Netflix password sharing is ending in 2023, which is leaving folks with a lot of questions. How will Netflix stop password sharing, for example, and what will the new fee be?
In this article, I will share everything known so far about Netflix’s password sharing crackdown. I’ll also keep it updated as new information arrives.
So here’s everything you need to know about the end of Netflix password sharing.
Why is Netflix ending password sharing?
People have been sharing their Netflix passwords for years, and the streaming giant actually used to encourage the practice. Who could forget that Netflix tweet back in 2017: “Love is sharing a password,” it wrote.
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At the time, Netflix’s strategy was much more about eyeballs on screens—it didn’t care who shared their passwords if a ton of people were watching. But five years later, things are very different.
Netflix is struggling financially against growing competition from other streamers such as Disney, and that’s on top of the global economic downturn. The figures say it all—Netflix lost nearly a million subscribers between April and July 2022 as people decided to quit the service.
Netflix has tried putting its prices up, but it’s not enough to allow the streaming giant to invest in new content. There are 100 million people sharing passwords, and Netflix wants to monetise them.
When is Netflix ending password sharing?
In April 2023, Netflix confirmed the end of password sharing will happen before July this year in what appears to be a delay to the changes. Netflix said it would delay the password sharing crackdown in the U.S. and other countries to the end of the second quarter, after originally stating it would happen in Q1.
Netflix’s password sharing crackdown began in Latin America in 2022 and as of February 8, it has started to roll out in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.
The firm began notifying U.S. users on May 23 that password sharing would end. In the following days, it had its biggest growth in sign-ups since January 2019, according to new data from research company Antenna. In fact, the research showed new user numbers per day surged to 73,000 between May 25 and 28—a 102% increase.
How much is Netflix charging for password sharing?
The fee for password sharing varies in different markets. As of May 2023, Netflix has now outlined how much it will charge in the U.K. and the U.S., in addition to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, and Latin America where it first rolled out the changes.
For those who want to carry on sharing their Netflix credentials, in the U.K and U.S., the streaming giant has added an option called “buy an extra member” costing $7.99 for folks in the U.S. and £4.99 for U.K. users.
How will Netflix know if I am sharing my account?
Netflix will have ways of knowing if you are still sharing your account with someone outside of your household. That’s because the streaming service collects a lot of data about you, including what you watch, where you watch it, the location of your home, and device IDs. This information can be used to ascertain whether it’s you watching or someone in another household.
In countries where the password sharing crackdown is active, Netflix is tracking who shares their accounts via the devices used to connect to the platform. It will enforce the end of password sharing by asking devices to “check in” periodically in your home location around once a month. If you have kids at college, they could check their devices in when they are home, if they can get back every 31 days.
Netflix describes in its shareholder letter how you will still be able to use your devices outside of your home once the crackdown begins. “As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don’t live with,” the letter reads. “As is the case today, all members will be able to watch while traveling, whether on a TV or mobile device."
When Netflix detects that someone outside of the household is sharing the password, it will block the device and give them the option to add their own account.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed this method will be used globally, but it looks likely it will be similar when password sharing ends across the world.
Setting your primary location and other new Netflix settings
Explaining the new system, Netflix has outlined how people will now need to set their primary location, so devices can log in periodically to prove they are a household account.
“We will help members set this up, ensuring that anyone who lives in their household can use their Netflix account,” Netflix promised as it detailed how the changes would work in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.
Netflix has also set up a page for people to Manage Account Access and Devices to allow people to manage who has access to their account.
Another new feature to encourage people to set up their own account instead of sharing with someone else is Transfer Profile. “People using an account can now easily transfer a profile to a new account, which they pay for—keeping their personalised recommendations, viewing history, My List and saved games,” Netflix said.
Netflix assures you that you can still watch while you travel and log into a new TV, for example, at a hotel or holiday rental.
“We value our members and recognize that they have many entertainment choices,” Netflix wrote. “A Netflix account is intended for one household and members can choose from a range of plans with different features. As always, we’ll refine these new features based on member feedback so that we continue to improve Netflix in the years ahead.”
While the changes will differ in other parts of the world in line with feedback, you can expect these new features to apply everywhere.
Check back to this article and my Forbes profile for updates and how-to articles explaining the new Netflix features.
How can I save money while still using Netflix?
Netflix offers various levels of accounts, including a bells and whistles 4K Premium version. If you are already on the top version and you don’t need it, it makes sense to scale back—Netflix allows you to choose Premium 4K, Standard HD (1080p), Basic HD (720p) and Basic with adverts. The ad-supported Netflix package is only a third of the price of the HD setting, so you can save a lot of cash.
Granted, ads can be annoying, but even the basic plan is just over a third of the premium. You can make any changes to your package in your Account settings.
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Update June 12 at 11:40 EST
This article was updated to add details of pricing for password sharing as well as new data showing an uptick in subscriber numbers.
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Update April 19 at 11:55 EST
This article was updated to add details about a delay to Netflix’s password sharing crackdown following the firm’s results announcement.
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Update February 9 at 04:10 EST
This article was first published on February 7.
It was updated on February 9 to include details about the Netflix password sharing changes in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. This includes the price for sharing passwords in these markets and the new Netflix Settings such as Transfer Profile and Manage Account Access and Devices.
