Popular digital film collection platform Movies Anywhere today announced that it will begin letting users lend their digital movies to friends, with a new feature called "Screen Pass" (via The Verge).

movies anywhere screen pass
Screen Pass will let you share up to three films each month, and your friend will have seven days to accept the offer, after which they will gain access to the film for 14 days. Once started, recipients will have three days to finish watching the film.

Both users will need a Movies Anywhere account, but there won't be a limit on how many times a film can be shared or how many people you share it with in a month. This means that you can share the same movie to two different people, for example, while still being able to watch it in your own library.

Not every movie will support Screen Pass, but Movies Anywhere said that over 6,000 titles will be eligible when the feature kicks off in beta later today. Eligible movies will be determined by studios, so it's likely that newer releases or very popular films won't see Screen Pass support.

Movies Anywhere is a digital locker service that houses all of your movies from platforms like iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, Fandango Now, and more. When synced with Movies Anywhere, all of these accounts feed into the central service and let you see your entire digital collection in one place.

The closed beta will start today at 1 p.m. PT, and an open beta is planned for May. Afterwards, a wide launch of Screen Pass is slated for later in the year.

Top Rated Comments

confirmed Avatar
57 months ago
Apple should be doing this themselves. Along with Books.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eNJayBe Avatar
57 months ago
Now if only it really was Movies Anywhere and not US only
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julesme Avatar
57 months ago
I'd argue that the most urgent problem with Movies Anywhere is that it's still missing support from several movie studios. As a result, you can purchase 100 films on Vudu or Amazon, then find that only 60 of them are available on Apple TV.

Let's get the other studios on board, please.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
57 months ago
They need to roll this out ASAP. People are going to be really bored on lockdown. Maybe even raise the limit on sharing for now.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Art Mark Avatar
57 months ago
Just hints at the real issue...so you spend your life acquiring digital media. When you die ...? It's tied to YOU. Your account, yes? So can you leave the media to your kid? A spouse? Do they need to keep your email and account active? I don't believe there are any universal rules or solutions here. But a streaming service, monthly payment may be the answer vs. 'buying' anything. Weird to think about.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kylew1212 Avatar
57 months ago

This is pretty sweet actually, though you used to be able to share your whole library using UltraViolet a few years ago with something like 3-5 people. So sort of a step back, but this seems like a pretty reasonable middle ground.

Now if only TV shows had a similar digital locker.
TV shows, and the remaining studios...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. New 'Slim' Design Rumors have taken to referring to the new iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...