Circumstances stopping you from meeting up with others? Try some of these best apps to watch YouTube together with friends. All you need is a web browser to enjoy videos, music, and even workout with friends remotely.
These websites and apps sync YouTube videos and music for everyone to turn it into a group activity. While the clip is playing, you can video call with friends to see their reactions, or chat in text.
So queue up a music playlist together on YouTube, exercise with the best YouTube workout videos, or kick back and watch a movie together on YouTube.
1. Squad (Web, Android, iOS): Watch YouTube Videos in Sync With Friends
Squad is one of the best ways to watch YouTube videos with friends online. It enables both video calls and chat while you're streaming the same video. And it works on phones as well as desktop browsers smoothly, making it one of the few YouTube sync watching apps to do that.
You don't need to sign up to use Squad. Simply create a new room with a unique name, and send that link to your friends. Friends can open it in their browser, or in the Squad app on iOS and Android.
You can search YouTube within the app without leaving the screen, to add new videos as and when you want. The video call works flawlessly, and you can also chat in text at the same time.
Squad also works with TikTok videos and has a few movies in its catalog that you stream. The app was initially a screen sharing app for video calls and still has that option too, but it has come a long way since then.
Download: Squad for Android | iOS (Free)
2. Jukebox (Web): Listen to Music on YouTube With Friends in Sync
After trying many, many, many others like it, we believe Jukebox. Today is the best app to listen to music on YouTube in sync with others in real time. It's easy, it's free, it looks good, it works flawlessly, and you can use it for public rooms with strangers or private rooms with friends.
Create a new Jukebox room with a custom name to begin. You can make the room public or delist it so that only people with the link can join. Search for songs within the app and add them to the now playing list. Registered users can even save the playlist for later. There's a Chat tab to talk with people in the room, though it's text only.
The host of the room controls playback, with the play and next/previous track buttons. Other users can only choose to mute or unmute. But other users can add songs to the playlist. The host can also give moderation or admin rights to other users.
From the main page, you can browse active Jukebox public rooms to join any. You'll see how many people are in it, and how many tracks are yet to play.
Jukebox is a perfect way to create a playlist of songs to listen to on YouTube and share it with friends. You can all listen to the songs together, and add tracks to it.
3. Co-Train Space (Web): Workout to YouTube Exercise Videos With Friends
Working out is more fun when you do it with your friends. That's why group classes and programs like CrossFit are so popular. You already know that you can stay fit at home with free workout apps. Co-Train Space lets you do a home workout with a YouTube coach, and your friends can join in too.
You don't even need to register to begin. Pick a workout from Co-Train Space's categories like morning, beginner, full body, specific parts, and yoga. It'll create a room, just send the link to invite your friends. As the host, you get to decide when to start the session, so that everyone can work out in sync. The main video plays on the left, while your video chat is in a small bar on the right.
The app uses open-source video calling network Jitsi for its backend, so your data is safe and it's a stable video connection. While video chat is the preferred form of communication, you can also use the built-in chatroom to send text messages. Co-Train Space is simple, easy, and just works as advertised. You can't ask for more.
4. Chrono Tube (Web): YouTube Playlist Chatroom With Anonymity
Let's say you want to send an open invitation to join a chatroom where people share YouTube videos. Chrono Tube makes that happen, while still giving some anonymity. When you visit the website, you'll first be taken to the #general chat. Don't use that. Click the yellow "Create a room" button to start your own.
Every participant (including you, the host) is automatically assigned a random nickname. Search for a YouTube video in a separate tab, copy the link, and paste it in Chrono Tube with !q added before it. The app will immediately start playing the video in the chatroom for everyone to see. Any participant can keep adding more links to create a playlist.
Chrono Tube has a few fun scenarios you can use it in. For example, you could post that link on your social media, inviting your followers to add their favorite videos about a subject or music links from YouTube.
It's a double-edged sword though. If the wrong person gets hold of the link, they can just as easily share objectionable videos in the chatroom. The smart move would be to use Chrono Tube for a limited time, and ensure you post the link in a way that people you want to connect with would use it.
5. YouTube Fiesta (Web): Simple YouTube Chatroom, One Video at a Time
If you don't want the bells and whistles of video calling and YouTube search, share and watch videos with friends on YouTube Fiesta. Host a room, add your nickname and a YouTube video link, and share the room's URL with friends.
YouTube Fiesta only has text chat with emojis to communicate with each other. Add a new YouTube link and hit the "Change" button to start a new video. You can choose if anyone can control playback or only the host. No playlists, no queues, and no headaches; YouTube fiesta's simplicity is its greatest draw.
If you're looking for more quick and easy options, try these other ways to watch Youtube together with friends.
It's Not Just YouTube
The internet makes it easier than ever to share an experience in real-time with friends. YouTube is just one of the many apps you can enjoy together. There are many ways to listen to Spotify songs together with friends. And if you can't go to the theater, so what? You can still watch Netflix with friends far away.