Watch together

Watch movies together, even when you're far apart.

Moovo is movie night for people in different homes, cities or countries. Share the movies you own, download them, and press play at the same moment, each on your own copy.

Download free Host a library

How it works

01
One of you hosts
The host runs the Moovo server next to the movies you already own, on a NAS, a Mac mini or the PC under the desk, and sends everyone an invite.
02
Everyone downloads a copy
Pick a movie and it downloads straight from the host's server. Downloads pick up where they stopped and finish on their own, even on a shaky connection.
03
Press play together
Start a Watch Together session and type the names of the people you want. The lobby waits until everyone's copy is ready, then the movie starts for all of you at the same second.

Why it never buffers

Most ways to watch together stream the movie to everyone while it plays, so the slowest connection in the room decides how the night goes. Moovo downloads first. Once the movie is on your computer it plays at full quality, with no internet at all.

During the movie, Moovo only passes along the small stuff: play, pause, skip. That's why it works between a fast fiber line and a phone hotspot, or between two continents.

And if someone's copy isn't ready but a quick connection test says they can keep up, they can join while it downloads. It's automatic, and it never speeds up or skips: if they run short, the room waits a few seconds, then carries on and they rejoin where everyone is. How streaming works

Partners far apart

Add a clock for each other (and the weather, if you like), see when the other one is probably asleep, and plan movie nights that land at a good hour for both of you. Streaks and a yearly recap keep count of the nights you spent side by side.

Family

You and Mom, or the whole family in one circle. Movie nights show up in each person's own time, Tonight respects everyone's bedtime, and “Because you and Mom loved…” finds the next one.

Friends

A circle for the group chat that never agrees on a movie: its own list, votes to switch, a soundboard and a streak. Friends who join through your invite see you, not everyone else on the server.

Invites by name, private lobbies. Nobody is invited until you type their name, and only your connections come up. The lobby, the chat and the reactions belong to the people in that session. If you invite two people who aren't connected, they see each other's name for that night only.

What's in the room

Perfect sync: Pause in New York and it pauses in Los Angeles, on the same frame. Seeking and skipping follow everyone too, and small drift is eased back so gently nobody notices.
Chat over the movie: Messages float up over the picture for a few seconds, then get out of the way. There's an emoji picker, shortcodes like :popcorn: work, and typing never pauses the movie.
Reactions: Tap a reaction and it rises over the movie on every screen, with your face on it. The tray hides itself after a few seconds. Clear yours from any title whenever you like.
A soundboard: A rimshot, a laugh track, crickets, all real recordings. Everyone hears it at the same instant, and the movie dips under it.
Skip credits: One click takes everyone to the end cards: rate it, open the predictions, guess the year. One step at a time, each with a countdown, and Done closes them for everyone.
Secret ratings: Everyone rates in secret, and the cards flip together when the last vote is in.
Little games: Seal a prediction before the movie, or guess the year when the credits roll.
An intermission: Pause for snacks with a timer on screen and the chat right beside it. The movie picks up when everyone's back or the timer runs out.
Who left, who's back: If someone's laptop sleeps or their Wi-Fi drops, you see “Sarah left” and the movie carries on. When she's back, she picks up right where everyone is.

Movie nights

Plan one from any title page, pick the people, and add more titles after it. How movie nights work

A lineup: Put a few titles back to back, a double feature or three episodes in a row. Each one starts after the one before, plus a break you set (10 minutes unless you change it).
Everyone's time: The timeline shows when each title starts in your time and in everyone else's, and when you'll be done (“Done around 1:40 AM”). If a movie starts late or you take an intermission, everyone gets the new times.
Next up: Between titles a banner counts down the break. The next one starts by itself, or right away with Start now.
Downloaded ahead: Every title downloads in lineup order as soon as the night is planned, and Moovo warns you if someone is short of space or time.
Watch it when it's out: On Coming Up, “Watch it together” plans a release for the day it arrives, with the people you pick. It can request the title if it isn't in the library yet.

What you need

One person hosts: their own movie and TV files, a computer that stays on, and Docker. Everyone else needs the app, on Windows 10 or 11 today, with the Mac app coming soon. The self-hosting guide takes about 15 minutes.

Coming from somewhere else? Moovo vs Plex, Jellyfin and Teleparty.

Good questions

Does everyone need to download the movie?

Yes. Everyone plays their own copy, which is why nothing buffers. The lobby shows each person's download progress and starts the movie once everyone is ready.

Can someone join before their download is done?

Yes, when their connection allows it. Streaming shows up only after a quick connection test, and in Watch Together it's automatic: the lobby says when they can start, the download finishes as they watch, and nothing ever speeds up or skips. The server's owner sets the limits in Admin.

How much internet does watching together use?

Almost none. The movie plays from each person's own computer, so only play, pause and seek travel between you. It works on hotel Wi-Fi and across oceans.

Can we watch together in different time zones?

That's what it's made for. Add a clock for anyone who shares their time, and movie nights are planned in each person's own time zone so nobody gets an invite at 3 AM.

Who can see our movie night?

Only the people you invite. You pick them by name from your connections and circles, nobody is invited by default, and the lobby, chat and reactions stay with the people in the session.

What if someone's connection drops mid-movie?

Everyone else sees that they left, and the movie carries on without waiting for them. When they're back online they rejoin at the same moment as everyone else.

Can we watch more than one movie in a night?

Yes. Plan a movie night with a lineup of titles back to back. Everything downloads ahead of time, the timeline shows each start in everyone's own time, and the next title starts after a short break.

Does Moovo provide the movies?

No. Moovo plays the movie and TV files the host already owns. It doesn't provide, sell or link to any content.

What does it cost?

Nothing. Every feature is free, with no limits on people or titles. An optional Supporter plan funds the updates and adds a few fun extras.