Disney+ Adds GroupWatch Feature

(Image credit: Disney)

BURBANK, Calif.—Friends and family can watch season two of “The Mandalorian,” or any other Disney+ TV show or film, while in different locations with the launch of the new “GroupWatch” feature on Disney’s streaming platform.

This new Disney+ feature will enable seven people (a host and up to six other co-watchers) to simultaneously watch a program from different locations. GroupWatch is enabled on all platforms that support the Disney+ app, but all participants must be Disney+ subscribers. No chat feature will be available at the onset, as participants will only be able to communicate via emojis.

Disney+ began a trial of the GroupWatch feature earlier in September in Canada, but now it is officially being rolled out in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

Disney+ joins other streamers like Netflix and SlingTV that have added watch party features during COVID-19, though according to Disney they had been working on GroupWatch prior to the pandemic.