Netflix only allows account sharing using its premium profile sharing feature, so you'll pay extra on top of your monthly subscription. This leaves only a few options to remotely stream your favorite shows and movies to family and friends. One of the best and most reliable options is hosting a Netflix watch party over Discord, a social gamer and popular video calling app.

Discord has a handy option to stream your Netflix account using the screen share feature. You can host your favorite shows on PC and mobile without purchasing the best streaming box. This guide walks you through how to screen share Netflix over Discord mobile and PC, the settings that enhance screen sharing, and tips for removing the common black screen problem.

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How to screen share Netflix over Discord on a desktop

You can use the Windows or Mac desktop app or the web browser version to screen share Netflix. Viewers can join on any device they own (provided they install the Discord app). Jumping into a hosted Netflix stream on mobile is a breeze.

You can also screen share during one-on-one voice calls and in your Discord groups.

  1. Launch the desktop Discord app or access Discord in a web browser and log in to your Discord account. If logging in to Discord via a web browser, proceed to step 5.
  2. Discord app step only: Click the Gear icon in Discord to access the user Settings.
  3. Discord app step only: Choose Registered Games and select Add It.
    registered games section in discord desktop app with add it button
  4. Discord app step only: Locate your browser and choose Add Game. For this guide, we use Chrome, which is a reliable option for Netflix streaming.
    red rectangle outline over add game button on discord desktop app for google chrome
  5. Enter a voice channel on a server. You'll know it's a voice channel because of the speaker symbol by the channel name.
    discord user in a discord voice channel with the text channel overview opened
  6. Open a new tab on your web browser and visit the Netflix homepage to sign in to your Netflix account.
    signing into netflix on a second chrome tab with sign in screen
  7. Click the Screen button to begin the screen share. The icon looks like a small TV with an arrow on it.
    red solid arrow pointing down to screen share button in discord voice chat
  8. Navigate to your tabs (if on Google Chrome, select Chrome Tab) and select Share tab audio.
    red rectangle outline over also share tab audio toggle in share screen pop up window
  9. To open Netflix, select Netflix from your list of tabs, then click Share.
    red rectangle outline over share button in discord share screen pop up with netflix tab opened
  10. Successfully sharing your screen is shown by Live next to your username. You can preview a thumbnail of what's displayed on your screen share.
    netflix share screen on discord with thumbnail view open of the viewed screen
  11. When you're done hosting a Netflix watch party, click the screen icon embedded with an X to stop streaming the Netflix video. Alternatively, click the Stop sharing button inside the web browser.

How to stream Netflix over Discord without black screens

Your web browser settings are the most common reason you'll see a black screen instead of the Netflix stream. First, check your web browser settings for hardware acceleration and turn off Use hardware acceleration to deactivate it. Then, relaunch your web browser and stream. Finally, retry the above steps. That should fix it.

Mozilla Firefox has an additional option, Use Recommended Performance Settings, to turn that setting off.

You may need to adjust your Discord user settings if you still see the black screen. Navigate to the Discord user settings (the gear icon) in the lower-left corner. Under the app settings, click Advanced to ensure the toggle is off next to Hardware Acceleration.

red rectangle outline over hardware acceleration toggle in advanced settings under app settings on discord

Turning off hardware acceleration only appears in the Discord desktop app.

The second method to avoid the black screen issues while streaming Netflix is to use Discord's Add Game feature. To get started, visit your Discord user settings, navigate to Registered Games, type Netflix (the Netflix app must be running in the background), select the app in the drop-down menu, and click Add Game.

add netflix app as a game under registered games in the discord activity settings

How to screen share Netflix on the Discord mobile app

You can screen share the Netflix app on mobile. You must install the Netflix app and the Discord app before proceeding. You'll find the installation widgets below this section.

This tutorial uses an Android phone. The process for iPhone owners is similar. Make sure to install the recent versions of iOS, Discord, and the Netflix app.

  1. Launch the Netflix app.
  2. Browse and open the Netflix TV show or movie you plan to go live within the app.
  3. Leave the app open and return to your homepage to launch the Discord app.
  4. Select a Discord server and select the voice channel.
  5. Inside the voice channel, tap the bottom toolbar to access more options.
  6. Tap Share Your Screen option below Soundboard.
  7. Accept the recording or casting with Discord permissions.
  8. Your camera is shown as a default when it is turned on. To stream Netflix, go to the Netflix app screen (located in your device's background) and tap the play button to run your stream.
  9. When you finish broadcasting your Netflix stream, close your Netflix app and tap Stop sharing on the Discord app.

Playing the stream within the Netflix app automatically starts the Netflix stream while you're hosting screen share over Discord.

Join a Netflix watch party on Discord

If someone started a Netflix stream on Discord, and you want to join without being the host and Netflix account holder, the process is even easier. Here's what you'll do:

Netflix prohibits screen recording using third-party apps. Discord screen shares can only be viewed while live.

  1. Learn where and who is streaming Netflix. The easiest way to do that is to ask on Discord and join the right groups interested in doing video calls and screen shares.
  2. Check the left sidebar to view your current channels and the activity status in them. Watch for the person with the speaker icon or the Live icon next to them (this can vary by platform).
  3. Select that user's name to view what they're streaming and check if they are watching Netflix. If they are, you'll see the Netflix video they're viewing.
  4. When viewing a stream, you can move the window around, make it pop up, resize it, and control the volume to get it where you want it. If multiple people host streams in a Discord channel, you can set up the view to watch multiple screen shares at once. You can watch Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video if three hosts are streaming.

Only the host needs to own a Netflix account. As a viewer of the Discord screen share, you do not need your own Netflix account to view the stream.

How to enhance the stream Netflix experience

You can improve the streaming quality for your Netflix watch party sessions thanks to the limited options available. The first option requires setting up the voice channels inside a Discord server. After setting up these channels, navigate to the voice channel settings and select region override. Discord defaults to automatic, but you may need to manually select a server to centralize the location based on where everyone lives. There are four options for the US. These settings remain in effect until you select another option. Discord voice calls also have this option.

Selecting region override on Discord (desktop)

The second option works only if the acting Discord account host subscribes to Discord Nitro (a premium subscription-based service). Discord Nitro allows you to change the video quality for Discord streams, including streams greater than 720p video resolution and higher than the default 30 FPS (framerate). If you have the option, stream above the lowest (default) settings, provided your internet connection can also handle it, like 1080p with 60 FPS.

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Host a Netflix watch party instead of sharing your account

Even though hosting a watch party on Discord isn't always convenient, it's safe since it doesn't involve sharing your Netflix account credentials. Not everyone can afford streaming services, so having the option to share with others adds a nice gesture and fun activity to look forward to.

Inviting your remote family and friends for a Discord watch party is a cost-effective way to share your Netflix account. Other streaming services, like Amazon, have jumped on the bandwagon by adding support with their watch parties on Amazon Prime Video, but everyone must have a subscription.