Gather

Play without a TV: your iPhone as the host

Board, card and dice games don’t need a big screen. Your iPhone (or iPad or Mac) becomes the host, and everyone else plays along on their own phone.

  1. Go to “Play without a TV”

    In the “Play” tab, scroll down to “Play without a TV”. Only games that work without a shared screen are listed there.

  2. Tap a game

    Tap a tile, such as Thirty-One or Little Max. A small panel opens with your options; for Chess you also pick the time control here.

  3. Invite friends

    Tap “Invite a friend” (for Chess) or “Invite friends”. Your iPhone becomes the board and now shows up on the Wi‑Fi as a host.

  4. Share the code

    The “Invite a friend” card shows the room code in large type. “Share invitation” sends the code and a link in a message.

  5. Friends join

    Anyone with Gather enters the code in the “Play” tab under “Play on the TV” – the app finds your iPhone on the Wi‑Fi. Without the app, they open the shared link in a browser.

  6. Ready, set, go

    Everyone taps “Ready”. Once all are ready, the game starts or someone taps “Start game”.

Which games work without a TV

Chess, Stack Rush, Crazy Mau, Four in a Row, Nine Men’s Morris, Checkers, Rummy, Sea Battle, Five Dice, Little Max and Thirty-One. Party games such as Village at Night, Sketch Round or Quiz Night need the shared screen on an Apple TV, iPad or Mac.

The host keeps the room alive

The room lives on the host’s device, so keep Gather open there. If the host leaves the room, it closes for everyone.