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If you've bought a new Mac, iPad, or iPhone, then you can take advantage of Apple ecosystem features with your friends. One of these offerings is SharePlay, which works on macOS Sonoma, iPadOS 17, iOS 17, and older OS versions. Through SharePlay you get to enjoy digital content with other Apple users, even if you're physically apart. Below you will find everything you need to know about SharePlay.

Requirements

To use SharePlay, you'll need the following:

  • iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, or macOS Monterey 12.1 (or newer)
  • All people in a FaceTime call should be running an Apple OS that supports the feature.
  • They should be subscribed to whatever service a user is SharePlaying. So for example, if you want to listen to music together, all of you should have Apple Music subscriptions.

Supported content

  • Apple Music
  • Apple TV+
  • Apple Fitness+
  • Screen sharing
  • Third-party apps that have adopted the SharePlay API
  • Game Center-enabled games (requires at least iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura)

How to actually use SharePlay

  1. Start a FaceTime call in whichever way you usually do, whether it be through Messages, Phone, Siri, Spotlight Search, or the FaceTime app itself.
  2. In the call screen, to the very right, you will find a Screen Share button. Press it if you just want to share your screen with the other call participants.
  3. If you want to SharePlay media, go to the Music or TV apps, and a banner will pop up asking you to choose content to SharePlay.
  4. Hit Play on an episode or playlist, and you'll be asked whether you want to play the media privately or share it with everyone in the FaceTime call.
  5. Choose SharePlay, and, as long as you meet all prerequisites, other participants should be able to listen/watch with you.
  6. Apple Music and TV support queue controls, so others can add/remove items and pause/play.
    3 Images
    choose content to shareplay pop-up in the apple music app
    music paused shareplay banner during a FaceTime call
    streaming an episode of a show during a FaceTime call using SharePlay
  7. You can view how many people are listening with you when you minimize the player, at the bottom of the screen.
  8. Once you're done with SharePlaying, click on the far right button in the call screen we mentioned earlier, and click End SharePlay.
  9. Alternatively you could just end the FaceTime call, if you no longer want to talk.
    3 Images
    minimized apple music player mentioning one other listener
    end SharePlay button during a FaceTime call
    end shareplay for everyone or just for me buttons

SharePlay pushes FaceTime a step forward and makes it a valid competitor in the video conferencing battle. Not to mention that FaceTime also supports link sharing, enabling Android and Windows users to use the service from their web browsers. And if you're not a fan of calls, you can still use SharePlay through the Messages app on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and newer OS versions.