How to Watch YouTube Together with Friends

Watching YouTube videos is even more enjoyable when watching them with your family or friends. If you don’t see your loved ones often or they don’t live near you, you’ll be happy to know this option is available. The technology today enables you and your loved ones to watch YouTube videos at the same time.

If you want to learn more about how to watch YouTube videos simultaneously with friends and family, look no further. This article will discuss what you need to do to enjoy YouTube videos with your close ones across different platforms.

How to Watch YouTube Together With Friends

If you can’t visit your friends for whatever reason, you can still enjoy YouTube content together by sharing your screen with them. The process varies depending on the app you’re using. We’re going to walk you through the most popular ones.

How to Watch YouTube Together on Discord

If you’re using Discord and want to watch YouTube videos with your friends, you can do it by sharing your screen, just follow the steps below:

1. Go to YouTube and find the video you want to play.
   
2. If you haven’t already, install the Discord app for the operating system you’re using. The option isn’t available on the Discord website.
3. Search for and join a channel where you can stream your voice. If you’re not sure whether you can stream, ensure the “Video” or “Screen” icon at the bottom is clickable.
   
4. Choose “Screen” and select the window you want to share. In this case, it will be the browser with the YouTube tab.
   
5. Ensure the toggle button next to “Sound” is on.
6. Press “Go live.”
   
7. Invite your friends to the voice channel.
   

It’s important to note that if you want to use Discord to watch YouTube with your friends, they need to have a Discord account, too.

How to Watch YouTube Together on Facetime?

Apple introduced the beta version of iOS15, and you can sign up for it here. Among other new add-ins, the beta version introduced a new FaceTime feature called SharePlay. The feature allows you to share your screen with friends while on a FaceTime video call.

For now, this feature is only available if you and your friends have the iOS15 beta version installed. If you do, here’s how you can use SharePlay:

1. While on the call, press the icon below the “End” button.
2. Press “Share My Screen.”
3. Go to YouTube and play the desired video.

Now, everyone in the call will be able to see your video. While you’re streaming, you’ll see a purple frame around the time. Keep in mind the other participants will also be able to see your face. If you want to disable this, deselect the video icon in FaceTime.

How to Watch YouTube Together on Messenger

Facebook Messenger allows you to share your screen within the app. Here’s how to access the option:

1. While on the video call on Messenger, swipe up and press “Share Your Screen.”
   
2. Press “Start Broadcast.”
3. Go to YouTube and play the video you want to watch with your friends.
   

While you’re screen sharing, there will be a red frame around the time. Tap it whenever you want to stop screen sharing, and press “Stop Broadcast.”

It’s important to note you can only share your screen when there are participants in the call.

How to Watch Facebook Videos Together on Messenger?

In addition to screen sharing, Facebook Messenger offers a feature called “Watch Together.” It allows you to watch Facebook Videos with your friends. In this case, you can enable the option even before the participants join the call.

Follow the steps below to enable this option:

1. Open Facebook Messenger and start a video call.
2. Swipe up from your screen and select “Watch Together.”
   
3. Open the video you want to share within the call or type its name in the search bar.
   

How to Watch YouTube Videos Together on Zoom

If you want to share a YouTube video with your friends on Zoom, follow the steps below:

1. Open YouTube and go to the video you want to share.
2. Launch Zoom, run a meeting, and wait until everyone joins.
   
3. Press “Share” at the bottom of the screen.
   
4. Mark the box next to “Share computer sound.” Ensure you do this since the participants will only be able to see the video (and not hear it) without it.
   
5. Select the web browser that you used for opening YouTube in the first step.
   
6. Press “Share.”
   

Now all participants in the meeting will be able to see and hear the YouTube video you played. Whenever you want to stop sharing, press “Stop Share” at the top.

Some users reported that when they press “Stop Share,” other participants can’t hear them. This is because the “Share computer sound” setting remained enabled. To disable it, unselect the checkbox, and ensure the right microphone is selected.

How to Watch YouTube Videos Together on Google Meet

Google Meet is another platform that you can use to watch YouTube videos with your friends. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Open your browser and go to Google Meet. Sign in if prompted.
   
2. Press “New Meeting.”
   
3. Press “Start an instant meeting” and add your friends.
   
4. Open a new tab, go to YouTube and find the video you want to watch with your friends. Pause it for now.
   
5. Go back to Google Meet and press “Present now.”
   
6. Select “A tab” and choose the YouTube tab. Ensure the “Share audio” checkbox is marked.
   
7. Press “Share.”
   

Now, all the participants will see and hear the YouTube video you shared. You can still chat with your friends without interrupting the video.

If you want to use full screen, press “f.” When you want to minimize it, press “Esc.”

To stop sharing, tap “Stop Presenting” once the video is finished or close the YouTube tab.

There’s another way to share YouTube videos with friends on Google Meet. With this method, the important thing is to use Google Chrome as your browser.

Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Open Google Chrome.
   
2. Press the three dots at the top-right corner.
   
3. Press “Cast.”
   
4. Right-click on the cast icon and press “Always show icon.”
   
5. Again, right-click on the icon and press “Enable cloud services.”
6. Tap on the nine dots next to your profile picture and select “Google Calendar.” If you want to stream YouTube within Google Meet using this method, the meeting needs to be scheduled in Google Calendar.
   
7. Create a meeting and ensure you select “Add conferencing.” Invite your friends to the meeting.
   
8. Once everyone has joined, open a new tab, go to YouTube and find the video you want to share.
9. Press the cast icon at the top-right corner and select the meeting’s name.

The YouTube video will now play within Google Meet. Whenever you want to stop sharing YouTube, press the cast icon and “Stop Casting.”

How to Share a Saved Video in Google Meet

If you want to share a video you have saved on your computer through Google Meet, follow the steps below:

1. Locate the video you want to share and drag and drop it to a new Chrome tab.
2. Create a meeting, invite your friends, and wait until they join.
3. Once they’ve joined, press the “Present Now” button.
   
4. Select “A tab.”
   
5. Click the tab with your video file. Check whether the “Share Audio” checkbox is marked. If it’s not, you’ll share the video without the sound.
   
6. Press “Share.”
   

When you want to stop sharing your video, press “Stop” at the top of the video or exit the tab.

Let Your Friends and Family Join the YouTube Fun

Watching YouTube videos with your loved ones is possible even when you’re not next to each other. By sharing your screen, you allow the selected people to see and hear the video you’re playing. We hope we were able to teach you how to watch YouTube together across some of the most popular platforms for video calls.

Do you watch YouTube videos with your family and friends when they’re not around? What platform do you use? Tell us in the comments section below.