It’s no secret that Netflix isn’t a fan of password sharing. During a recent earnings call, Netflix made it clear that it would end free password sharing in early 2023. After a year of trials in Canada, New Zealand, Spain and other markets, the Netflix password-sharing crackdown has started to roll out to the U.S. This guide will show you how to get around Netflix password sharing limitations and bypass household restrictions.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to share your Netflix account across different homes with a VPN.
Key Takeaways: Netflix Account and Password Sharing Workarounds
- Netflix has long indicated its intentions to end the common practice of password sharing among family and friends.
- The streaming giant spent a year testing its new password-sharing measures in countries including Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Learn more in our Netflix password sharing in Canada guide.
- On May 23, 2023, Netflix fully rolled out its new pricing plans, which include the ability to add other members at a cost, to the U.S., U.K. and around 100 other countries.
- To navigate through Netflix’s stringent measures, users can employ NordVPN’s advanced Meshnet technology. Based on our testing it allows for seamless streaming while ensuring your online activity remains private and untraceable. It’s an efficient workaround for the Netflix sharing restrictions and ensures a top-quality viewing experience.
On May 23, Netflix users around the globe received emails that the terms of their subscription have changed, and they will no longer be allowed to share their passwords with friends or family outside of their household. While some will be glad that their ex will no longer be leeching off their Netflix, most password sharers lamented the change.
Thankfully, the tech wizzes here at Cloudwards immediately worked out a way to get around the Netflix password-sharing ban. All it takes is a VPN, but you can’t just use any old VPN. You specifically need NordVPN and its ingenious feature called Meshnet (and it’s cheaper than adding a new member, too, as you can see in our NordVPN review). Read on to learn how to keep sharing your Netflix password.
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04/19/2023
Netflix confirmed in a shareholder letter that it plans to roll out the Netflix password sharing ban in Q2 2023. We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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05/23/2023
As of May 23, 2023, Netflix has officially started implementing its anti-password-sharing measures to the U.S., U.K. and other countries. We updated the article to include the latest information.
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Netflix changed its password-sharing policy on May 23, 2023. Changes previously came out during the first week of February but were quickly changed.
The New Rules for Netflix Password Sharing
Checking out the current help page that details Netflix’s password-sharing rules, we can see that the new account sharing rules have indeed been implemented.
Under the new rules, streaming devices associated with the primary account must use Netflix on the account holder’s home WiFi at least once within a 31-day window. A device not attached to the primary account requires a separate Netflix account. That is, unless the primary account holder pays for an “extra member.”
Paying for extra members and logging into Netflix from the primary account holder’s WiFi are the primary changes. Other elements of Netflix’s password-sharing policy in Chile include requesting a temporary passcode while traveling and unblocking devices.
In the U.S., adding an extra member would cost $7.99 per month — slightly cheaper than getting a new account entirely, but it’s still a steep asking price.
How to Get Around Netflix’s Password Sharing Crackdown
Since Netflix’s system now requires all of your devices to be connected to the same network, your friend or family member needs to make it seem like their traffic is coming from your household. Although this seems techy and complicated, it’s very easy to implement. All you need is NordVPN’s Meshnet.
If you install NordVPN on your device, you can use Meshnet for free. To use it, you first need to activate it on your home computer through the NordVPN app. Next, your friend should do the same, using the same NordVPN account, which can be used between up to six devices simultaneously.
Once your friend has activated Meshnet, they need to click on the button labeled “route traffic,” then select your device’s name. You can see your device name in the top left corner, under “this device.”
Now, all of their internet traffic will be routed through your device, as if it were a VPN server. This means that you’ll both have the same IP address, and Netflix will think that your friend is located in your household. Netflix’s anti-account-sharing systems won’t trigger, and you can keep sharing your account without having to pay extra.
How Does Netflix Know If You Are Sharing Passwords?
Netflix uses IP addresses, device IDs and your account activity to determine where an account signs in and on what device. Within a Netflix account that requires a primary location, a settings option called “manage primary location” uses the WiFi during verification.
Only a few countries in Latin America have the setting to manage a primary location. However, Netflix uses IP and device information for anyone logged into Netflix.
How Will Netflix Stop Password Sharing?
Under the new rules, any account that doesn’t log in to Netflix on the primary location’s WiFi within a 31-day window will lose access to the account. Additionally, if there isn’t an extra member paid for on the primary account, anyone outside the primary location won’t have access to Netflix.
It remains to be seen if Netflix plans to implement a different version of its new password-sharing rules from its pilot program in Latin American countries. The recently retracted update didn’t include the extra member payment option, only the 31-day login requirement.
How Device Verification Works
Netflix tracks the number of devices used to access an account. If a device outside of the Netflix household tries to log in to your account, Netflix may send a four-digit verification code to authorize the new device.
The primary account holder will get an email with the verification code. There’s also an option to receive a verification code through a mobile device. Entering the code within a 15-minute window authorizes the device to the Netflix app.
How Many People Can Watch Netflix on One Account?
Netflix determines the number of devices an account can authorize based on the purchased plan. The cheapest plan, called Basic with ads, costs $6.99 per month and supports one device. Netflix’s top plan, Premium, costs $19.99 per month and supports four devices at a time.
Netflix doesn’t limit the number of devices you can have on your account, only the number of devices you can watch simultaneously. Similarly, the most you can authorize with downloads is six on the Premium plan.
Is Netflix Charging for Sharing Passwords?
Currently, Netflix subscribers can’t access paid sharing; Netflix offers this option to purchase extra members in some Latin American countries. Extra members added to a primary account for a fee do not need to use the primary account location or log in to Netflix on the primary account’s home WiFi.
It is unclear if Netflix plans to roll that program out to all its account holders.
Can You Still Use Netflix With VPNs to Access Other Libraries?
Since Netflix walked back its updated password-sharing rules, if you currently use a VPN to access other Netflix libraries, that shouldn’t change in the near future.
Once the new Netflix password-sharing rules are in place, we will update this article to cover how VPNs interact with Netflix libraries. Until then, check out our articles that cover changing your Netflix region with a VPN and list the best VPN providers for Netflix.
What Is the Future for Sharing Netflix Passwords?
Despite its unpopularity, paying for extra members on a primary account could find its way beyond just Chile, Costa Rica and Peru. It might be cheaper to add an extra member — specifically for college students — than someone needing to create their own account.
Periodically reverifying a device might be an additional (and annoying, yet free) step to continue sharing your Netflix password. The only element that is certain about Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing is its plan to monetize passwords and make them harder to share with family and friends.
Final Thoughts
For the last year, Netflix has indicated its desire to slow down or eliminate the common practice of password sharing between family and friends. For a short this week, it looked like Netflix changed its password-sharing policy before it walked back the changes.
A pilot program in Latin America that consists of frequent logins on a home WiFi or paying a fee for additional members may become the standard. What the future of Netflix account sharing looks like is still being determined. One thing is for sure: Netflix will continue the pursuit of ending password sharing.
How do you feel about the possible new rules for Netflix password sharing? Will you stay with Netflix or cancel your account? Let us know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading our article.
The post How to get around Netflix Password Sharing in 2023: Bypassing Guide appeared first on Cloudwards.
