How to Use SharePlay in iOS 15, iPadOS 15

With SharePlay in the FaceTime app in iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1 (and higher), you can bring movies, TV shows, and music into your FaceTime calls. 

It allows you to facilitate a real-time connection with others on the call—with synced playback and shared controls, you see and hear the same moments at the same time. You can also share your screen to show apps, webpages, and more during the conversation. 

You should note that some apps that support SharePlay require a subscription. If you watch a purchased movie or TV show, all SharePlay participants must also have purchased the item in order to watch it together. 

SharePlay may not support the sharing of some movies or TV shows across different countries or regions. FaceTime, some FaceTime features, and other Apple services may not be available in all countries or regions.

SharePlaying movies, TV shows

With that in mind, to watch movies and TV shows during a FaceTime call with others:

1. Start a FaceTime call.
2. Go to the Home Screen, then open a video streaming app that supports SharePlay (for example, the Apple TV app ).
3. Select a show or movie you want to watch, tap the Play button, then select Play for Everyone (if it appears) to begin watching with everyone on the call. (Others on the call may have to tap Join SharePlay to see the video.)
   For everyone on the call who has access to the content, the video starts playing at the same time. People who don’t have access are asked to get access (through a subscription, a transaction, or a free trial, if available).

The playback controls are shared by everyone on the call who’s watching the content, so anyone can press Play, Pause, Rewind, or Fast Forward. (Settings like closed captioning and volume are controlled separately by each person.)

You can use Picture in Picture to keep watching the video while using another app—order food, check your email, or jump into the Messages app and discuss the video by text when you want no interruptions to the sound of the movie or TV show.

If you’ve already started watching a video together on iPhone, you can send it to Apple TV to enjoy on the big screen.

On iPhone, do one of the following:

• In the streaming app, tap, then choose Apple TV as the playback destination.
• Open Control Center, tap, then choose Apple TV as the playback destination.

The video plays in sync on Apple TV, and you can keep the conversation going on your iPhone.

SharePlay music

You can get together and listen to an album or favorite playlist with others on a FaceTime call. Anyone on the call who has access to the music (for example, through a subscription, a transaction, or a free trial), can listen along, see what’s next, add songs to a shared queue, and more. Here’s how:

1. Start a Group FaceTime call.
2. Go to the Home Screen, then open a music streaming app that supports SharePlay (for example, Apple Music).
3. Select the music you want to listen to, then tap the Play button to begin listening to the music together. (Others on the call may have to tap Join SharePlay to hear the music.)
   For everyone on the call who has access to the content, the music starts playing at the same time. People who don’t have access are asked to get access (through a subscription, a transaction, or a free trial, if available).

The playback controls are shared by everyone on the call who has access, so anyone on the call can press Play, Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, or go to the next track.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)