Disney+ has introduced its co-watching feature called GroupWatch to users in the U.S. GroupWatch was first tested in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand earlier this month.
The feature allows you to watch movies and TV shows together with your family or friends at the same time on multiple devices. You can invite only up to six people to GroupWatch by sending an invitation link via a messaging app, for example. Of course, everyone must have a Disney+ account to watch together.
To start a GroupWatch, you can simply tap on that option from the details menu of a movie or TV show. Keep in mind that you can only invite others through the Disney+ website or its mobile app. That said, invitees can join a GroupWatch from their connected TVs.
Watch parties have grown in popularity in recent months due to shelter-in-place orders implemented across many parts of the world. But what sets GroupWatch apart from the competition is that it doesn’t require a browser extension and it works on any device. In addition, participants can control their individual playback and can even share their reactions using emojis.
Jerrell Jimerson, the Chief Product Officer for Disney+, told TechCrunch that the service was being developed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The feature"s launch came a bit earlier, though, in light of the global lockdowns. The feature is expected to arrive in Europe in the fall.