Netflix is putting an end to password-sharing among users as a strategy to increase subscriptions on the platform. Well, this is both good news and bad news for Netflix account holders since some users were using a single account with several friends, or family members.
On the contrary, some users were depended on to provide their password for another colleague to watch for free without any pay, but when trust goes south, the account gets hijacked or stolen in the process leaving the original user with no access to their own account they created.
Now, given the rising popularity of movies, cartoons, and TV show screening across the world, Netflix has chosen a path of limiting password-sharing to a single household. In summary, only members of a family leaving together are able to watch using the same Netflix account.
As a rule, you are required to log in to your Netflix account every 31 days, failure to do so, your Netflix account will be blocked. This is one of the major measures the Netflix password-sharing taskforce is putting into place to ensure that a user does not share their account password with anyone else.
How is Netflix stopping password sharing, and detecting my account activity?
Every device connected to the Internet has a unique mac address and IP Address. In your local network, your WiFi router is responsible to assign IP Addresses to all devices in your home. Now, Netflix is using that IP Address and Device ID (Mac address) information to know who the original account owner is, and the rest of the devices using your Netflix account.
Can I use my Netflix account away from home?
Yes, you can use your Netflix away from home, for example when traveling or out on a short trip. For longer trips, you have to request temporary access codes valid for 7days straight. Failure to access Netflix again from your home network may result into suspension of your account. When changing permanent locations, you have to change the primary location using the Netflix App.
How Netflix knows that you’re sharing your account.
Netflix uses the primary account mechanism to know the original owner, and his household network. Any deviation from the primary owner’s subnet will lead to Netflix blocking your account for good. By this, the primary account has full privileges and any secondary users must be connected to the same network.
How many devices are permitted to use the same Netflix account in the same location?
Depending on your Netflix package, your account may be limited to 1 viewing screen at a time. If you upgrade to a higher plan, your account will have the privilege of connecting 2 to 4 users watching at the same time as listed below.
| Basic With Ads | Basic | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE (PER MONTH) | $6.99 per Month | $9.99 | $15.49 | $19.99 |
| QUALITY | HD | HD | Full HD | Ultra HD (4K) |
| MAXIMUM DEVICES | 1 Device | 1 Device | 2 Devices | 4 Devices |
How does Netflix detect devices in my household location?
Netflix uses background pingbacks to find and identify devices connected to the same local network as you. By default, the pingbacks are sent using the broadcast address 255.255.255.255 on private networks. Each device IP address and device ID is identified, then authorized to use your Netflix account without any action required from you.
How to still share your Netflix account password with Friends
Now that Netflix is embarking on limiting how many users can use the same account, the only way you can still share the same account password with friends and family in distant locations is through creating a joint VPN. Once you have a router-level VPN setup, you will have a single IP Address you and your friends can use.
In summary, Netflix just became harder and harder to use, whichever strategist came up with the idea of blocking user accounts after 31 days of inactivity or suspected to be sharing the account password, just buried Netflix alive. So, if you are looking to do away with Netflix, you can either delete your account or consider some of its alternatives.