Facebook Messenger launches Watch Together feature that lets up to eight people view videos and TV shows at the same time
- Watch Together allows eight friends to watch together in a Messenger video call
- Up to 50 friends can view together in a Facebook Messenger Room
- Users can view suggested clips, search for videos or upload their own
- Watch Together rolls out globally this week on iOS and Android devices
- Other platforms, including Netflix and Amazon, have also launched shared viewing experiences during the pandemic
To combat the isolation many are feeling during the pandemic, Facebook is rolling out a feature that allows groups to view videos together no matter how far apart they are.
Called Watch Together, the free service allows users to watch with friends and see their reactions in real-time over a Facebook Messenger video call or in a Messenger Room.
You can watch videos with up to eight people on a Messenger video call or up to 50 people in a Messenger Room.
Watch Together is rolling out globally this week on iOS and Android mobile devices.
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Facebook this week is introducing Watch Together, a new feature that allows members to watch videos together on Messenger video calls or in Messenger Rooms. Only eight users can watch together on a call, but you can watch with up to 50 people in a Messenger Room
Facebook is inaugurating Watch Together with a series of fitness videos by trainer Melissa Alcantara that users can work out together to virtually, a proven strategy to reaching fitness goals.
‘We created Watch Together to make spending quality time with friends and loved ones feel as close to an in-person experience as possible,’ said Facebook product manager Nora Micheva.
‘Whether it’s watching a trending video, a movie, a sports highlight, a makeup tutorial or a Facebook Watch original, the feature allows you to watch your friends’ reactions at the same time. ‘
Micheva admitted ‘nothing can replace being in the same room with the people you love,’ but said Watch Together ‘comes pretty close.’
You can watch videos with up to eight people on a Messenger video call or up to 50 people in a Messenger Room. Watch Together is rolling out globally this week on iOS and Android mobile devices
To use the feature, you need to start a Messenger video call or create a Messenger Room then swipe up to access the menu and select Watch Together.
You can then select a suggested video; search for a movie, TV show or clip; or watch a clip you’ve uploaded themselves.
Facebook recently bolstered its licensed video offerings, which include shows like Community and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with music video catalogs from top artists like Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Elton John and Nicki Minaj.
More than 150 million video calls stream on Messenger every day, according to Facebook, and more than 200 million videos are sent via Messenger.
Facebook launched Messenger Rooms, its answer to Zoom, in April.
Facebook joins Netflix, Amazon and other other platforms in launching new services allowing members to watch together virtually during ongoing pandemic lockdowns. ‘Nothing can replace being in the same room with the people you love,’ said Facebook’s Nora Micheva ‘but Watch Together comes pretty close’
But the social network isn’t the only one looking for ways to increase connectivity during lockdown.
In March, Netflix updated its ‘Netflix Party’ Chrome extension to let users watch content remotely with others.
The feature had been available for years but interest soared as millions of users were forced to self-isolate at the start of the pandemic.
And in June, Amazon rolled out its own version, Watch Party, which lets up to 100 US subscribers view a TV show or movie together.
Hosts can start, stop and pause a video for all viewers at once, allowing them to watch in sync.
As the movie or episode plays, users can access a built-in chat feature to post text and emojis.