It has to be said that the world of streaming is never boring. As media companies continue to put more focus on their streaming platforms things are always changing as they continue to find better ways to present themselves to customers. But while that sometimes means adding something new, it occasionally means removing features that used to exist, and Disney Plus has now angered many after removing the Groupwatch option, which has happened a month before Disney+ becomes more expensive.
Groupwatch let multiple Disney+ users watch the same show or movie in synch, allowing them to communicate via emojis and otherwise enjoy each other’s company while watching something as if they were in the same room. Unfortunately, after only about three years, the Groupwatch feature has been removed, without so much as a mention from Disney. People are quite surprised.
In August 2020, I stumbled onto something that kicked off my start in this industry in a really meaningful way. I was the first person in the world to report on GroupWatch with @DisneyPlus_Info. Now, just over 3 years later, the feature is dead.
To call Groupwatch a “popular” feature probably wouldn’t be accurate. More than likely, the reason for its removal is that not enough people were taking advantage of it to make it worth the upkeep. But what is clear from looking at social media is that the people who were using it absolutely loved it, and they’re quite upset it’s gone.
disney plus removing the groupwatch feature has got to be one of the most evil things any platform has done
Groupwatch was created during the global pandemic, Netflix made a similar shared viewing experience, when watching Disney+ shows with friends was certainly more difficult. Several streaming Perhaps its use has dropped as people have been able to meet in person to watch shows together. Maybe it was only ever seen by Disney as a “pandemic service” and thus it has run its course. Still, you would expect some sort of announcement to let people know the option was going away, but instead, people are finding out about the change only when they try to use it.
did disneyplus fucking remove groupwatch without a word????
And even if you’re not somebody who used Groupwatch, if you’re somebody who has a Disney Plus subscription, then it’s worth being at least a little bit irritated about the whole thing. This is just the latest thing that used to be part of the streaming service that now isn’t. It follows a collection of Disney+ original shows that have been pulled from the service, that now can’t be watched legally by anybody.
disney plus removing groupwatch is my villain origin story how am i gonna finish my mcu and star wars marathon with my bestie now
And considering that Disney+ is getting a price increase next month, it’s more than a little frustrating that we’ll all be paying more for a service that is offering us less now than it was several months ago. I don’t mind paying more for a product or service if I get more for it, but paying more and getting less.