If you’ve ever frantically scrolled through Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube trying to find a movie you know you saved “somewhere,” you’re not alone. In 2025, streaming watch lists remain frustratingly fragmented—trapped within individual apps, profiles, and devices. But a quiet tech movement called “federation” could finally solve this mess by letting your watch list travel freely across platforms.
Streaming services treat your watch list like personal property—locked inside their walled gardens. Netflix doesn’t talk to Disney+, Hulu ignores HBO Max, and Google’s ambient recommendations live in a different universe entirely. Even within one household, multiple user profiles add confusion: Was that documentary saved under your account, your partner’s, or your kid’s? The result? Forgotten titles, duplicated saves, and the slow erosion of joy in discovery.
The problem has only worsened as streaming choices exploded. According to recent data, the average U.S. household subscribes to 4.2 video services. Each offers its own bookmarking or “watch later” feature, but none sync across ecosystems. You can’t add a YouTube movie to your Plex queue or move a Prime Video recommendation into your Apple TV+ list. The industry’s lack of interoperability turns curation into clutter.
Federation—the same concept powering open social networks like Mastodon—could bring harmony to streaming chaos. In a federated model, your watch list wouldn’t live on a single company’s server. Instead, it would exist as a portable, user-controlled feed that syncs across services via open protocols. Think of it like RSS for your entertainment: add a title anywhere, and it appears everywhere you choose.
While no major streaming giant has fully embraced federation yet, groundwork is being laid. Projects like ActivityPub for Media (an experimental extension of the protocol behind Threads and Bluesky) are testing how watch events—“saved,” “watched,” “rated”—could be shared across apps. Indie players like Jellyfin and Stremio already offer limited cross-service syncing, proving users crave this functionality. Even Meta’s recent open-social push hints that big tech may soon see value in interoperability.
Unlike today’s data-hungry algorithms that trap you in recommendation loops, a federated watch list puts you in control. You’d decide which apps can read or write to your list, with no hidden tracking or forced logins. Want your local media server to know what you’re planning to watch on Max? Done. Prefer not to share viewing habits with advertisers? Easily configured. Federation shifts power back to the viewer.
Money—and ego. Streaming platforms rely on engagement metrics and captive audiences to justify their content investments. Opening their ecosystems risks losing that control. But as subscriber growth stalls and churn increases, services may realize that making life easier for users ultimately keeps them watching longer. Regulatory pressure around digital fairness could also accelerate change.
Imagine turning on any screen—smart TV, phone, or even a public kiosk—and instantly seeing your personal watch list, updated in real time, regardless of which app you used to save something. That future isn’t sci-fi; it’s technically feasible today. The missing ingredient? Industry will. Until then, frustrated viewers can support open-source projects, voice their demands on social media, and remember: your attention shouldn’t be held hostage by bad UX.
This holiday season, the best gift might not be a new show—but the freedom to find it, wherever it lives.
𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
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