Watch Together

What Watch Together helps you do

Start a private screen-sharing room and invite friends with a single link. You choose a screen, window, or browser tab to share, optionally add microphone audio, and your friends watch live in their own browser — no install, no account, and no meeting software. It is a simple way to watch something together or walk a small group through your screen.

Video and audio stream through a Haivix media server for the live session only. Nothing is recorded or stored, and the session ends when the room closes.

How it works

The host's browser captures the chosen surface and sends it through a WebRTC media server to the viewers' browsers. The server relays the live stream for the duration of the session and does not record it. Viewers only need the invite link; the host's capture permission is what starts the stream.

How to use Watch Together

1. Enter your name (optional) and select Start a room.
2. Select Share screen and pick the screen, window, or tab to share; turn on the microphone for commentary if you want.
3. Select Copy invite link and send it to your friends, then stop sharing or leave when you are done.
4. Ask viewers to use a desktop browser and to allow the page in any content blocker.

When to use it

• Walk a friend or client through something on your screen without a meeting app.
• Watch a game, video, slides, or a shared browser together in a small private group.
• Give a quick demo or review where installing software or creating an account would be overkill.
• Host a small watch party for a clip you have the right to share.
• Review a document or design with two or three people.
• Show a remote colleague a problem that is easier to see than describe.

When not to use it

• Do not stream copyrighted material you do not have permission to share.
• Do not use it for a large audience or a public broadcast.
• Do not expect recording, chat history or scheduled meetings.

Example

A host shares a single browser tab with a recorded match and sends the link to two friends. Everyone joins, the host turns on the microphone for comments, and the room is closed after the final whistle. Nothing is saved, so the recording stays only on the original service.

What you can do with Watch Together

• Create a private room and share one invite link.
• Share a screen, a window, or a single browser tab.
• Add microphone commentary while sharing.
• Let viewers watch in a normal desktop browser.
• Stop sharing or close the room at any time.
• Keep the session live-only with no recording.

Example: watch a match with two friends

Start a room, name it if the tool asks, and share the browser tab that holds the stream. A tab share is more private than the whole desktop and keeps notifications out of the picture.

Send the invite link and wait for everyone to join before pressing play. A short countdown in the chat or a message keeps the group in sync.

Turn on the microphone for commentary, then stop sharing when the session ends. Closing the room ends the stream for everyone.

What to know before you start

• Both the host and viewers need a modern desktop browser with WebRTC support.
• Restrictive networks can block live media; run the Screen Share Test first to check your connection.
• This is a live screen share, not a recording or a scheduled meeting service.
• The host's browser and connection carry the stream; closing the tab ends the room.
• There is no built-in chat, polling or audience management.

Common mistakes

• Sharing the entire desktop instead of the tab with the content.
• Sending the link before the room is ready and making viewers wait on an error.
• Forgetting that the host's browser must stay open for the stream to continue.
• Expecting viewers to control playback; the host's screen is the source.
• Leaving notifications or private windows visible in the shared tab.

Troubleshooting

If viewers see a black screen, the host may have stopped sharing or the browser may have revoked capture permission. Start the share again.

If the link does not open, check that it was copied completely and that the room is still active.

If the stream stutters, ask viewers to close bandwidth-heavy tabs and use a wired connection where possible.

If the microphone is not heard, confirm that it is enabled in the room and allowed by the browser.

If a restrictive network blocks the stream, run the Screen Share Test first and try a different network.

Related standards and documentation

• WebRTC defines the live media transport used between the browsers and the media server.
• The Screen Capture API provides the host's shared surface.