A Netflix browser extension that could let you chat with friends while self-isolating is gaining renewed attention amid the coronavirus pandemic
- An extension that lets Netflix users chat with friends and watch shows together is gaining renewed attention amid the coronavirus outbreak.
- Called "Netflix Party," the extension - which is only available for Google Chrome browsers - lets multiple users watch a show at the same time.
- It functions similarly to the online 'party' features found in multiplayer gaming services like PlayStation Network, in which groups of people chat freely while enjoying the same real-time entertainment.
- The extension, which has already existed for several years, could help to combat social isolation as people around the world socially distance themselves from each other.
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A browser extension that lets Netflix users chat with friends and watch shows together is gaining renewed attention amid the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.
Called "Netflix Party," the Chrome extension lets multiple users watch any Netflix show at the same time. The extension received an update last week that added 7 extra servers.
After starting to watch a show, users can click the extension button to create a Netflix "party," before sharing a link to the party with people they want to watch the show with. Invitees will also need to have installed the extension to participate.
In this way, it functions similarly to the online 'party' features found in multiplayer gaming services like PlayStation Network, in which groups of people chat freely while enjoying the same real-time entertainment.
The extension has already existed for several years but could well surge in popularity as a tool for mitigating coronavirus-induced social isolation.
To date, there have been over 182,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 - the disease caused by the coronavirus - around the world and over 7,100 deaths. That's according to an interactive map created by Johns Hopkins University, which keeps abreast of cases reported by the WHO and other sources.
As of March 17, almost all US states have declared states of emergency in an attempt to speed up preventative measures, while France, Italy, and Spain are among the European countries to have imposed nationwide lockdowns on their citizens.
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.