this is how the company controls the sharing of your account
Netflix is going to end sharing your account. The company has now clarified how this is controlled. How does this work?
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Netflix makes account sharing more difficult
Netflix recently announced that the company wants to end account sharing. Account sharing is becoming an increasing problem for Netflix. The streaming service had to deal with a declining number of subscribers for the first time in ten years last year, making it time for Netflix to intervene.
Read also: Netflix: from the first quarter of 2023, password sharing will cost money
Netflix does this, among other things, by checking whether you share your Netflix account with someone. Sharing the account has always been prohibited in principle, but Netflix never checked it. This is now coming to an end and Netflix has given more clarity about how the company will enforce these rules. Below we explain how Netflix sees it if you share your account with someone.
Netflix has been testing several ways to check if someone is sharing their account over the past few years. For example, the company has checked whether an account is shared based on the IP address, the ID of a device and the activity on an account. Based on this information, Netflix will now check whether you are connected to your own WiFi network.
If a new device tries to log in to your Netflix account via a different network, you must share a code with this device. With this code, this device can access the Netflix account for seven consecutive days, after which a code must be shared again.
It is therefore still allowed to share your Netflix account with roommates or family members who live at the same address. As long as you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network, there’s no problem sharing the account. Do you share your account with friends or does your family no longer live at an address? Then you will notice something of the new measures.
Watch at least once a month via WiFi network
What this means in practice for the main user of the account is not yet clear. Netflix does advise that you watch a movie or series on the streaming service via your own WiFi network at least once every 31 days, so that the main user does not have to enter a verification code. If this does not happen, you may also have to enter a code as the main user.
Read also: Watch Netflix offline (this is how you can download movies and series)
This code is one-off, after which you will have unlimited access to your Netflix account as the main user (provided you reconnect to your own WiFi network within 31 days). It is not clear how this works if you are on a long journey or if you move house. In any case, it is hoped that you will not have to enter a code for your own Netflix account every seven days.
New feature: transfer profile
Netflix has now introduced a new feature that allows users to transfer their existing profile to a new account. This way you won’t lose your entire viewing history if you have to transfer your account, because you are no longer allowed to share the Netflix account. This function is already available in the Netherlands, you can find it in the following way:
- Open the Netflix app;
- Tap on your profile at the top right;
- Go to ‘Account’;
- Scroll down and choose ‘Profile Transfers’;
- Tap “Enable Profile Transfers.”
When will Netflix start checking?
Netflix has not yet specified a specific date on which the company will start checking whether you share your account. The company has said that sharing Netflix will no longer be allowed from the beginning of 2023. The checks will therefore probably start in the first quarter and will not be long in coming.
It is not yet entirely clear what will happen if you do continue to share your account. Netflix will probably first ask for a certain amount before the code is given that is needed to log in the new device. Whether the company will actually attract more subscribers with this remains to be seen, the company has already received a lot of criticism. It is therefore quite possible that the number of subscribers will decrease with the new strategy.
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