Watch together: chat, who controls playback, and how to kick or ban someone
A watch party needs a few rules. Timeline lets the host decide who controls the video and who stays.
LAAGU··2 min readTimeline
The chat panel
In a session, the right-hand panel becomes Chat (and Files, for the host). The chat shows who the host is, the code and invite link (each with a copy button), your ping, the members (a crown marks the host), the messages, and a small log.
- Messages can be up to 500 characters, and a person can send about five every five seconds, which keeps the chat readable.
- Keys you type in the message box never reach the player: typing a space does not pause the video.
- Pop-out puts the chat in its own window; pop-in (or closing it) brings it back.
Try it in Timeline
Free for Windows 10 and 11. One installer, nothing else to set up.
The session log
The log lines tell everyone the same story: who joined or left, who played, paused or seeked, speed changes, setting changes, someone being kicked, and when the host changed the file. Only the host writes the log, so everyone sees the same list, and a person who joins late gets the history.
Who controls playback
By default everyone can control play, pause, seek and speed. The host can switch that off in the session settings (in the Host dialog, and in the chat header while the session runs).
| Setting | What guests can do |
|---|---|
| Everyone can control (default) | Play, pause, seek and change speed; the whole session follows |
| Host only | Watch. Play and pause, the seek bar, skip and frame keys and the speed setting do nothing for them, and show "The host controls playback" |
For guests who are locked out, the play button and the seek bar are dimmed, and the speed row in the settings is dimmed too, so nothing looks clickable that is not.
Kick, ban and unban
- In the members list, the host clicks Kick next to a person.
- They are removed, the log says so, and a kick is a ban for the rest of the session: if they try to rejoin, they are kicked again.
- To let them back, open the N banned tab on the member card and click Unban.
Captions and previews are shared
When the host has captions on, every guest sees them, with the host's delay applied. And if the host switched on Share seek previews, guests get the hover pictures too.
Note. The host's app is the authority. It decides who may control playback, and each guest's player follows it.
Questions
Can I make the session watch-only?
Yes. The host turns off Everyone can control playback. Guests then cannot play, pause, seek or change speed.
What does kicking someone do?
It removes them and bans them for the rest of the session. The host can unban them from the banned tab.
Do guests see captions?
Yes, if the host has captions on. They are shared automatically.
Can I pop the chat out?
Yes. Pop-out opens it in its own window, and pop-in puts it back.
