Disney+ GroupWatch Discontinued: What to Use Instead in 2026
GroupWatch is gone, and it's not coming back any time soon. Disney removed the feature from Disney+ on September 18, 2023, without much of an announcement, and as of July 2026 nothing has replaced it. If you searched for the GroupWatch button and found nothing, that's why. Here's what happened, and how to watch Disney+ together today.
What happened to GroupWatch
GroupWatch launched in 2020, when co-watching features were everywhere. Three years later it quietly disappeared. The timeline:
- 2020: GroupWatch rolls out on Disney+ during the pandemic, letting up to 7 people watch in sync.
- September 18, 2023: the feature is removed. Disney's statement is one sentence: the feature was removed "as part of recent updates."
- 2023 to now: no replacement, no announced return.
Disney never explained the decision in detail. Coverage at the time pointed at low usage and the company's account-sharing crackdown as likely reasons, but that's speculation from reporters, not Disney.
What GroupWatch actually did (and didn't)
Memory tends to be generous to removed features, so it's worth being specific. GroupWatch capped rooms at 7 people. It had no text or voice chat, only six emoji reactions. And everyone had to be in the same country, which ruled out the long-distance groups that need a watch party most. It synced playback well, but that was about it.
How to watch Disney+ together in 2026
Third-party browser extensions fill the gap. They sync each viewer's own Disney+ session, so everyone signs in with their own subscription. Two options that work in 2026 (last verified: July 2026):
- SyncUp browser extension: free, works in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Pairs with a SyncUp room for text and voice chat, and friends in different countries can join the same room (each person sees their own region's catalog).
- Teleparty: supports Disney+ on its free tier with text chat. Voice and video chat, mobile apps, and some services require Premium ($6.59/month, or $3.99/month billed annually).
Setup with SyncUp takes about two minutes: install the free extension, create a room at syncup.tv, share the room code, and press play. The full walkthrough is on the watch Disney+ together page.
Streaming services keep dropping built-in watch parties
GroupWatch isn't an isolated case. Amazon retired Prime Video's Watch Party feature, Sling shut down its version in early 2024, and Netflix never built one at all. Crunchyroll never had one either. As of July 2026, Hulu is the last major US service with a built-in option. Co-watching turned out to be something streaming platforms treat as a nice-to-have, which is why third-party tools have become the default way to do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Disney removed GroupWatch from Disney+ on September 18, 2023, and it has not returned as of July 2026. There is no built-in way to watch Disney+ together anymore.
Disney never gave a detailed reason. The official statement said the feature was removed 'as part of recent updates' to the product. Press coverage at the time pointed to low usage and Disney's crackdown on account sharing as likely factors, but that's reporting, not an official explanation.
There's no announced plan to bring it back. As of July 2026, Disney has not said anything publicly about a return, and the broader trend is streaming services removing built-in watch party features rather than adding them.
Use a third-party sync tool. SyncUp's free browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) syncs each viewer's own Disney+ player, with chat and voice chat in the room. Teleparty also supports Disney+ on its free tier, with voice and video chat behind Premium. Either way, everyone needs their own Disney+ subscription.
In most ways, no. GroupWatch capped rooms at 7 people, only supported emoji reactions (no text or voice chat), and required everyone to be in the same country. Current third-party tools support bigger rooms, real chat, and international groups.
Yes. Watch party extensions sync each person's own Disney+ session rather than sharing one stream, so every viewer signs in with their own account. That's also how GroupWatch worked.
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