Remember when Apple unveiled iOS 15 at WWDC '21? SharePlay in FaceTime was a big deal, right?
It was strangely absent when iOS 15 finally dropped, likely due to bugs in the beta. But guess what? SharePlay is finally here! Let’s check it out.
What is SharePlay in FaceTime?
If you’re new to this, SharePlay is a FaceTime feature for sharing activities and experiences with others.
Sharing Experiences With SharePlay Integration
You can listen to music or watch movies and TV shows together during a FaceTime call. Apple Music and Apple TV are prominent in this, but other apps also support SharePlay. With these apps, playback is synchronized across all devices on the call.
Even if you started playing a movie, anyone can pause, play, skip, etc., with the video synced on everyone’s device. It’s a pretty seamless experience.
Apps like TikTok, NBA, Paramount+, MUBI, Showtime, Moon FM, Digital Concert Hall, and others allow you to watch and listen together via SharePlay.
Other apps, like Flow, Kahoot!, Redfin Real Estate, Apollo for Reddit, and Fitness, let you browse, draw, edit, or play quizzes together in real-time using SharePlay.
While the app selection is still a bit limited, expect more to be added as more developers use the API. Disney+ and Hulu are already on their way!
Note: Everyone needs a subscription to use some of these SharePlay apps. For example, if you’re playing music from Apple Music, others must also have an Apple Music subscription to listen with you.
Sharing Your Screen in a FaceTime Call
Besides direct app integration, SharePlay now also lets you share your entire screen on FaceTime. So, you can share content from apps that don’t have direct SharePlay integration. While others won’t have control, this is still super useful.
You can share web pages, view photos, help with tech issues, browse shopping catalogs, and much more. It opens up a lot of possibilities!
And your privacy is protected, too. Notifications are hidden from those in the call while you’re screen sharing.
SharePlay App Integration vs. Screen Sharing: What’s the Difference?
Sharing your screen is not the same as using a SharePlay-integrated app.
SharePlay integration gives everyone on the call equal control over the stream. It’s a collaborative experience. Screen sharing, on the other hand, turns everyone else into passive viewers. They can only see what you’re sharing, and cannot control it.
Another key difference is that those viewing your screen don’t need a subscription or even the app installed on their devices.
You can even watch YouTube videos together using this method. However, it doesn’t work with Netflix or Disney+ due to them counting screen sharing as screen recording. But you can try other apps that don’t yet offer SharePlay integration to watch content together via screen sharing, as not all apps restrict playback during screen share.
Other Features of SharePlay
Smart Volume: SharePlay has Smart Volume, which automatically lowers the volume when someone is speaking. It’s designed to work best with AirPods but also works with device speakers.
iMessage Access: You can now switch off your camera and microphone and jump straight to iMessage to communicate. If you need to focus on screen content or step away briefly, just tap.
How to Use SharePlay in a FaceTime Call
First, make sure everyone in the call has updated to iOS 15.1. If someone is not on 15.1, they won’t see the SharePlay activity.
Users also need app subscriptions. If they’re on iOS 15.1 but don’t have a subscription, they’ll see what you’re playing but won’t be able to hear or see it.
To start SharePlay, begin a FaceTime call and then go to the app you want to use. We’ll use Apple Music for this guide.
You will see a banner indicating that the content will automatically begin SharePlaying. Just start playing the song.
The other person will receive a request to join. Once accepted, they will join your SharePlay session.
The number of people listening is displayed on the ‘Now Playing’ card as ‘[N] Listening’.
Everyone in the SharePlay session can pause, play, skip, and stop the stream.
The FaceTime video appears in Picture-in-Picture, showing the active or last speaker. You can move the PiP window around or dock it.
To end the SharePlay session, tap the green pill in the left part of your screen.
The FaceTime controls will appear. Tap the SharePlay icon (person in front of semicircles) at the right end.
A menu will pop up. From here you can switch to sharing your screen, which will end the current SharePlay session. Tap ‘End SharePlay.’
You will be asked to end it for everyone or just yourself. Choose the desired option.
How to Share Screen in a FaceTime call on iPhone
SharePlay also lets you share your screen during a call.
To share, go to the FaceTime toolbar and tap the button on the right (looks like a person in front of a screen).
Tap the ‘Share My Screen’ option that appears.
A countdown will start, and screen sharing will start afterwards.
Close FaceTime if it’s still open. Once you’re on your home screen, others can see it. If you keep FaceTime open they’ll only see a blurred screen.
When someone’s screen is being shared, it appears as a large tile with other video feeds. Viewers can zoom in/out, or tap to see only the screen.
Open any app and share the content. Since others are only viewing your screen, they don’t need a subscription. However, you can’t use screen sharing as a workaround for apps that offer SharePlay. If you open such an app, you’ll get a prompt asking to end screen sharing and start a SharePlay session instead. Until you do, you won’t be able to play content in those apps.
To end screen sharing, tap the purple pill in the top left to access the FaceTime controls.
Tap the ‘Screen sharing’ icon to end the session.
Your camera will turn off automatically during screen sharing, and you can’t turn it back on while sharing your screen. You’ll have to enable it again after ending the screen share.
SharePlay is fantastic for enjoying content together remotely. Perfect syncing and control for everyone make it great for movie nights and more. SharePlay is currently available on iPhone and iPad and is coming to macOS soon.
You cannot use SharePlay or screen sharing with users on Android, Windows, or even iOS 15 or older.