations

  • One title at a time — the whole party watches the same movie or episode
  • Watch parties are for video (movies and episodes)
  • No built-in text, voice, or video chat — use an external channel such as Discord alongside
  • Every participant needs their own account on the server and access to the title
  • Server administrators can see and end any active party

Next steps