Amazon Prime Video now has a ‘Watch Party’ feature – here’s how it works

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With many of us spending more time at home, little things we once took for granted now seem like grand treats. Take, for example, watching movies. I miss watching movies with people.

While my friends and I have used basic workarounds (“Ok, start the movie in 3, 2, 1…), it’s a hassle. Now, Amazon Prime Video viewers will have a better way to watch content on the platform together with friends, while staying in their respective houses.

Called Watch Party, this new feature will let up to 100 users in the US join someone’s Watch Party so they can all enjoy a movie or show at the same time. All viewers will need Amazon Prime.

READ MORE: You can now host a Prime Video Watch Party on your smart TV

The person that starts the Watch Party will be able to start, stop, and pause the movie and those changes will instantly happen on everyone else’s screen. There’s also a chat feature, so you can talk it up with your pals while watching content.

The feature is available across thousands of movies and shows available on Prime Video, but only applies to free streaming content. You can’t start a Watch Party with bought or rented movies. Another caveat, and one that will be more significant for many of us, is that it is only available on desktop.

To access the new feature, just look for the Watch Party prompt below the description of the show or movie. You’ll then get a link you can share with people. They’ll open that link and join the session in progress.

Technically, this isn’t Amazon’s first foray into a Watch Party feature. Twitch streamers have already had similar functionality, allowing viewers to watch over 50 different titles with a streamer hosting a Watch Party.

What do you think? Is this something you would use? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.