Learn how to take your FaceTime experience to the next level by sharing your screen and watching movies with friends and family remotely.
Screen Sharing with FaceTime
With FaceTime’s SharePlay feature, you can share your iPhone screen with others on the call at any time. Simply tap the SharePlay icon during a FaceTime connection, choose “Share my screen,” and wait for the countdown. Your iPhone screen will now appear on the other participants’ screens in a resizable window they can interact with.
Watching Movies Together with FaceTime
With SharePlay, you can also watch movies or TV shows with friends and family without leaving the call. You can stream from popular platforms like Apple TV, Disney +, Hulu, HBO Max, Twitch, and TikTok. To use SharePlay for streaming, start a FaceTime call and switch to your preferred streaming app. Once you begin playing a video, you’ll have the option to use SharePlay. Anyone on the call can pause and resume the video, making it feel like you’re all in the same room.
Important Things to Remember
Keep in mind that some streaming services may require that each participant has a subscription to view content through FaceTime. YouTube and Netflix do not support SharePlay. Another thing to note is that the SharePlay feature requires IOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, or the latest version of macOS Monterey.
Final Thoughts: FaceTime Beyond Video Calls
Aside from being an excellent video call app, FaceTime offers additional features that help you connect with your loved ones remotely. With this tutorial, you know how to use FaceTime to share your screen and watch movies together. If you have questions, please contact us or share this tutorial with someone who might benefit from it.
FAQs
Can you use SharePlay with YouTube and Netflix?
No. YouTube and Netflix don’t support SharePlay at the moment.
Do all participants in a FaceTime call need a subscription for streaming content?
Some streaming services may require that each participant has a subscription to view content through FaceTime.
What are the system requirements for SharePlay?
IOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, or the latest version of macOS Monterey is needed to use SharePlay on an iPhone or Mac.
Can Android and Windows users join SharePlay calls?
No, SharePlay is only available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. However, Android and Windows users may join a FaceTime call using the browser-based viewer, but SharePlay controls won’t be accessible.