How to Use SharePlay to Watch Media Together on FaceTime

One new feature that Apple brought in 2021 is SharePlay. This cool feature lets you simultaneously view basically any type of media with your friends or family while you FaceTime.

That way, it doesn’t matter how far apart you are from each other, you can enjoy the same entertainment together.

The best part is that basically everyone can use it. As long as you meet the requirements and use the correct apps, you can use SharePlay. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is SharePlay?

As Apple puts it, SharePlay is a “powerful set of features for shared experiences while on a FaceTime Call.”

This new feature allows you to share movies, streams, music, workouts, and many more things on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV during a FaceTime call. Basically, you can share everything you see on your screen with whoever is on the call.

What Do You Need to Use SharePlay?

Fortunately, Apple made SharePlay available for pretty much everyone, but you do need to meet some requirements.

Currently, SharePlay is available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Plus, these devices need to have at least iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1, respectively.

As of right now, SharePlay isn’t available on Mac, but it will be in a future update. However, we don’t know when that’s going to be. 

Which Apps Work With SharePlay

SharePlay is still fairly new, but there are already a bunch of apps that work with this feature. Here’s a list of the most popular apps that work with SharePlay.

Video Streaming Apps That Work With SharePlay

1. Apple TV+.
2. Disney+.
3. ESPN+.
4. HBO Max.
5. Hulu.
6. NBA: Live Games &. Scores.
7. Paramount+.
8. Showtime.
9. Pluto TV.
10. Twitch.
11. TikTok.

Music Streaming Apps That Work With SharePlay

1. Apple Music
2. Moon FM
3. Relax Melodies
4. SoundCloud
5. Vinyls

Workout Apps That Work With SharePlay

1. Apple Fitness+.
2. BetterMe: Health Coaching
3. SmartGym: Gym & Home Workouts
4. Workout Plan Bot – Workout Log

Games that Work With SharePlay

1. Heads Up! 
2. SharePlay Guessing Game
3. Shhh!

Other Apps That Work With SharePlay

1. Apollo for Reddit
2. Cameo: Personal Celeb Video
3. MasterClass
4. Piano With Friends
5. Translate Now
6. LookUp: English Dictionary
7. Flow: Sketch, Draw, Take Notes
8. Doneit: Planner & Reminders
9. Night Sky
10. Redfin Real State: Find Homes

And the list goes on. There will be many more apps that support SharePlay in the future. In addition, most apps will note in the App Store that they have SharePlay integration. 

SharePlay Limitations

You’re probably wondering, what happens if you want to binge-watch your favorite shows with SharePlay? First, every person who wants to watch something via SharePlay needs to be subscribed to the app. For instance, if you’re subscribed to Hulu, and your friend isn’t, you won’t be able to use SharePlay to watch a show that is exclusively on Hulu.

The same goes for region-restricted content. For example, if a movie is only available in the US, but your friends are in Japan, you may not be able to watch the movie with you. 

How to Use SharePlay to Watch Movies or Listen to Music Together

Ok, now that you know the basics of SharePlay, it’s time to put it to the test. Here’s how to share video or music on a FaceTime call.

1. Start a FaceTime Call
2. Go back to your Home Screen
3. Open the app you want to use. Remember that it needs to support SharePlay
4. Tap play on the movie or show you want to watch 
5. A pop-up message should appear asking if you want to SharePlay the content. Tap SharePlay
6. The video or movie should start playing automatically for the other person in the FaceTime call. If not, they might have to accept the SharePlay invitation, or they might have to tap Join SharePlay.

And that’s it. The playback controls for the movie or show will be available and shared by everyone. This means that anyone on the FaceTime call will be able to play, pause, rewind, or fast forward. The controls for subtitles and volume will be controlled by each person separately. If you want to share music, you can do the same steps. 

If you’re going to use a subscription-based service and the other person isn’t subscribed, they will be asked to get access to the app. Fortunately, they’ll be able to use it just by using the app’s free trial if it has one. 

How to Send What You’re Watching in SharePlay to Apple TV+

If you’re watching a movie on your iPhone, you can quickly send it to your Apple TV without missing a moment. There are two ways to do it.

1. On your iPhone, go to the streaming app and tap the AirPlay button. It’s the screen icon with a triangle at the bottom. Choose your Apple TV as the playback destination.
2. Or you can go to your Control Center and tap the AirPlay button. Then, select your Apple TV as the playback destination. 

Your Apple TV will start playing the show or movie automatically, and you’ll still be able to be on the FaceTime call without disconnecting.

How to Share Your Screen With SharePlay

As we mentioned before, you can also share your whole screen in a FaceTime call. Just follow these steps:

1. Start a FaceTime Call
2. In the FaceTimeCall, tap the SharePlay button on the top right corner. It’s the icon with a person and a screen behind them
3. Tap Share My Screen
4. The other person might need to accept your SharePlay invitation
5. Now the other people in the FaceTime call will be able to look at your screen

How to Stop Using SharePlay

Of course, sharing your screen or what you’re watching isn’t something you always want to do. Fortunately, you can quickly turn off SharePlay in a couple of different ways.

The most obvious way is hanging up the call. This will automatically close SharePlay, too, so you don’t have to worry about the other person spying on you. 

You can also stop using SharePlay with the FaceTime controls. For example, you can go back to your FaceTime call and tap the SharePlay button on the top right corner of your screen. Your screen and your apps will stop using SharePlay. in an instant.