Watch “The Mandalorian” & More With Friends Via Disney+’s New GroupWatch Feature
Disney is unveiling GroupWatch, a brand new feature on Disney+, that will allow up to seven subscribers to simultaneously watch and react to a series or movie. With many theaters closed and social gatherings largely reduced, GroupWatch will give Disney+ the most developed social viewing option available for a streaming service at a time where we could all use as many remote social options as we can get.
Of course, Disney+ isn’t alone in seeing the need for folks to be able to watch a movie or a series together, remotely. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu offer social viewing options. What makes Disney+’s GroupWatch unique is that it’s not a laptop-only feature, nor is it a web browser extension. With a few exceptions, you’ll be able to use GroupWatch on any platform you watch Disney+, on any screen size.
“Storytelling comes alive when you’re able to share and enjoy it with others, and in this moment when many are still apart from their friends and family, GroupWatch offers a way to safely connect virtually by co-viewing your favorite Disney+ stories with your favorite people from the comfort of your living room,” said Jerrell B Jimerson, SVP Product Management for Disney+, in a press release.
You’ll be able to check out GroupWatch by clicking on the icon on the “Details” page of any series or movie from Disney+’s library. It looks like this:
Once you click on the icon, you’ll be given a link that will allow you to invite up to six other people to watch the series or film with you. (Of course, they’ll need a Disney+ subscription, too.) While invitations will need to be generated from the mobile or web app, you can watch your selection from your connected TV or device. The GroupWatch feature’s synchronized playback allows any viewer to pause, rewind, or fast forward the action for the entire group. Whether you need to make a trip to the fridge or the bathroom or see those silly Stormtroopers fire and miss (again), you’ll be able to do it seamlessly.
GroupWatch also offers six different emojis viewers can send to each other through the app: “like,” “funny,” “sad,” “angry,” “scared,” and “surprised.”
The question now is, which emoji will you use for Baby Yoda?
Featured image: The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Child in The Mandalorian, season two. Courtesy Lucasfilm.
