Screen Pass, a movie-sharing function introduced by Movies Anywhere during COVID-19 lockdowns, will shortly be discontinued, the company announced on Wednesday.

Despite the announcement, Disney has refused to provide a reason for such a move, according to Engadget. 

The Platform's Core Service Will Remain Intact

Today, a well-liked component of the Movies Anywhere service, which is owned by Disney, was revealed as being discontinued.

Users of Movies Anywhere can offer someone access to their favorite film without losing it by using Screen Pass.

In essence, it served as a means for friends to exchange digital movie collections, but, that will shortly be permanently closing.

On May 1st, 2023, users will not be able to send a Screen Pass to a friend, according to Movies Anywhere, and the Screen Pass Cheat feature will stop being supported on June 1st.

"We are committed to focusing on an experience which highlights the things our users are most passionate about, primarily growing their collections and watching their favorite movies across platforms and devices," Disney says.

Unknown as to why this function is being discontinued, the expense of the service is probably not justified given the small number of users.

The majority of individuals now subscribe to services to watch movies, so there are fewer clients buying digital movies lately.

Without divulging login information, Screen Pass users can give three movie passes per month to friends or family, Engadget writes.

Sending a link through text, email, or instant messaging that gives the receiver seven days to accept and fourteen days to start watching is possible.

This is as long as Movies Anywhere users have used the service to redeem a code during the previous six months.

Read More: Here's Your First Look at the New Disney Animated Series 'Kiff' 

Disney's Move Follows Netflix's Lead In Sharing Crackdown

Businesses underwent significant transformation in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic-some to survive, some to win over customers.

The ability for users to watch movies and TV shows simultaneously was a major focus for streaming services.

Movies Anywhere is now curtailing its sharing possibilities as Netflix gets ready for a significant crackdown on password sharing, the firm stated as per Game Spot. 

Launched in 2014, Movies Anywhere synchronizes digital movie and television purchases made on several websites and apps, including the Apple TV app, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and Microsoft.

Thankfully, the platform's primary functionality is still available, although sharing your purchases with others will soon necessitate one's presence in the same area (or explore alternate methods).

One of the first streaming providers to embrace the sharing revolution was Movies Anywhere, which introduced Screen Pass in March 2020.

Watch Together, which lets you view movies with other users in a shared online stream, is another function the service is discontinuing support for.

As this is going on, Netflix is emphasizing password and account sharing and charging extra for subscribers to view from places other than their homes.

Related Article: The Disney+ App Has a Hidden 8-Minute Film