There was a cursory moment of panic in mid July when articles with damning headlines such as "Federal courtroom rules that sharing your Netflix password is a federal crime" clogged the news. I was on vacation with my family at the fourth dimension, and I felt a jolt of feet considering, truth exist told, a friend shares her Netflix password with me. Did this hateful the stop of endless hours of entertainment?

Thankfully, when I got home I did some research and learned that the headlines weren't quite correct. In fact, they weren't truthful at all because the example that sparked the manufactures had cypher to exercise with Netflix. Zero. Nada. Conversely, Netflix says "the company views such [password] sharing every bit a positive and a mode to concenter new customers." So why was Netflix dragged into this at all? A dissenting judge said in the ruling [PDF] that it might set precedent for sharing passwords to be possibly illegal in the futurity. That'southward what caused the flurry of scary articles.

Moving on.

Netflix is a keen manner to spend the evening hours. Family flick night. Friend moving picture nighttime. Netflix and arctic night. But sometimes it's better to binge lookout by yourself because yous don't have to worry about looking cute or people getting judgy looks because yous ate all the Cheetos again, Devin.

Netflixing solitary can go lonely, though, then can we combine the best of both worlds? Yes, by watching the same Netflix program together in different places. Win, win, my friends. But it's not the most clear cut thing to attain.

Do you lot agree on a time to kickoff the movie and bargain with a minute or ii difference? Do you get on the telephone, countdown from three and click "Play"? Just what if your friend pulled the trigger earlier than you? For those of us who can't live with that discrepancy, here'southward how to get in perfect, verbal sync.

Rabbit

Rabbit is the real MVP because it can be used in Chrome, Firefox and Opera, and with near any streaming service, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Crepitation and more. In fact, it doesn't even have to be a streaming service. With Rabbit you can just surf the web in a party setting.

According to their FAQ, Rabbit relies on WebRTC, a video chat and P2P file sharing technology natively supported past near browsers including those mentioned above.

To watch Netflix together on Rabbit, only 1 person has to have a Rabbit and Netflix account and upward to 25 people tin be in one room at a time. The person who created the room controls the play/pause/etc features. You lot have the ability, don't let it become to your head. At that place'due south a chat bar that allows everyone a username and picture. You could even do voice or video chat if you wanted to.

Showgoers

First, this app requires everyone to take a Netflix account, install Showgoers, and utilise Chrome. That knocks some groups out correct at that place, so that'south why I put it up front. If you bank check all those boxes, though, it'south worth a try. The chat feature lets you choose your own name, just if y'all decide to get to a different movie (or the next episode) y'all will take to start a new sharing party.

Equally a reminder, anybody who is watching with you must be signed into their Netflix account earlier opening the invite URL. To become started, printing play on a movie or show and send the syncing link to whoever y'all want to include. So, anyone in the party can suspension, play or leap to a different timestamp. If yous don't have any friends on Showgoers yet, check out the public viewing party section of the website and join a viewing party with some strangers. Information technology doesn't take to exist every bit creepy equally information technology sounds.

Netflix Political party

Here's i more option to consider: Netflix Political party, some other Google Chrome extension that's super easy to gear up. Only one person needs to install the extension, then they choose what to watch (after getting input from anybody else, of class), pause it, and and so give the cherry-red "NP" push a click.

That gives a link to the shared session then y'all tin transport it out to friends who also want to binge scout Stranger Things.

One weird drawback to Netflix Party is that in the chat box yous tin't select a username, so you'll have to remember which little icon is which person. That could become a headache in a larger viewing party. In one case the film is going, anyone can pause, play or leap forrard or astern in the timeline. Just don't be surprised when you accept to create a new session each time you start a new movie or episode.

Permit'south Finish Talking and Watch Netflix

In that location are a handful of adept options to watch with friends or family members without having to share the aforementioned airspace. The options are thin for those who don't desire to use Chrome, but you only really demand ane and Rabbit has you covered. At present take hold of your snack and drink of choice, option a streaming party selection and scout A Nightmare on Elm Street ii: Freddy's Revenge earlier information technology leaves Netflix at the end of August.

Image credit: Friends watching horror movie photo by oneinchpunch