If you’re one of the many users who have shared their Netflix password with friends or family, you’ve probably already felt the effects of the password-sharing ban. If you want to know more about the Netflix password-sharing ban, we have everything you need to know about it here.

When Did Netflix Stop Password Sharing?

Many of us are guilty of sharing our Netflix passwords outside of our households. In the past, doing so was a common practice. But in 2023 the streaming giant announced a crackdown on password sharing.

This announcement was met with its fair share of controversy as users debated whether Netflix should stop letting people share their passwords with family or friends and how Netflix’s password crackdown could backfire.

Netflix gave users a fair amount of warning regarding when the password-sharing ban would take effect, but as of May 2023, the change is now in full swing in over 100 countries.

Where Has Netflix Stopped Account Sharing?

Netflix has staggered the change. In a Netflix blog post in February 2023, the company announced the end of account-sharing in Spain, New Zealand, and Canada. Netflix mentioned in its Q1 2023 earnings report that it planned to conduct a broader rollout later that year.

This broader rollout took place in May 2023, when paid sharing was launched in 100 more countries, according to the company’s Q2 shareholder letter.

The purpose of the account sharing ban is to prevent users from piggybacking off other users’ accounts when they live in different households. According to the shareholder letter, new sign-ups exceeded cancelations, therefore improving overall revenue.

How Is Netflix Preventing Users From Sharing Passwords?

You are allowed to share your Netflix password with people in the same house as you. This isn’t changing, Netflix is just aiming to restrict access to the same household and internet connection.

According to the Netflix website, the way Netflix determines households is by noting the location of the primary account holder. It then gathers information on all profiles associated with the account by tracking IP addresses and device IDs to ascertain where and when you’re watching Netflix.

This information is then used to discern whether you are part of the same household or using the same internet connection.

Devices that aren’t in the same household as the primary device will be prompted to check in at the primary account location periodically or they could be locked out. A passcode will be sent to the main account holder.

If that’s you, grabbing and entering that code will be simple. If you aren’t the main account holder, however, it could be more cumbersome to get in touch with them and enter the code before it expires.

What Happens if Netflix Catches You Sharing Your Account?

If Netflix determines that you might be freeloading and piggybacking off someone else’s account, you will be gently prompted to either sign up for your own Netflix account or use the Transfer Profile feature.

This feature allows you to create a new account by transferring a profile that already exists on another account. Account holders can also add a member to their Netflix account who is outside their household. Adding a member is cheaper than creating an entirely new account, costing $7.99 per month.

This makes it a great option for parents who are still willing to pay for their children’s Netflix account when they are away at college or have moved out of home.

Can You Circumvent the Netflix Password-Sharing Ban?

Circumventing the password ban is possible if you have great communication that allows you to trade passcodes quickly and you can return home every month or so to check back in.

Alternatively, you can also bypass the password ban if you have a strong internet connection, a good router, and a VPN to trick the service into thinking you are still at the primary device location. But at the end of the day, circumventing the ban by tricking Netflix with a VPN is cumbersome and requires far more energy (and money) than simply signing up to Netflix yourself.

Many VPNs are subscription services in themselves. Swapping one subscription for another in the hopes of tricking Netflix becomes more effort than it’s worth. NordVPN, for example, which is one of the more popular VPN services, costs $12.99 per month for the standard plan. This is double the cost of a Standard (with ads) Netflix membership anyway.

So, at the end of the day, you could potentially hoodwink Netflix into believing you are part of the primary household, but you’re probably better off just subscribing to Netflix or adding an extra member to a Netflix account.