Netflix, the streaming giant, recently changed its stance on account sharing, a move that could have a significant impact on its user base. In this article, we’ll outline the guidelines and show you how to find and exploit loopholes in the new Netflix password sharing policy.
Understanding Netflix’s password sharing policy change
Netflix’s long-debated account sharing policy has undergone a major change. Netflix strictly limits password sharing outside of a single household because it has a significant impact on their bottom line and consequently reduces their ability to invest in new content. The crackdown is rooted in the need to strengthen the company’s financial forecasts, especially as competition from other streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu increases.
Impact on Netflix users
Users who share their Netflix account with individuals outside of their family are facing a new reality. People sharing within the same household will still be able to use services like “Profile Transfer” and “Access and Device Management,” but others will have to pay additional fees or change their usage habits. Netflix’s May 2023 announcement caused inconvenience and adverse effects for users in more than 100 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Brazil. Sure, the margins would have been better.
It costs 5000 won to share!
Sharing your Netflix account with viewers outside of your home is no longer a free-for-all. A new $7.99/month surcharge was introduced earlier in the US for these external shares. This adjustment means that the cost of maintaining a Netflix account will increase significantly, especially for those who want to add “extra members” from other households. South Korea also announced such a policy on November 2, just today. Netflix says on its website that “a Netflix account is for you and the people who live with you, i.e., members of a household.” The company then announced that users who wanted to share an account with someone not in the same household would have to pay an additional 5,000 won per month.
South Korean users are fortunate in that some countries, such as Japan, India, and Vietnam, don’t support additional membership features at all.
Netflix hasn’t yet said how many additional members it will allow domestically, but based on international examples that have adopted the same policy first, it seems likely that Premium accounts will be able to create a maximum of two paid additional member profiles, and Standard accounts will be able to create one.
What’s your strategy for adapting to the new regulations?
In response to these changes, users are looking for ways to adapt without spending extra money. Here are some strategies
1. Connect to your home Wi-Fi periodically
Devices connected to the account holder’s home Wi-Fi are automatically considered authorized to use Netflix. So signing in to these devices while connected to your home network can be a temporary workaround. This strategy is a bit cumbersome. This is because you’ll need to go to the account holder’s home on a regular basis to access it.
2. Change your viewing habits
An interesting loophole exists for people who typically stream from mobile devices, tablets, or computers. Unless users are streaming on smart TVs or devices like Roku and Apple TV, they don’t need to assign family members to their account, so they can avoid additional charges.
As long as you’re streaming content to devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers, nothing changes. Casting a display from your phone to your TV, or connecting your laptop to your TV via an HDMI connection, means you can enjoy your content on a bigger screen without paying an extra monthly fee.
Conclusion
Netflix’s new password sharing policy marks an important turning point in the streaming service’s history. The policy aims to bolster Netflix’s revenue streams and fund new content, but it also forces users to rethink how they share and access their accounts. Understanding and leveraging the nuances of the new regulations shouldn’t change anything.
