The Netflix Party extension is one of the tools that can help while trapped at home, due to the outbreak. Although it won’t solve all the problems related to self-isolation, it will at least let you stream Netflix shows and movies with your friends.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed massive pressure on many businesses and industries, with stores and offices having to effectively shut up shop or move operations online. One of the few exceptions to this is the streaming services as with more users at home, and with more time on their hands, video and music streaming has seen a surge in activity. With Netflix being the Goliath of a video service that it is, it has not only seen an uptick in users and hours watched, but its latest quarter results showed a record-breaking level of new subscribers.
Netflix Party allows users to watch shows and movies with friends remotely. Not only will it take care of syncing playback at different locations, but it also adds a group chat, allowing everyone attending the party to discuss what’s happening on the screen. This is a Chrome extension and that’s likely to be its biggest drawback for some, as Netflix Party is only currently compatible with the Google Chrome browser. Providing there are no issues with this, the extension can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store.
How to Get Started With Netflix Party
Getting started and using the feature is pretty straightforward. Similar to other Chrome extensions, Netflix Party adds an icon to the browser’s toolbar and this is the main control panel. The extension works entirely in the background and the benefit of this approach is that you don’t have to actually share any Netflix login details with the extension. Instead, the extension works in a very similar way to how Google Cast works. Users head to the Netflix website (through the Chrome browser where the Netflix extension is installed) and select a Netflix movie or show to watch. In fact, when a user lands on the Netflix homepage, they'll notice the "NP" icon changes color (from white to red), indicating the extension is now ready to use.
With a video queued up, the only left thing to do is invite others. To do this, click on the red "NP" icon and select the “Start Party” option. This will start the group-streaming session with the browser contents shared to the party stream - again, similar to how it works when casting Netflix from a browser to a TV using the Cast extension. As soon as the “Start Party” option is selected, the extension will generate a unique URL and this is what can be shared with those special few you’ve selected to join your Netflix party. When the VIP party guests click the link, they’ll be redirected to Netflix, and providing all attendees have an active account, they’ll be able to enter and starting watching as well, with the chat and video streams synced.
Source: Netflix Party