Netflix Party is a feature that allows multiple people in different locations to watch their favorite Netflix TV shows and movies together.
During the coronavirus outbreak, more people are practicing “social distancing” and living in isolation or quarantine in attempts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
This led to people spending more time at home binge-watching their favorite Netflix TV shows and movies.
Although Netflix suspended production on scripted shows and movies in the U.S. and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still many shows and movies available to watch on the streaming platform.
Netflix knows watching TV with your friends and family is more fun than watching them alone, so they provided a feature called Netflix Party. This is a Chrome extension that allows users to watch Netflix with other people remotely.
If you have been wondering how to download the Netflix Party Chrome extension, how it works, and whether it works on mobile phones, here is everything you need to know.
How does Netflix Party Chrome extension work?
The Netflix Party Chrome extension can be used to sync the Netflix accounts of several people in different locations so that they can watch Netflix shows together.
According to the Netflix Party website, the Chrome extension allows you to synchronize video playback and it provides a group chat so you can watch movies and engage in real-time conversations with people in remote locations.
“Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.”
How to download Netflix Party extension from your Chrome Web Store
People with Netflix accounts can download the Netflix Party Chrome extension from the Google Chrome Web Store, where it is offered free.
The Netflix Party extension is currently available only as a Chrome extension, so you will need to install the Chrome web browser to use it.
To download Netflix Party Chrome extension, open your Chrome Web Store.
To get to the Chrome Web Store, click “Apps” on the far left side of your screen. Then click the icon for Web Store.
Search for “Netflix Party” in the space provided in the upper left-hand corner of your Chrome Web Store Home page. When you get to the Netflix Party page, click the blue tab labeled “add to Chrome.”
You can also click this link to go to the Netflix Party page on your Chrome Web Store.
How to use the Netflix Party Chrome extension
Note that you can only use Netflix Party to watch movies and shows with friends who also have the Chrome browser installed on their devices with the extension downloaded.
To use the extension, go to Netflix.com and enter your login information. Download the Netflix Party Chrome extension from your Chrome Web Store as instructed.
Then choose the movie you want to watch on Netflix. Click the icon “NP” on the top-right corner of your screen. Then click the blue tab labeled “Start Netflix Party.”
Netflix Party will then generate a URL that you can share with your friends.
The link directs your friend to the Netflix URL, where you can watch the movie together. When your friend gets to the URL, they will also need to click “NP” in their Chrome browser.
Once you have downloaded the extension, you will be able to use it only for sending text messages while watching movies together. The extension does not offer a video chat service.
However, there this another Google Chrome extension called Scener that allows you to video chat while watching or streaming movies with friends.
Others such as Kast allows you to also stream with friends on other streaming platforms, such as Disney+, HBO, Hulu, and YouTube.
Does Netflix Party work on mobile phones?
No, Netflix Party does not currently work on Android and iOS. Although you can watch Netflix on your iPhone and Android phones, the Netflix Party does not work on mobile phones. You can use Netflix Party through your Chrome browser only on laptops and desktops.