Netflix will stop you from sharing your account, and this is how they’ll do it

Netflix continues with its projects, as usual. The company has left us with a new month of great news, but this is not the only thing that concerns the firm. During the previous months it has also been behind something really feared by all the users who share their accounts with friends and family, and today it seems that we have more information on how the system that stops you from sharing accounts works.

Netflix will use your IP to detect if you share an account

For years, sharing a Netflix account with family or friends has been a constant that has allowed many to enjoy the high-quality content they see on the platform. However, they do not like this since it directly affects their income. Hence the idea of establishing a system that prevents users from sharing their accounts with other people.

The news was broken by Netflix itself, which published more data in their FAQ page. Following what the firm itself says, which makes it clear in the first lines of the section 'Sharing Netflix with someone who doesn't live with you': "People who do not live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix.”

Full screen

It goes on to say that if you sign in from a device outside your home or view content on a regular basis from another external device, they will ask you to verify it before using it. This will be done with a code that the account holder will receive on their side and which must be entered within 15 minutes. This is just a verification, so you won't be automatically charged if you share your account with someone else.

And in case you're wondering, yes, Netflix will use different indicators to find out which devices are in your home.These are none other than IP addresses, device identifiers, and device account activity.

In short, sharing your account with several non-living people may soon end.

Full screen

What if I want to use Netflix elsewhere or I travel?

Of course, a question arises here and that is that since it is an online service you can use it whenever and wherever you want. In these cases, the VOD platform tells you that you will have nothing to worry about since if you are the main account holder you will only have to verify your account as a security measure. After that, all you have to do is continue viewing the content as you normally would.

Pay to maintain profiles or switch to a new account

These two are the only alternatives you have as a user to maintain at least your Netflix profile. On the one hand, the company is testing its additional surcharge per user with whom you share your account. It has already started to be tested in some South American countries, charging $3 USD per instance.

The other option is 'get out of the group' and pay for Netflix on your own. In that case, if you don't want to lose your profile data, it's best to use the Profile Transfer tool.