How to Watch Netflix Together on Zoom

A movie or TV show can provide a nice bonding opportunity for friends and family. And thanks to Netflix’s extensive library, there’s something for everyone, from Hollywood blockbusters, to European classics, to anime series, to obscure Asian hits.

But for all its positives, Netflix doesn’t leave much room for friends. At best, you can share your account with three or four people. This can be a real setback if you want to watch your favorite titles with your team to strengthen your ties and create memories.

Luckily, Zoom offers you a way out. You can use your favorite video conferencing tool to let you all enjoy all your shows and movies in full HD quality.

In this article, we’ll show you how to go about it.

Watch Netflix on Zoom

However, Netflix runs on a restrictive set of subscription packages where you can only share your account with a few people. This means it’s difficult to binge-watch with family or friends if you’re not in the same location.

Although you could huddle your friends together in your living room for a movie night, the timing may not be work out for everyone. Zoom’s screen sharing feature offers an inexpensive, hassle-free solution.

Although it has carved out a reputation as an excellent video-conferencing app, Zoom also allows you to share your screen with participants without compromising on quality. All users can see exactly what’s happening on your device, in real-time, from any location around the world. This has also made it a popular choice for Netflix enthusiasts who want a group viewing experience.

Let’s see what you need to do to watch Netflix on Zoom.

How to Watch Netflix Together on Zoom on a PC

A PC presents one of the best ways to watch Netflix together on Zoom. Here’s how:

1. First, launch the Netflix app and sign in to your account. If you don’t have the app, simply visit the Netflix website and sign in.
   
2. Leave the Netflix window open and launch the Zoom app.
   
3. Proceed to invite the people you’d like to enjoy Netflix with.
   
4. Once everyone is connected, click on “Share Screen” at the bottom of your Zoom screen. At this point, a new window will automatically pop up and show all the active applications on your PC.
   
5. Select the Netflix app or the browser window that’s showing Netflix.
   
6. Check the boxes next to “Share Computer sound” and “Optimize Screen share for Video Clip.” This will allow all participants to have access to the movie’s audio. The video quality will also be retained.
   
7. Click on “Share.”
   
8. Select the movie you’d like to watch and click on “Play. You can now enjoy the movie together.
   

The Zoom meeting screen also comes with several options to help you enhance the group viewing experience. For example, the “Pause Share” button allows you to stop sharing your screen momentarily. This can be a useful tool if you want to privately handle something on your PC when the movie is playing. And by clicking on the “More” button, you can record the session or even chat with a participant without distracting everyone else.

How to Watch Netflix Together on Zoom on a Mobile Device

Technology is advancing at an exponential rate, and now people can do things on mobile devices that were once only available to do on PCs or laptops. Watching Netflix on Zoom is one of those things. Both Netflix and Zoom are compatible with mobile devices, including those running on Android and iOS.

Here are the steps:

1. Launch your Zoom app on your device.
   
2. Start a meeting and invite everyone you’d like to watch Netflix with.
   
3. Next, tap on “Share” at the bottom of the meeting screen. A new screen should pop up to pave the way for several share options.
   
4. Select “Screen.” Zoom will notify you that you’re about to capture everything displaying on your screen and share it with all the participants.
   
5. Tap on “Start Broadcast.”
   
6. Zoom will ask for permission to display over other apps. To consent to Zoom’s request, simply toggle the button on the screen.
7. After giving Zoom permission to display over other apps, you and your team are now good to go. All that’s left is to launch the Netflix app and play the movie of your choice.
   

Giving Zoom the permission to display over other apps paves the way for a seamless and convenient watching experience. It ensures that you’ve got Zoom control buttons on your screen even when using other apps such as Netflix. For example, you won’t have to relaunch the Zoom app when it’s time to stop sharing your screen because the “Stop” button will be just a tap away.

My Screen Is Black While Trying to Stream, What Can I Do?

Playing your favorite Netflix titles via Zoom isn’t always a smooth sail. Sometimes you may encounter a black screen when you attempt to initiate the screen sharing feature. Although this can be pretty frustrating, it may have nothing to do with your devices. Rather, it can happen because of Digital Rights Management (DRM). But what is that?

Digital Rights Management is an umbrella term that encompasses measures that can be taken by copyright holders regarding digital files, data streams, and physical media. It uses several techniques to ensure that works are not copied or transferred in forbidden or restricted ways. In the case of Netflix, DRM is used to prevent users from sharing their accounts widely with others, as this goes against the platform’s accounts usage policy.

The good thing is that you can sidestep this restriction and enjoy Netflix on Zoom without any glitches. Here’s how:

1. Open the Zoom Client Desktop.
   
2. Click on “Settings.”
   
3. Click on “Video” and then select “Advanced.”
   
4. Toggle off the three checkboxes hardware acceleration options available.
   

And with that, all participants will be able to watch any movie or show on Netflix via Zoom.

Create Netflix Memories With Zoom

You can watch Netflix on your PC with the help of Zoom’s video conferencing service. The process is pretty simple and will only take a few minutes to set up. That said, it’s worth noting that all participants need a stable internet connection to watch Netflix in real time. In addition, all Zoom meetings are subject to a 40-minute limit. So you need to start a new meeting if the movie or show you’re watching goes past that initial time limit. The good thing is that Zoom allows you to start as many meetings as you want.

Have you tried watching Netflix together on Zoom? How did it go? Let us know in the comments section below.