There are now countless ways to watch TV over the internet. Unfortunately, unless you own a smart TV, doing so can be a solitary affair, as you're unlikely to all crowd around a smartphone together. Cue Uptime, a new social video app which has the backing of Google.

The days when families would gather together to watch TV are long gone. Now it's much more likely that the parents will be cuddled up on the sofa watching TV, while the teenage daughter is watching Netflix, and the tween son is watching YouTube. Both on their smartphones. Which is why Google has launched Uptime.

Uptime Goes Online

Google has launched Uptime [No Longer Available] through its startup incubator, Area 120. This lets Google employees use 20 percent of their time to work on other projects. While not all of these extra-curricular activities will see the light of day, Uptime was obviously deemed worthwhile.

Uptime is essentially a social video app. You log in with your Google account, and then follow friends and family members. You can then see what YouTube videos they're watching, and/or share your favorite videos of the day with them.

While watching a video you can comment on what you're seeing, post messages, or react with emojis. These engagements are all saved for future reference, so when a friend watches that same video, even at a later date, they'll be able to see what you thought of it.

Uptime is only available on iOS [No Longer Available] right now, with no mention yet of an Android version. It's also impossible to actually find friends, as very few people are using the app. So your only real option at this early stage is to invite friends to join you.

Watching Videos With Friends

Uptime is a great idea for an app; it's just a wonder it took Google this long to think of it. After all, while the way we consume content has changed, the pleasure derived from watching a video with others and sharing our thoughts on what we're seeing is still as strong as ever.

Do you regularly watch YouTube videos? Do you watch random clips you find online? Or do you subscribe to specific channels? Are you likely to use Uptime to watch YouTube videos with friends? Or do you already use a different app? Please let us know in the comments below!