As of May 23, 2023, in the United States, Netflix stopped password sharing between account members and individuals outside their household, but users have a few options. For years, the streaming platform giant made it simple for users living together to take their existing login information and access a shared account by simply making different profiles, but now it wants new subscribers. Members who currently only share their account with people in their immediate household won't be adversely affected by this new regulation, and can still access most of their basic features while traveling or at home, as well as some new features that will make their experience more streamlined.
Reports had been looming since 2022, and by March of that year, Netflix was already testing features that would be implemented in its password-sharing regulations. The most significant changes will apply to all those Netflix account holders who share access to their accounts with people who live outside their immediate household. Netflix's password-sharing regulations don't constitute a total ban on who can access a subscriber's account, but it does mean changes to how members share a Netflix account. This includes adding additional members on top of what they already pay every month, transferring accounts to make sure they only include household members, and other options that vary by price point.
Why Netflix Is Removing Password Sharing
The streaming giant has decided to crackdown on password sharing outside of households ever since it reported losing subscribers last year. "The figures say it all. Netflix lost nearly a million subscribers between April and July 2022 as people decided to quit the service." (via Forbes). That same June, Netflix implemented advertisements to its service for subscribers who didn't mind watching ads if it meant a lower monthly rate and now, anyone "borrowing" from someone else's Netflix account is going to need to pay for their own subscription from a variety of different plan options designed around every subscriber's budgetary needs.
At a time when Netflix subscribers are already complaining about the worst Netflix originals remaining while new programming gets canceled, Netflix maintains that the loss of users is impacting their revenue and ability to invest in "great new TV and films" at (via Netflix). The company has gone from touting a "sharing is caring" mentality five years ago to drawing a line in the sand as it faces streaming competition from Hulu, Disney+, and Prime. As earning projects remain dim, Netflix has found a way to look for new ways to bring in subscribers, but there are a few ways around it for members with existing accounts.
4 Netflix Users With A Standard Plan Can Add 1 Extra Member For $7.99
The good news is that password sharing isn't gone for good, just not free, and it's only for a specific plan. Currently, a Basic with ads is $6.99 a month, a Basic without ads is $9.99, and a separate Standard Plan, which allows Netflix subscribers to add 1 extra member outside their immediate household to their account per month for $7.99, is $15.49. Right now, subscribers with the Standard Plan are the only ones allowed to have an additional account-sharing slot at nearly 50% of the monthly price, and though an extra member will have their own username and login, the owner of the account will ultimately foot the bill.
3 Netflix Users With A Premium Plan Can Add 2 Extra Members For $7.99
If Netflix account holders have the Premium Plan, they pay $19.99, and can add up to two extra member accounts for people outside their immediate household for $7.99 each. Each of these individuals will have a profile with their own login and password, as well as personalized recommendations, but it does mean that two additional member accounts will cost the same price as a Premium Plan of their own, which may encourage some individuals who previously "borrowed" a friends' account to get their own. As always, Premium Plan subscribers can download content on 6 supported devices, and can watch 4k movies on Netflix with Netflix spatial audio.
2 Existing Netflix Profiles Can Be Transferred To A New Account
If Netflix subscribers have several additional profiles from viewers outside their household still connected to the account, they have an option to transfer them to new accounts of their own. As Netflix continues its crackdown, anyone with a profile outside the subscribers' household will receive a prompt to sign up for their own Netflix membership with the Basic with ads, Basic, Standard, and Premium plans available for purchase. All Netflix account holders can manage their profiles (and those of their added extra members) under the "Manage Access and Devices" section, which includes "Transfer Profile" and anything else they need to streamline their Netflix experience.
1 Netflix's Ad-Tier Is The Cheapest Option For An Individual Account
The cheapest option for an individual account is Netflix's ad-tier, which is the Basic Plan with ads for $6.99 a month. It's supported on 2 devices at a time, and like the rest of the plans, has spaces for up to 5 additional profiles for individuals residing in the same household. Unfortunately, resolution is only 720p HD, and Netflix account holders won't have the ability to download their content onto separate devices, but it could be perfect for a Netflix subscriber who doesn't mind watching a few ads with their favorite TV shows and movies.
As Netflix subscribers start to make changes to their accounts so that they're aligned with the streaming platforms' intent for password-sharing within one household, the plan ranges and features could change. With over 100 million households sharing Netflix accounts, fans have a lot of entertainment choices these days, and the confusion around multiple streaming may impact their desire to stay with the platform. Netflix will have to see if its password-sharing regulations are worth it as it continues to improve its service in the years ahead, and fans will decide if the new TV and films it produces from the windfall of new subscribers will be worth the cost.