SharePlay is about creating meaningful shared experiences within your app. Using SharePlay, your app can provide real-time communication that syncs everything from media playback to 3D models to collaboration tools on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. We caught up with the SharePlay team to ask about best SharePlay practices, location people, creating that magical “shockwave” effect and more.
How does one start the SharePlay experience?
Anyone can start a group session by starting a FaceTime call and launching a SharePlay-enabled app. As you work, a notification of the group's activity will appear on all participants' screens. Then, participants can join and come and go as they please. You can also start a group activity from your app, share sheet, or by adding the SharePlay button to your app.
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How can I use SharePlay to keep media playback synchronized?
SharePlay supports integrated media playback using AVKit. You can use the system coordinator to synchronize your own player on multiple participants. If you have an ad-supported app, you can sync both playback and ad breaks. SharePlay also provides a GroupSessionMessenger API that allows participants to communicate in real time.
What is the difference between SharePlay and Shared with you? Can you work together?
SharePlay enables people to share rich experiences with each other. It helps make app content available to your app that people share with you in messages. For example, if a group chat is discussing a meme video from within your app, accepting what's shared with you allows your app to highlight content within the app. And if your app supports SharePlay, you can see it as an option to watch relevant content together.
Separately, it provides ways to start collaboration with you through Messages and shared, permanent content (such as documents) on FaceTime. You can choose to support SharePlay on that collaborative content, but if you do, consider the ephemerality of the SharePlay experience compared to the persistence of collaboration. For example, if your document is a presentation, you might want to bring editors into the space with you to launch an interactive presentation mode that isn't possible with just screen sharing using SharePlay.
What's the easiest way for people to share content?
When your app detects that your current view has shareable content on the screen, people sharing their devices can seamlessly share that content — just like NameDrop, which provides a short “shockwave” animation when you do. This method supports special actions for sharing documents, starting SharePlay and starting collaboration. This will also link your content to the system sharing sheet and help you expose shareable content in the share menu in visionOS.
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Can someone on an iPhone join a SharePlay session with someone on an Apple Vision Pro?
Yes! SharePlay is supported across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and visionOS. That means people can watch a show together on Apple TV+ and have playback sync across all platforms. To support the same playback scenario in your app, see Coordinate media playback with group tasks in Safari. If you want to maintain visual consistency of your app across platforms, check out Team Session Messenger and the Draw Template project. Remember: SharePlay keeps things in sync, but your UI is yours.
How do I start accepting location people with SharePlay in visionOS?
When you add group activities to your app, you can share on FaceTime while people are watching from a window — essentially the same SharePlay experience you see on other platforms. In visionOS, you have the ability to create a shared spatial experience using Spatial Personas where participants are positioned based on templates. example:
Using Spatial Personas, the environment is consistent and participants can instantly see the other's facial expressions.
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How do I maintain visual and spatial consistency with all participants in visionOS?
FaceTime in visionOS Location provides a shared spatial context by placing people in a consistent way around your app. This is what we call “visual consistency.” You can use SharePlay to keep the same content for all participants in your application.
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Can both window and sound be shared simultaneously in a SharePlay session?
No. Only one window or volume can be associated with a SharePlay session, but you can help the system choose the appropriate window or volume.
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How many people can participate in a group activity?
SharePlay supports 33 total participants, including yourself. Group activities involving location people support up to five participants at a time.
Do iOS and iPadOS apps compatible with visionOS support SharePlay in visionOS?
Yes. During a FaceTime call, your app appears in the window, and the participants in the FaceTime call appear next to it.
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