Subscribers in the US and UK can no longer share their Netflix password with friends and family for free unless those people live in the same household.
- Netflix has blocked remote account sharing in the United States and United Kingdom. Folks not part of the same household now must use their own account.
- Netflix has been preparing users for this change, and it’s now official. On May 23, 2023, Netflix emailed its US and UK subscribers about the change.
- Netflix provides a feature that lets those using someone else’s account transition to their own account without starting from scratch.
Netflix puts an end to account sharing in the US and UK
The announcement on the Netflix blog acknowledges that the block is now in place for subscribers in the United States, who can no longer share their accounts for free. Netflix announced this same change to its members in the United Kingdom.
Netflix previously rolled out the same restriction in a few other countries.
Those using someone else’s account can sign up for Netflix and transfer their profile. Or, as Netflix suggests, account owners can buy extra members for $8/month each to continue sharing their account with external users.
While $8/month is still cheaper than a standalone Netflix Basic, Standard or Premium plan, the extra member must live in the same country as the owner of the original account. Also, those who get their Netflix entertainment through bundled packages or third-party billed accounts can’t set up extra members.
The party is over!
The move could backfire, but Netlifx has few choices left because it has been running out of people eager to pay for its service. A support document on the Netflix website acknowledges that password sharing is now frowned upon.
“Netflix account is meant to be shared by people who live together in one household,” it reads, but you knew that already. The second sentence marks the end of the road for password sharers, at least in the US and UK. “People who are not in your household will need to sign up for their own account to watch Netflix.”
How to transfer your Netflix profile to a new account
Netflix lets people who don’t pay for their own account transfer their viewing history and other settings from the shared account to a separate one, including personalized recommendations, viewing history, the My List and saved games.
The account transfer process on Netflix requires logging into the shared Netflix account via a desktop browser. Next, click the profile icon and choose Transfer Profile from the menu. After supplying another account’s email address and password, the system will transfer profile data between the accounts.
Another person’s viewing history, recommendations, settings and more will be copied from their profile on the shared account to their own account. The original account’s owner will be notified after the transfer is complete.
The new account’s owner should ask the other guy to remove their profile from the shared account. The owner of the shared account may also want to remotely sign out any Netflix devices which belong to those no longer using their account.