Extension required
Netflix, JioHotstar, and Crunchyroll rely on the browser extension to coordinate the provider tab with the LofiCouch room.
Create roomConnect your streaming tab to your LofiCouch room
The LofiCouch extension helps your room coordinate playback around Netflix, JioHotstar, and Crunchyroll. The video stays on the streaming provider’s website, while LofiCouch handles the social experience.
Built for desktop Chromium browsersUsed for Netflix, JioHotstar, and CrunchyrollNot required for YouTube or Google DriveWorks with your own provider accessDoes not restream protected video
Protected video stays with the provider
For Netflix, JioHotstar, and Crunchyroll, LofiCouch does not place the protected video inside the room. Instead, the provider tab handles the video, the extension coordinates playback information, and the LofiCouch room handles voice chat, text chat, and reactions. This keeps the product clear and gives users a more honest understanding of how streaming watch parties work.
When to use it
Which sources require the extension?
No extension required
YouTube and shareable Google Drive videos can play directly inside a LofiCouch room without installing the extension.
How it connects
Five steps to extension sync
Install
Host and guests install the LofiCouch extension on a desktop Chromium browser.
Join the room
The group gathers in the LofiCouch room.
Pair the room
The host selects a supported provider (like Netflix) inside the LofiCouch room. The room signals the extension to look for that provider tab.
Navigate
The host opens the provider website, signs in, and selects a video. The extension recognizes the video and sends the URL to the room.
Sync
The room tells the guests' extensions to open the same URL. Guests sign in with their own accounts. The host controls playback, and the extensions keep the guests in sync.
Data and privacy
What the extension reads
What it does read
When paired with a room, the extension reads the current URL, the video duration, the current timestamp, and whether the video is playing, paused, or buffering. It uses this to coordinate the room.
What it does not do
The extension does not read your passwords, capture the video stream, bypass DRM, bypass regional locks, or share your subscription with guests.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about the extension
Getting started
Does every participant need the extension?
Only if you are watching a source that requires it (Netflix, JioHotstar, Crunchyroll). If you are watching YouTube or Google Drive, no one needs the extension.
Does every participant need an account with the streaming provider?
Yes. LofiCouch does not share subscriptions. Every participant must have their own valid access to the provider (e.g., their own Netflix profile).
Which browsers are supported?
The LofiCouch extension requires a desktop Chromium-based browser, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Vivaldi. Mobile browsers are not currently supported.
Accounts and video access
Do guests need to sign in to the provider before the host starts?
It is best if they do. If a guest is not signed in when the host starts playback, they may have to log in on the provider tab, which will momentarily interrupt their sync.
What happens if a guest is not in the same region as the host?
If a provider restricts a video by region, guests in regions where the video is unavailable will not be able to watch, even if the host can.
What happens if a guest gets an advertisement?
If a guest receives an ad, their stream will temporarily fall behind. Once the ad finishes, LofiCouch will attempt to resynchronize them with the host.
Playback and privacy
Can a guest pause the Netflix tab?
Yes, but LofiCouch will immediately try to resynchronize the guest with the host's playback state. To avoid conflicts, guests should let the host control playback.
Does the extension record my screen?
No. The extension only reads the playback state (time, playing/paused) of the active video player on supported provider pages.
Does LofiCouch bypass DRM or piracy protections?
No. The extension does not decrypt, proxy, or capture the video stream. The video remains entirely within the provider's tab and is played through the provider's official player.
Your group is one room away
Create a free private room, install the extension, and watch Netflix, JioHotstar, or Crunchyroll together.