Apple introduces SharePlay, with access to Disney+, Hulu, and other streamers

At WWDC, Craig Federighi announced SharePlay, a new feature that will allow sharing streaming content on FaceTime calls across Apple's entire ecosystem.

"We love enjoying shared experiences, and so we built SharePlay," Federighi said during the iOS portion of the WWDC keynote. "SharePlay is a powerful new set of features for shared experiences that you can enjoy when you're on a FaceTime call."

Apple's new feature includes music, movies, and TV shows, "while having a rich, real-time connection with your friends," he added. Users can also share their screens and bring apps into their calls. And this includes several major streaming services, although Netflix is not currently among those included. In addition to Apple Music and the Apple TV app, supported content includes:

Disney+
Hulu
HBO Max
Paramount+
Twitch
TikTok
Pluto TV
Master Class
The NBA App

"We're incredibly excited to participate as a developer on SharePlay to enable innovative viewing experiences across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for our Apple users," said Jerrell Jimerson, EVP of Product & Design, Disney Streaming. "This will give friends and family another way to come together to share the incredible stories that we deliver through our content, including bringing a live sports co-viewing experience to ESPN+ for the first time."

The API will be made available to developers to make other apps available in SharePlay.

Users can also press "Play" in Apple Music and share music over a FaceTime call. The functionality is expected to arrive this fall alongside iOS 15.

Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey and more.

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15 Comments

jony0 380 comments · 12 Years

About 3 years ago

Finally, screen sharing on iPad !!!
I hope it really means what it suggests, I certainly hope it also includes remote control for support of friends and family.

22july2013 3725 comments · 11 Years

jony0 said:

Finally, screen sharing on iPad !!!
I hope it really means what it suggests, I certainly hope it also includes remote control for support of friends and family.

If true, this will help me to help my older family members use their iPad devices. Great news.

Japhey 1772 comments · 6 Years

This feature right here is a perfect example of why the Apple TV needs FaceTime. While undoubtably cool, it will quickly get annoying to have to hold your iPhone or iPad up while group watching a show or movie for any extended period of time.

Imagine watching a movie with a little PIP of your friend up in the corner of the big screen. Relax and enjoy.

dewme 5737 comments · 10 Years

This was the part of the keynote where I realized Apple is going after a generation of users that does not include me … which is a smart move for the future of the company.

Can’t we all just share a terminal window?

Japhey said:

This feature right here is a perfect example of why the Apple TV needs FaceTime. While undoubtably cool, it will quickly get annoying to have to hold your iPhone or iPad up while group watching a show or movie for any extended period of time.
Imagine watching a movie with a little PIP of your friend up in the corner of the big screen. Relax and enjoy.

On Macs, MacBooks, iPhones, iPads and iMacs there is a direct physical connection from the camera to the Secure Enclave for several reasons including the security of FaceTime calls. How do you suggest this would work when using an Apple TV (with an external display)? Would the Apple TV lose the direct trusted connection between the camera and the Secure Enclave? (There is a Secure Enclave on Apple TV, but no connection to any camera.)

I suppose Apple could build a new proprietary connector on a new Apple TV which could support a new proprietary external webcam from Apple that could mitigate these issues. But it doesn't sound like you are calling for that. It sounds like you are calling for run-of-the-mill webcams that aren't secure.

Perhaps you haven't considered that you can, I suspect, actually use FaceTime on an iOS device (and in Maverick, also on a Mac, I think) and use AirPlay to transmit the FaceTime call to your Apple TV. Why isn't this adequate for you? If I heard correctly today, you can also use your Maverick Mac to act as an "AirPlay server" and receive a copy of your AirPlay signal on the Mac too.