# GroupTube

## Overview

- GroupTube is a platform for friends to meet, watch, listen, play, and work together — anywhere, anytime. It combines synchronized **YouTube** playback, **Twitch** live streams, **Apple Music** listening (with a subscription), **multiplayer games** (Chess, Connect Four, Tic Tac Toe, Checkers, Mill / Nine men’s morris, Coin Flip, Dice Roll), **productivity apps** (Excalidraw whiteboard, collaborative Notes, shared Images viewer, **MathPad** with Math.js), an integrated **voice & video call** with **screen sharing**, **real-time chat** with file sharing, and a **Chrome extension** to queue items from YouTube and YouTube Music into open GroupTube tabs.
- Works on **web**, **iOS**, and **Android** (see [Mobile apps](https://group.tube/feature/native-apps)). No login is required to create or join a group; an account unlocks permanent groups, ownership/admin tools, and “My Groups.”

## Primary value

- Your favorite **game & movie night** with friends — no matter the distance. Marketing copy emphasizes staying connected: talk, laugh, and spend time together even when you cannot meet in person.
- **Together** really means together: cameras and audio are surfaced **beside** the player (desktop sidebar or mobile landscape), so reactions stay visible while watching, listening, or using apps.

## Hub pages (high-level maps)

These **site** articles group features by theme (English paths shown; other locales use translated slugs):

- [GroupTube Media](https://group.tube/media) — YouTube, Twitch, Apple Music; everyone stays in sync; call integrated.
- [GroupTube Games](https://group.tube/games) — Board classics and quick random tools; everyone sees the same game; call next to the board.
- [GroupTube Productivity](https://group.tube/productivity) — Whiteboard, Notes, Images, MathPad; real-time collaboration alongside the call.

## Key features

### 1. Apps (inside a group)

GroupTube exposes a growing library of **Apps** (YouTube, Twitch, Apple Music, games, productivity tools). Highlights from the docs:

- **YouTube:** Synchronized playback; [search](https://group.tube/feature/synchronized-player) built on the YouTube API; shared queue; autoplay, shuffle, repeat; paste video, playlist, or channel URLs.
- **Twitch:** Watch live streams in the group (see Media hub; open **Twitch** from the Apps tab).
- **Apple Music:** Listen together with an Apple Music subscription (see Media hub and [Listen to music together](https://group.tube/listen-to-music-together)).
- **Games (two-player classics):** [Chess](https://group.tube/games/chess), [Checkers](https://group.tube/games/checkers), [Connect Four](https://group.tube/games/connect-four), [Tic Tac Toe](https://group.tube/games/tic-tac-toe), [Mill / Nine men’s morris](https://group.tube/games/mill).
- **Quick tools:** [Coin Flip](https://group.tube/games/coin-flip), [Dice Roll](https://group.tube/games/dice-roll).
- **Productivity:** [Whiteboard](https://group.tube/productivity/whiteboard) (Excalidraw-powered; brainstorming, diagrams, export), [Notes](https://group.tube/productivity/notes) (live collaborative rich text / Markdown-oriented workflow), [Images](https://group.tube/productivity/image-viewer) (one shared image; upload, paste, drop; desktop cursors for pointing), [MathPad](https://group.tube/productivity/mathpad) (shared math session; Math.js).

### 2. Synchronized YouTube player

- **Start / Stop Watching:** Opt-in sync; when not watching, you may see preview behavior without full participation (see feature article).
- **Shared controls:** Play, pause, seek propagate to others who are watching.
- **Sync indicator:** Makes buffering and resync visible — contrast this with competitors where sync is opaque (see [Watch2Gether alternative](https://group.tube/watch2gether-alternative)).
- **Desync handling:** Automatic correction when playback drifts.
- **Inputs:** In-player search results and pasted YouTube URLs.

### 3. Search and shared queue

- High-quality results via **YouTube API** (positioned vs. paste-only workflows on some competitors).
- Play now or add to queue; edit queue together; autoplay / shuffle / repeat for continuous sessions and music playlists.

### 4. Voice & video call (integrated)

- Layout keeps **player and people** visible (desktop sidebar; **mobile landscape** for side-by-side).
- Join/leave, mute, camera on/off, **screen share** with quality trade-offs.
- Device selection for mic/camera; **RNNoise** noise suppression; **volume gate** and level controls.
- **Recent improvements (v1.11 notes):** Clearer call layout (including choosing which videos show largest on desktop); **media quick settings** for mic, camera, screen, and volume; **Settings** overhaul including a **keyboard shortcuts** editor for media hotkeys.

### 5. Chrome browser extension

- Official extension in the [Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/mfgaoflekeaidponmkdijgghnkhfoegj) (see [feature article](https://group.tube/feature/browser-extension)).
- Adds **YouTube** and **YouTube Music** content from the page you’re on into **open GroupTube tabs** — useful for building queues from recommendations. After install, refresh GroupTube and the source site; pinning the extension is recommended.

### 6. Chat

- Real-time text chat with notifications.
- **File sharing:** images, videos, audio, PDFs, and more (per feature/docs).
- Message editing and deletion.

### 7. Groups

- Instant groups without an account; share the invite link.
- With an account: **Take Group Ownership** / admin flows, **Promote to Member**, **My Groups**, and **Edit Group** (e.g. disable **Allow Guests to Join** for stricter access). See [FAQ](https://group.tube/frequently-asked-questions) and [Groups feature](https://group.tube/feature/custom-groups).

### 8. Accounts

- Profile (name, username, image); persistent groups.

## Listen together (platform context)

The [Listen to music together](https://group.tube/listen-to-music-together) article explains:

- **YouTube** (including music videos) — GroupTube gives **cross-platform** synchronized playback on desktop and mobile; contrasts with **SharePlay-only** flows when someone lacks an Apple device.
- **Spotify** — **Jam** for real-time group listening (device-specific setup per Spotify help).
- **Apple Music** — Typically **SharePlay over FaceTime**, Apple-device centric.

GroupTube’s primary “listen together on YouTube” path uses the same synchronized player as watch parties: search, queue, and call in one place.

## Comparisons and alternative landing pages

- **[Watch2Gether alternative](https://group.tube/watch2gether-alternative):** Transparent sync indicator vs. opaque sync; integrated call layout vs. bottom-bar / flaky pop-out cameras; YouTube API search vs. URL-paste-heavy workflows; native **iOS/Android** apps.
- **[Teleparty alternative](https://group.tube/teleparty-alternative):** No browser extension required; **free** integrated video call (vs. paid Teleparty video chat); **mobile** support; **no account** required for basic use.
- **[Hyperbeam alternative](https://group.tube/hyperbeam-alternative):** Embedded synchronized YouTube vs. streaming a remote browser; **no session time wall** and **full YouTube resolution** (up to 8K) contrasted with Hyperbeam’s free-tier limits (per that article); integrated call; mobile availability.

## Mobile and desktop

- Native apps linked from [Mobile apps](https://group.tube/feature/native-apps): [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grouptube/id6742074994), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tube.group).
- On phones, **rotate to landscape** to see the player and call together; desktop uses a persistent sidebar. Landscape in the Call tab also helps view a friend’s **screen share**.

## User journeys (from docs)

1. **Quick start (no account):** Homepage → **Create Group** → copy link → open **Apps** tab for YouTube, Twitch, Apple Music, games, or productivity.
2. **Persistent group:** Log in → connect → **Take Group Ownership** → tune guest access → promote members/admins.
3. **Game night:** Group → **Apps** → pick a game → stay on call while playing or spectating.
4. **Study / planning:** Group → **Apps** → Whiteboard, Notes, MathPad, or Images as needed.
5. **Extension workflow:** Install extension → browse YouTube or YouTube Music → send items into an open GroupTube session.

## Troubleshooting and tips

- **Playback / sync:** On slow networks, allow **5–10 seconds** after buffering. If it never stabilizes, use **Stop Watching** then **Start Watching** ([FAQ](https://group.tube/frequently-asked-questions)).
- **Search / queue:** Prefer in-app YouTube search; URLs still work.
- **Call quality:** Use RNNoise and volume gate; tune screen-share resolution on limited bandwidth.
- **Privacy:** Turn off **Allow Guests to Join** for private sessions.

## Version history (English articles)

Release-note articles live under `https://group.tube/version/<version>` (e.g. `1.0` … `1.11`). Notable themes from recent entries:

- **1.11:** Mill, Coin Flip, Dice Roll, **MathPad**; improved **call** UI and media quick settings; **Settings** redesign and **keyboard shortcut** editor; roadmap mentions **YouTube Music**, other streaming services (e.g. Netflix/HBO) via extension or a planned desktop app — treat roadmap statements as product intent, not guaranteed timelines.
- **1.10:** Broader **games** initiative (classic titles called out in that note).

Older versions (`1.0`–`1.9`) document incremental player, call, chat, and platform improvements — use the site for exact copy.

## Content map (docs ↔ public URLs)

- **Site / marketing:** `watch-youtube-together`, `listen-to-music-together`, `watch2gether-alternative`, `teleparty-alternative`, `hyperbeam-alternative`, `media`, `games`, `productivity`, `frequently-asked-questions`.
- **Feature help:** `synchronized-player`, `voice-and-video-call`, `custom-groups`, `personal-account`, `chat`, `native-apps`, `browser-extension`.
- **Game help:** `/games/<slug>` per game (`chess`, `checkers`, `connect-four`, `tic-tac-toe`, `mill`, `coin-flip`, `dice-roll`).
- **Productivity help:** `/productivity/<slug>` (`whiteboard`, `notes`, `image-viewer`, `mathpad`).
- **Versions:** `/version/1.0` … `/version/1.11` (and future).

## Terminology

- **Group:** Shared session space for media, apps, call, and chat.
- **Apps:** Activities opened from the Apps tab (YouTube, Twitch, Apple Music, games, productivity, etc.).
- **Watching / not watching:** Opt-in sync state for the YouTube-style player.
- **Sync indicator:** UI feedback when synchronization or recovery is happening.
- **Queue:** Shared playlist of upcoming YouTube items; controlled with autoplay / shuffle / repeat.

## Links

- Web: <https://group.tube>
- iOS: <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grouptube/id6742074994>
- Android: <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tube.group>
- Chrome extension: <https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/mfgaoflekeaidponmkdijgghnkhfoegj>
- Support: <hello@group.tube>

## Safety and privacy (product-level)

- Noise suppression (e.g. RNNoise) runs **locally** on the client.
- Access restrictions via group settings and membership; no substitute for reviewing each platform’s (YouTube, Twitch, Apple, etc.) own terms and age requirements.

## One-sentence summary

GroupTube is where friends **meet, watch, listen, play, and collaborate** in one place: synced **YouTube** (and **Twitch** / **Apple Music** where applicable), **board games** and **quick tools**, **whiteboard/notes/images/math** sessions, an integrated **call** with **screen share**, **chat** with files, plus a **Chrome extension** for **YouTube & YouTube Music** — on **web**, **iOS**, and **Android**, with no login required to get started.