Teleparty video call: is it free, and what if it's not working?

Short answer: yes, Teleparty has video and voice chat, but only on its paid Premium plan. The free plan gives you synced playback and text chat. To talk for free, people either run a separate call (Zoom, Meet, Discord) next to Teleparty, or use a watch party tool that includes calls on its free plan.

Is the Teleparty video call free?

No. On teleparty.com, voice and video chat are listed as Premium features, alongside more channels, custom reactions and badges. Premium has a 7-day free trial, and a Duo plan covers two accounts. Full plan details and prices are in Teleparty free vs Premium.

Free workaround: a separate call next to Teleparty

Plenty of couples and friend groups keep Teleparty free and talk on another app:

1. Start a Teleparty party on the video and share the link.
2. Start a call on Zoom, Google Meet or Discord, ideally on a phone or a second device.
3. Use headphones so the show's audio doesn't echo back into the call.
4. Keep the call camera-only. Don't screen-share the video: streaming services usually show a black screen to viewers. We explain why in watch party vs screen sharing.

The downside is juggling two apps and two windows, and the call app doesn't know what's playing.

Teleparty video call not working? Quick checks

These are general browser checks that fix most camera and mic problems on any site. For sync and other Teleparty issues, see Teleparty not working.

1. Confirm you're on Premium. Video chat isn't part of the free plan.
2. Allow camera and microphone. Click the icon left of the address bar and set Camera and Microphone to Allow for the site, then reload.
3. Close other apps using the camera. Zoom, Meet, Teams or another tab can lock it.
4. Refresh the page and rejoin the party.
5. Check your OS privacy settings allow the browser to use the camera and mic.
6. Restart the browser, and make sure it's up to date.

Still stuck? Contact Teleparty support through teleparty.com.

A free alternative with calls built in

Watch Party is a free Chrome extension that keeps play, pause and seek in sync and has free group video and voice calls in a side panel, with chat and reactions. It works on sites with a standard video player, everyone plays on their own account, and guest mode works without signing in.

Be aware of the trade-off: Watch Party is desktop Chrome only, while Teleparty also runs on Edge and Safari. See the full Teleparty vs Watch Party comparison, or more options in Teleparty alternatives.