It's a great joy to share a YouTube video with friends. It's even better to watch it with them. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, especially if you live apart.

So, we have compiled a list of ways to watch YouTube together with your friends. As well as helping you watch YouTube together, these services help you sync playback so that you and your friends are watching the same thing at the same time.

1. Watch2Gether

Watch2Gether is an excellent way to watch YouTube with others because it doesn't require you to register for an account. You simply create a room and then send the URL out so that your friends can join.

Use the search function at the top to find a video or paste in a specific YouTube link. You can also use the chat function to talk to everyone, which is helpful to keep the viewing and talking in one place.

2. SyncTube

SyncTube has a simple interface, but it works perfectly for group watching videos. Create a room and you can immediately start watching YouTube videos (and Vimeo if you want). Search for a video or paste in a URL using the bar at the top. Any new video is automatically added to the room's playlist.

You can control the room's privacy and set user permissions; this means you can stop random people joining and prevent your friends accidentally skipping videos.

3. twoseven

In order to use twoseven, you and your friends need to create a free account, but doing so is well worth it.

As well as being able to sync a YouTube video for everyone in the room, twoseven also lets everyone share their webcam and microphone. This means that you can all watch a video simultaneously and see and hear each other at the same time. This is wonderful for keeping that personal connection even over long distances.

4. Scener

Scener is a great way to watch movies with friends, but it also works as a solution to watch YouTube with them too. You can interact through text chat, with additional support for audio and video if you pay the subscription fee.

If using a computer, you must use Google Chrome and install the Scener extension, while iPhone is the only supported mobile device.

5. Kast

No need to go hunting for YouTube URLs when using Kast. Instead, you can search for and queue videos directly within the service, which makes it effortless to use. You can also chat via text and enable your webcam and microphone.

Edge and Chrome are the only supported browsers, or you can download the standalone app for Windows or Mac. The premium version offers no ads, animated reactions, and other non-essential features.

6. Metastream

Metastream is easy to get to grips with. You don't even need to leave the site or miss whatever is playing when you want to add a video to the playlist, since you can browse YouTube from within Metastream itself.

Apart from the sidebar containing a user list, playlist, and text chat, the video takes up all most of the screen, which is great for watching cinematic YouTube videos with friends.

The downside to Metastream is that it only supports Firefox and Chrome and you need to install a browser extension, but doing so is quick and free.

7. Use a Video Conferencing Tool

So far, these services have all been created with the purpose of watching YouTube videos together in sync with friends.

However, you could also use a video conferencing tool with screen sharing abilities to get the job done. In this scenario, you and your friends would join a virtual meeting. Then one person would share their screen to the group so that everyone can watch.

Unlike the other services that play the video locally for each individual, this solution means that only one person is playing the video—ideally whoever has the strongest internet connection.

Troubleshooting Common Video Sync Issues

Although your YouTube viewing party should go off without a hitch, you might suffer some technical issues.

First, try refreshing the page. You'll miss a couple of seconds of the video, but a lot of the time a simple refresh can clear up any problems. Don't worry, it won't interrupt the stream for everyone else in the room.

If your video is constantly stuttering or buffering, lower the quality of the stream. This reduces the resolution, so the video might appear more pixelated. However, that's better than the video stopping to load.

Also, if the service supports webcams and microphones, you could try disabling one or both of them. This is because these devices use up bandwidth which could be better served on the YouTube video itself.

Finally, ad blockers can cause problems with synchronization. Some services won't work at all if you run one, so disable any you have running. Also, many YouTube videos are supported by mid-roll ads. If you have an ad-blocker and your friend doesn't, the stream will be out of sync after the ad has played.

Stream Movies and More With Friends Far Away

There are plenty of services designed to let you watch YouTube videos with your friends. Give them all a quick try to see which you like the most. As a bonus, they are all free to use; your preference will boil down to which interface and features you prefer.

If you want to stream a movie rather than a YouTube video, many streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix have official and third-party group watch features, so you can enjoy movies in sync with your friends.