Netflix is now detailing how it aims to maintain password sharing within a household while cracking down on outside usage. The company aims to curtail account sharing this year by asking people to pay extra money to use the streaming service outside the household for extended periods of time.
The streaming giant has shared terms detailing how it plans to control the experience within a household. It has updated its FAQ pages for countries where it is already testing extra membership fees for account sharing — Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.
These new terms ask people to define a primary location through their TV. All the accounts and devices should be connected to the same Wi-Fi as the TV.
“A primary location is set by a TV that is signed into your account and is connected to your Wi-Fi network. All other devices signed into your account on that Wi-Fi network will be associated with your primary location and will be able to use Netflix,” it says.
If a user doesn’t set a primary location or doesn’t have a TV, Netflix will automatically set a primary location based on IP address, device IDs and activity.
After that, people living in this home who want to use Netflix on their own devices have to launch the app at home at least once every 31 days.
“To ensure that your devices are associated with your primary location, connect to the Wi-Fi at your primary location, open the Netflix app or website, and watch something at least once every 31 days,” the company says on its support page.
But what if you grabbed an iPad before leaving the house for a long train ride but you rarely use this iPad at home? Chances are the device won’t be associated with your household when you try to watch something on the go. In that case, you can ask the main account holder to verify the device for you. The account holder will receive a code that they can relay to the person who is traveling. If the verification is successful the traveling member can watch Netflix for seven more days without any additional prompt.
It’s unclear if you can request temporary codes several times in a row. For instance, some students would rather request a code from their parents every week instead of paying for Netflix. These conditions also prevent folks from using Netflix through VPN connections for a long period of time.
The streaming company has made a ton of efforts to get more paying users on its platform. In November, it launched a cheaper $6.99 ad-supported monthly plan in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan, Korea and Brazil. Meanwhile, it has also launched tools to kick devices off a subscription and transfer a profile from one membership to another to stop account sharing.
All these efforts have brought in more subscribers to the service. During its recent Q4 2022 quarterly results, the company said it added 7.7 million subscribers — much higher than the anticipated 4.5 million additions.
Netflix will go through a product overhaul under the new co-CEO Greg Peters (formerly COO) after founder Reed Hastings stepped down from the post last month. At the same time, the company said that it will crack down on password sharing “more broadly” in the coming months. Extra member fees will likely come to more countries soon.
Update 02/02/2023 7.50 PM IST: After the publishing of the story, Netflix clarified that it has not finalized the policy for US-based users. “Later in Q1, we expect to start rolling out paid sharing more broadly,” the company told The Verge. The company briefly updated the US page with the above-mentioned rules but retracted them later.
FAQs
Netflix is now detailing how it aims to maintain password sharing within a household while cracking down on outside usage. The company aims to curtail account sharing this year by asking people to pay extra money to use the streaming service outside the household for extended periods of time.
What happens if someone outside your household uses your Netflix account? ›
Share Netflix with someone who doesn't live with you
People who are not in your household will need to sign up for their own account to watch; or in many countries you can buy an extra member slot to add an extra member to your account.
How Netflix details how it plans to stop password-sharing outside family? ›
Netflix will prompt users who try to sign into your account elsewhere to sign up for their own account instead and block their access until they do. Netflix will NOT begin automatically charging account holders whose information is used outside of their homes.
How does Netflix know if you are in a different household? ›
We use information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity to determine whether a device signed into your account is part of your Netflix Household. We do not collect GPS data to try to determine the precise physical location of your devices.
How does Netflix know if you are traveling? ›
Using Netflix while traveling is a straightforward process. Simply log in as usual, and Netflix will automatically adjust its content library based on your current location, using IP address detection.
Can I use Netflix at two different locations? ›
A Netflix account is for use by one household. Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are — at home, on the go, on holiday — and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices. We recognize that our members have many entertainment choices.
Can I watch Netflix in my second home? ›
Second home or frequent travel to the same location
From the main place you watch Netflix, connect to the internet, open the Netflix app or go to Netflix.com on a web browser on your portable device once a month, and stream a TV show or movie for a few seconds to establish a connection.
How will Netflix enforce password sharing? ›
How Does Netflix Know When Users Are Password Sharing? Netflix employs a sophisticated system to detect password sharing. The primary tool in this system is the analysis of IP addresses, which allows Netflix to determine the geographical locations from which an account is accessed.
How is Netflix restricting password sharing? ›
How will Netflix stop you from sharing your password? Going forward, Netflix will ask anyone using an account on a streaming device that isn't associated with the account owner's household to enter a four-digit verification code that will be sent to the primary email address or phone number associated with the account.
How will Netflix address password sharing? ›
Under Netflix's updated password-sharing rules, it's fine for multiple people to use and share one account, provided they all live together. So if you're a family or a friendship group that lives together under the same roof your viewing won't be affected. You can keep sharing your account as one household.
Netflix can see your IP address when you log in to their account on your device. However, they cannot see your location unless you have enabled location services on your device.
What to do if Netflix says not part of household? ›
This message means Netflix wasn't able to associate your device with your Netflix Household. If you signed in to Netflix from a device that is not part of your Netflix Household, you can create an account to fix the issue.
Does Netflix check location? ›
Netflix uses data like IP addresses to determine where someone is located. Subscribers with the two highest-tier service plans, Standard and Premium, will also be able to add up to two extra members outside their household for an additional monthly fee.
Does Netflix check IP addresses? ›
"They only want people in your household, at your address, watching." Netflix says on its website that the company uses "IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity from devices signed into the Netflix account" to determine which devices are in the same household.
Why is Netflix asking me to confirm my household? ›
This message means Netflix wasn't able to associate your TV with your Netflix Household. If you signed in to Netflix from a device that's not part of your Netflix Household, you may need to verify your device to watch Netflix.
Is there a penalty for sharing Netflix accounts? ›
Only people who live under the same roof can share accounts, the streaming company says. So you have two options: transfer your friends and family members mooching off your account to a new membership or share your Netflix account for an additional $8 monthly fee.
Can you get in trouble for using someone else's Netflix account? ›
The member who created the Netflix account and whose Payment Method is charged (the "Account Owner") is responsible for any activity that occurs through the Netflix account…. We can terminate your account or place your account on hold in order to protect you, Netflix or our partners from… fraudulent activity.”
Is it illegal to use someone's Netflix account without permission? ›
According to the IPO, people who "password share" are also opening themselves to criminal charges for breaching "secondary copyright infringement."
Can you get in trouble for using someone's Netflix account? ›
Sharing your password with a family member or friend who is not in your household is therefore a technical breach of Netflix's terms of use.
