All ad-free subscribers can now access Max’s SharePlay feature for iOS
Previously known as HBO Max, the streaming service has expanded its SharePlay feature to users worldwide. This feature, which was initially only available in the US, allows users on Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free plans to host and join watch parties over FaceTime and iMessage regardless of their location.
Users can start watching with friends by pressing the “share” button either in the information section of each title or in the FaceTime app. Each session can have up to 32 participants, but all must be Max subscribers. This means that people from areas where Max isn’t available, such as Asian countries, can’t jump in to watch with their friends in the US or Europe. Warner Bros. plans to expand Max’s reach to Southeast Asia later this year, but it warns on its website that the timeline could still change.
SharePlay for Max works on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Vision Pro headphones. To start a viewing event on iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro, users need to find the Share icon on the show or movie details page, enter the contact information they want to share with, and start a FaceTime call. If they select Messages on their mobile devices, their friends will receive a message asking them to join SharePlay. On Apple TV, users must open FaceTime before clicking the SharePlay button and selecting Max from the list of apps.
