By Vivien Jerez | Editor-in-Chief
Missing friends and family while being self-quarantined? You’re not alone, and Netflix has you covered. Netflix recently launched a new Chrome extension called “Netflix Party” that allows you to watch shows while talking to your friends via a chat on the right-hand side of your screen.
To install it, simply go to netflixparty.com and click on the pink and red button below the description or the white and black button on the top right of your screen. Both buttons will take you to the same website where you will receive the option to add this extension to your Chrome browser. So far, no other browsers are compatible with Netflix Party.
Once it has successfully been installed, you should see an “NP” icon to the right of the address bar at the top of your screen.
From here, you can go to the Netflix website and click on anything you want to watch with your “party.” Hit play, then click on the NP icon, which will now be red instead of grey. You should see an option to “start the party.”
If you are worried that your friends will pause and play the show/movie, above the “Start the Party” button is a box that, when checked, ensures that only you have control over the show/movie. You can’t change your choice once you do start the chat, so make sure you’re happy with the decision before you “start the party.”
Once you do get started, a highlighted URL will pop up. Copy it and send it to whoever you want to watch with you. Note that everyone will need to have installed Netflix Party to watch together.
A chatroom will pop up on the right side of your screen, where you will be given a username and icon that you can change at any time by clicking the icon you were given. There are a variety of images to choose from, such as a cookie, Batman, Mulan, Goofy… !
