10 Long Distance Relationship Apps That Actually Help

The best long distance relationship apps solve problems that only exist when you're apart: watching a show at the same moment, talking when your awake hours don't overlap, knowing what their week looks like, and hearing their voice when they're asleep. Here are 10 picks (one is already built into your phone) sorted by the job they do, with honest notes on what each needs.

You don't need all of them. Most couples end up with one for calls, one for watching together, and one for small daily check-ins.

Which long distance app does what?

What's the best app for watching movies together long distance?

If you're both on Apple devices, start with SharePlay because it's already on your phone. If not, use a browser watch party tool.

1. FaceTime with SharePlay

SharePlay lets you watch shows, listen to music, and play some games in sync during a FaceTime call. According to Apple Support, each person needs their own access to the content (a subscription, purchase, or free option), and each person controls their own volume and captions.

Good to know: your partner on Android can join a FaceTime call from a link in Chrome or Edge, but SharePlay and screen sharing aren't available in FaceTime on the web. Netflix also doesn't support SharePlay, so for Netflix nights you'll want the next option.

2. Teleparty

Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) is a browser extension that syncs playback and adds a group chat beside the video. It works in desktop browsers like Chrome and supports major services including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Max, with more services and extras on its paid tier. Each of you needs your own account for the service you're watching.

Best for: Netflix movie nights on laptops, with a FaceTime or phone call running on the side.

3. Rave

Rave is a watch party app for syncing YouTube and streaming services with chat. One honest caveat: Apple removed Rave from the App Store in August 2025, and the company has since sued Apple over it. It's still available on Android and Windows, so it's most useful if you're both off iPhone.

How do you listen to music together long distance?

4. Spotify Jam

Spotify Jam creates a shared queue that you both can add to and control. Per Spotify's support page, Jam works remotely, but you need Premium to start a Jam and to join one remotely. It's great for a "drive with me" call or a playlist date where you take turns picking songs.

What app helps with long distance in different time zones?

The trick is to stop needing both of you awake at the same time. Async video and a visible clock solve most of it.

5. Marco Polo

Marco Polo is a video messaging app: you record a video, they watch and reply when they're awake. It feels more like a conversation than a text thread, and messages stay in your chat so you can rewatch them. It has a free version and an optional subscription.

Best for: couples with 6+ hours of time difference, so your "good morning" lands while they're winding down.

6. Your phone's world clock (built in)

Not an app you download, but it prevents a lot of 3 a.m. calls. On iPhone, open Clock, tap World Clock, tap +, and add their city. On Android, open the Clock app and add a city in the clock tab (labels vary by phone maker). Add a clock widget to your home screen and you'll always know if they're asleep. For more strategies, read our guide to long distance with different time zones.

Which apps help long distance couples feel in sync day to day?

These cover the small, constant "I'm thinking of you" moments that make distance feel shorter.

7. Locket Widget

Locket Widget puts photos from your people directly on your home screen, so each time they snap one, it shows up when you unlock your phone. It's iPhone only per its App Store listing, so both of you need an iPhone.

Best for: casual, all-day "here's my life right now" photos without starting a conversation.

8. Between

Between is a private app made for exactly two people. It combines chat, a shared photo and memory space, anniversary tracking, and a shared calendar, and it's available on iPhone and Android.

Best for: couples who want one private place for the relationship, separate from group chats.

9. Cupla

Cupla is a shared planner for couples. It pulls your existing Google, Apple, or Outlook calendars into one combined view, plus shared to-dos, countdowns to key dates, and wishlists. Seeing each other's week helps you find real overlap for calls and plan visits.

Best for: busy couples who keep missing each other's free time.

Is there an app to save your partner's voice notes?

Not a great one yet, which is why we're building Tucket. In a long distance relationship, voice notes are often the closest thing to having them next to you, but they get buried in chat threads.

10. Tucket (coming soon)

Tucket is a mobile app for iPhone and Android that's not released yet. You get a private "pocket" for your partner where you can record a sound live or save a voice note they sent you, and every sound has a photo of them on it. You can also keep favorite pics of them next to their sounds, turn photos of them into stickers, and share the pocket so you fill it together. There are no public profiles, no feed, and no strangers. Short clips play instantly, which is the point: their laugh, one tap away. See Tucket for long distance couples to join early access.

Until then, our guide on how to save voice messages shows how to keep the ones you already have.

How do you choose the right long distance apps?

Start from your biggest pain point, not the app store charts.

1. "We never get to just hang out." Add a watch-together tool: SharePlay or Teleparty.
2. "Our schedules never line up." Add async video (Marco Polo) and a shared calendar (Cupla).
3. "I want small check-ins all day." Add Locket Widget or a private couples app like Between.
4. "I miss hearing their voice." Save their voice notes somewhere you'll actually find them.

Then agree on it together. An app only works if you both open it. If you're also looking for apps for couples who live close, see our separate list of the best apps for couples.