With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping us cooped up inside our homes to prevent the spread of the virus, games and video streaming services have seen a steep rise in user base. Amazon rushed to include a new “Watch Party” in their Prime Video streaming service, starting with the US nearly six months ago. The feature has now been rolled out to Amazon Prime users in India. It enables them to watch movies and TV shows together with friends and family members.
Set up an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party
If you are someone who’s been wanting to watch movies and TV shows with friends, then follow the steps below to set up a Watch Party on Amazon Prime Video:
Start an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party
1. Head to Amazon Prime Video’s website and log in. Now, pick the movie or TV show that you wish to watch with your friends and family.
2. Open the movie/ TV show landing page to see a new ‘Watch Party’ button on the right.
Note: If you are hosting a Watch Party for a TV show mid-season, then clicking the ‘Watch Party’ button at the top right will play the next episode in line. To watch any specific episode with your friends/ family, scroll down to the ‘Episodes List’ and click the ‘Watch Party’ button for a certain episode you want to watch together.
3. Upon clicking the ‘Watch Party’ button, Amazon Prime Video will ask you to enter the name you want to use while chatting. Then, click on the ‘Create Watch Party’ button.
4. Now that you have created an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party, copy the link from the right-hand side pane and share it with your friends. You can have up to 100 users join the watch party at once. They all do need to have individual Prime membership.
5. This right-hand side pane includes the Settings and Chat view. You can see who all joined and left the watch party in the chat view (as seen below). The chat experience is very simple. You can only send text messages and a handful of built-in emoji.
6. The one who starts the Amazon Prime Video Watch Party is also the host. They are the only ones who can control playback. The host can play, pause, and fast forward or rewind the content for all users. You are merely a participant, who has the right to control audio and subtitles on their end, if you joined using the link.
End an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party
If you are done binge-watching Mirzapur or The Office with your friends, here are the steps you need to follow to end an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party:
1. Under the Settings tab in the right-hand side pane, you will see an ‘End Watch Party’ button under the Watch Party details section.
2. Amazon Prime Video will confirm whether you want to end the Watch Party when you click the ‘End Watch Party’ button. Hit ‘Yes’ and you will be taken back to the main website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What devices support Amazon’s Watch Party feature?
Sadly, the Watch Party feature is only supported on web browsers (except Safari) at the moment. You cannot join via your smartphone, tablet, smart TV, or Fire TV devices.
Can non-Prime members join a Watch Party?
No. You need to have an Amazon Prime subscription to be able to join a Watch Party. If you click on an invite link, the website will prompt you to get a subscription (starting at Rs. 129 per month) to enter the gathering.
Can you join Watch Parties from outside India?
No, you cannot join a friend’s Watch Party that originates in another country. Amazon says that the feature requires “your subscription to be entitled in the same country as the host’s home subscription.”
Is there a Prime Video Watch Party extension?
If the Amazon Prime Video Watch Party feature is not available in your country, you can use the Prime Video Party extension (Chrome Web Store, Free) to watch movies and TV shows together with friends.
How do you start a Watch Party on Netflix?
If you are looking for a similar experience on other streaming platforms, you can refer to our in-depth guide on how you can watch movies with friends online. It lists how you can watch together with friends on Netflix, YouTube, and other websites.
Watch Movies/ TV Shows Together with Friends on Amazon Prime Video
With Amazon baking a Watch Party feature into their video streaming platform, you no longer need to rely on third-party tools to watch movies and TV shows together with a friend or family member. This eliminates the need for a messaging service as well since users can text each other within Prime Video itself. So yeah, if you are bored and could possibly use some company, then hit up your friends and start an Amazon Prime Video Watch Party with ease. Have fun!
