End of account sharing, how does it work?

It won’t soon be possible to lend your Netflix credentials to a friend or family member who doesn’t live under your roof. After testing this new rule, the American platform announced to its subscribers It is in the process, as of Tuesday, May 23, to restrict in more than a hundred countries the use of the subscription to residents of the same domicile.

Is this change really effective?

Currently, subscribers using a group account have received an email informing them of these changes, and encouraging them to “Disconnect devices that should not have access” to their account or pay an additional €5.99 per month to continue sharing their account with him Someone who does not live [avec eux] ». Wanted, a platform spokesperson specifies that this change will be rolled out over the next few weeks.

Why does this post end?

Since it is possible to create multiple profiles on the same account, subscribers shared their username and password with third parties. After being recognized for a long time or even validated This practice, Netflix finally decided that it was a system diversion, and seeing it as a deficit, decided to restrict this sharing.

In effect since February in Spain, Portugal, New Zealand and Canada, the new system was first tested last year in some Latin American countries, according to El Pais. The general goal of the maneuver: to attract more subscribers. The platform (which claims just over 230 million subscribers worldwide) estimates that 100 million households use a relative account in lieu of paying for a subscription.

Netflix has not yet sent an assessment of its new policy in countries where it has already been implemented. However, the platform lost 1 million users in Spain in the first quarter of 2023, according to a study by Kantar conducted by Bloomberg and El Pais.

How will Netflix identify devices that belong to the same household?

Users wishing to share a Netflix account must, according to the company, “living in the same house”And No sharing the same internet connection.

To see if a device connected to Netflix already belongs to the same household, company Claims dependence on three criteria : IP address (device identifier – computer, TV, phone, tablet – on the Internet), Device ID But also “account activity”. Netflix specifies that it does not collect GPS data for Netflix Determine the exact physical location of your devices.

It will be possible to adjust the home appliances from the TV connected to the Netflix account. If the subscriber does not have a TV, Netflix will set up the home automatically.

What happens if we are on the move?

It is possible to use your Netflix account outside your home from a device registered by the platform as part of your household for short trips or vacations. In order for Netflix to continue to consider the device used as part of the family, and thus to continue accessing the platform, it will be necessary to connect to the home Wi-Fi address regularly. Netflix doesn’t want to give an exact order of volume, but it’s about one access per month.

So it would theoretically be possible to continue sharing an account with one or more devices, provided they return regularly to connect to Wi-Fi.

How much will it cost to add a user?

To continue sharing your account with someone without the latter regularly connecting to their home Wi-Fi, you now have to pay €5.99 per month and per additional user. These people will have an account Completely separate from the home that pays the subscriptionand thus their username and password.

However, not all current offers allow you to share your account with other users.. The most expensive subscription formula, the premium one at € 17.99, can therefore be shared with two people; the “standard” formula with one person; The two cheapest offers, Standard with Ad or Basic, don’t allow you to share your account at all.

Additionally, adding a user is also reserved for those who subscribe directly to Netflix rather than through a partner.

What happens to their profile if they use Netflix on someone else’s account?

Users who previously used Netflix from a third party account will be able to transfer their profile (watch history, favorites, etc.) to a new subscription that they will pay for themselves.