How to Use Teleparty for Virtual Movie Nights: A Complete Guide
Teleparty is a fantastic tool that lets you watch movies and TV shows with friends and family from anywhere in the world. Whether your loved ones live across the street or across the globe, Teleparty makes it possible to have a real movie night experience together online. The best part is that it is completely free to use and works with most major streaming services. Let me walk you through everything you need to know to get started.
What Exactly Is Teleparty?
Teleparty, which was formerly known as Netflix Party, is an application that synchronizes video playback across multiple devices so that everyone watches at exactly the same time. When you use Teleparty, not only does the video stay perfectly in sync for all participants, but you also get a built-in chat feature that lets you communicate with your friends while you watch. This means you can share your reactions, make jokes, and discuss what is happening on screen in real time, just like you would if you were all sitting on the same couch together. The app has grown to support many different streaming platforms beyond just Netflix, making it incredibly versatile for your movie night needs.
Getting Started With Teleparty
The first thing you need to do is install Teleparty on your computer. The process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes. Start by going to the Chrome Web Store and searching for Teleparty. You will see the official Teleparty extension in the search results. Click the button that says “Add to Chrome” and the extension will automatically install itself into your browser. Once the installation is complete, you should see a small icon appear near your address bar at the top of your browser window. This icon typically looks like “Tp” in red letters. If you cannot see it right away, look for the puzzle piece icon in your browser toolbar, which is the extensions menu. Click on that puzzle piece and you should be able to find Teleparty in the list. You can pin it to your toolbar so it is always easy to access.
Before you start your first watch party, make sure that everyone who wants to join has their own Netflix account or account with whatever streaming service you plan to use. Each person needs to be logged in on their own device. This is important because Teleparty works by syncing the video playback on each individual device, so everyone needs access to the content you want to watch.
Starting Your First Watch Party
Once Teleparty is installed and you are ready to have a movie night, the process is very simple. Open Netflix or your chosen streaming service in your web browser and find the movie or show that you want to watch. Start playing the video just like you normally would. Now look for the Teleparty icon in your toolbar. Click on it and a small pop-up window will appear on your screen. In this pop-up, you will see a button that says “Start Party.” Click this button to create your watch party.
When you click “Start Party,” Teleparty will generate a unique link that is specific to your watch party. This link is what you will share with your friends so they can join you. You can copy this link and send it to your friends through text message, email, social media, or any other communication method you prefer. Make sure you send the link to everyone who wants to participate in the movie night.
Inviting Your Friends to Join
Sharing the watch party link is the key to getting your friends connected. Once you have the link, send it to everyone you want to watch with. When your friends click on the link, they will be taken to the Teleparty website. From there, they need to click a button to install Teleparty if they have not already done so. If they already have Teleparty installed, they can simply click the link and it will take them directly to join your watch party.
When your friends click the link, they will be automatically added to your watch party. They do not need to do anything complicated or confusing. The system is designed to be as user-friendly as possible. Once everyone has joined, the video will automatically synchronize so that everyone is watching at exactly the same moment. If someone pauses the video, everyone else will see it pause as well. If someone rewinds or fast-forwards, the same thing happens for everyone. This synchronization is what makes Teleparty so special because it creates the feeling of watching together even though you are physically apart.
Using the Chat Feature During Your Movie
One of the best features of Teleparty is the built-in chat box that appears on the side of your screen while you watch. This chat box allows you to type messages to everyone else in your watch party in real time. You can use this to share your thoughts about what is happening in the movie, make funny comments, ask questions, or just have a conversation with your friends while you watch.
The chat feature is incredibly useful because it lets you experience the movie together in a social way. Instead of just watching silently on your own, you can react to plot twists, laugh at funny moments together, and discuss the story as it unfolds. Many people find that the chat feature actually makes the movie experience more enjoyable because you feel connected to your friends even though you are not in the same physical location.
You can also use reaction emojis in the chat to quickly express how you feel about something without having to type out a full message. This is great when something shocking or funny happens and you want to react immediately.
Additional Communication Options
While the built-in chat is great, Teleparty also works well alongside other communication tools. Many people choose to have a video call or voice call going at the same time as their Teleparty watch party. You can use applications like Zoom, Discord, or Google Meet to have a video or voice connection with your friends while you watch. This adds another layer of connection because you can see and hear each other in real time, not just read text messages.
If you want to use video or voice chat along with Teleparty, you can simply open both applications at the same time. Start your Teleparty watch party as normal, and then open your video call application in another window or tab. This way you can see your friends on video while also watching the synchronized video and using the text chat if you want. Many people find that this combination creates the most authentic movie night experience when watching remotely.
Choosing What to Watch
One of the great things about Teleparty is that it works with many different streaming services, not just Netflix. You can use it to watch movies and shows on various platforms, which gives you lots of options for what to watch together. Before you start your watch party, make sure that everyone in your group has access to the streaming service where the content is available. If someone does not have a subscription, they will not be able to watch.
When choosing what to watch, think about what everyone in your group might enjoy. You could take
