Being the best streaming service to watch movies and TV shows using the internet, Netflix has been around for a while. If you are living in the US, UK, or any country where cable TV is priced pretty high, you might be a Netflix user who depends on the service to keep up with your favorite series or newly released movies. As a cheap service to keep watching several types of entertainment pieces, Netflix is very popular in European and American countries, not so less, in the rest of the world as well.
So, if you own a Netflix account, you might want to know about sharing it with someone else in your family or friends. With good intentions, sharing your Netflix account with your Dad or Mom living in the same house is not a big problem. Purchasing separate accounts for each of the family members is not an ideal solution as well. Especially if you are watching it on your own device such as a smartphone instead of a television where everyone can sit around in front of it and enjoy the show.
In this article, we are going to break down all your questions about sharing your Netflix account and how to do it safely without getting banned from Netflix. There have been several policy changes to Netflix account sharing in the past to limit the drastic sharing of accounts between people without purchasing a subscription. So, before we start, let us warn you about it. We never recommend sharing your Netflix credentials with people who live outside your city, or even friends who don’t have a Netflix account. If you do, you may end up on the blacklist and your account may get banned as soon as they figure it out.
Can I share my Netflix Account?
The simple answer is YES. You can share your Netflix account with a limited number of people. By sharing, what we mean is that people can access your account using your credentials and browse through the movies. But watching it simultaneously at the same time is a completely different thing.
In order to watch movies or TV shows on 2 or more devices, you should at least have the Standard Netflix plan (more details in the next section.) So, technically, you can share your credentials with your family members, and they can get access to your Netflix account.
So, basically, this means that you can share the Netflix username and password with as many people as you want (if you want to), and all of them can access the service but won’t be able to enjoy the actual benefit of Netflix which is watching the videos.
For example, let’s say, you have the basic plan which only allows 1 connection at a time. If your friend whom you have shared your credentials with is already watching something on Netflix, when you try to watch something yourself, Netflix will return an error saying that the connection is already being used by someone else. Or Netflix may not keep you logged in. This happens to any user who tries to watch something on Netflix with the same credentials which are already being used by someone with the password.
While sharing the passwords with someone else that you do not have a close relation (which we do not recommend), keep in mind that any activity that they do on the account will be on you. This means, no matter who uses your account, you will be responsible for anything that happens inside the account using your credentials. So, we strongly recommend you keep your credentials to yourself and only share them with close family members or friends whom you trust.
To How many people?
As I already mentioned in the previous section, there is no technical limitation to the number of people that you can share your account password with (because it is all up to you.) But there is a limitation to the screens you can watch Netflix on at the same time. It is based on the plan you are going for, as you can see in the plan chart given below.
As you may have already found out, the Mobile and Basic plans won’t allow more than a single screen at a time. While the Standard plan provides 2 simultaneous connections at the same time. The Premium plan allows up to 4 users to use the service simultaneously.
Will I get banned?
As of now, there are no banning methods followed by Netflix unless in some extreme cases. However, recently, the company has taken steps to prevent the unauthorized use of the same account because of the users sharing their credentials with many users. This might be a turning point in limiting the wide usage of the service without purchasing a subscription plan. So, this will be bad news for those who share their accounts with a lot of users to watch Netflix without paying for the service.
What should I do?
We recommend you not share the accounts with anyone else than your family members living in your house. By default, Netflix allows sharing accounts to up to 5 people and 4 simultaneous connections. So, try to stick with that and not do anything sneaky to cheat the system. It will ensure that your account stays safe forever, and you can enjoy the fun of Netflix forever.
How to share?
Now that you know you can share your Netflix account with your family members. How to do it? Just share the password with your family members and let them access Netflix from whatever device they prefer. Whether it’s a smartphone or a TV placed in individual rooms, Netflix is smart enough to keep separate watching profiles for each one of those devices without interfering with one another. So the video suggestions and watchlists will be completely separate for every device that uses the same Netflix account.
But, for that to happen, you should purchase a plan that allows multiple connections and streaming on multiple devices simultaneously.
Benefits of Netflix Account Sharing
- Savings: By splitting the membership fees among multiple people who share a Netflix account, everyone can enjoy the service at a lower cost.
- Expanded Library Suggestions: Users can access a bigger content library by sharing an account rather than signing up for separate subscriptions, as it gives you better insights on some hidden gems that you might be missing out on if you stick to your favorite genre.
- Flexibility: By sharing an account, users may watch Netflix simultaneously on several devices, giving them flexibility for a range of viewing tastes and schedules.
Alternatives to Sharing Accounts
There are other options if you’re afraid to share your Netflix account or want a private viewing experience. Here are some commendable choices:
- Individual Subscription: Get a Netflix subscription on your own to have total control over your watch list and account.
- Gift someone: You may share the fun of streaming with others without sharing your own account by purchasing a gift membership or gifting a card from Netflix.
- Choose a Netflix Alternative: There are services out there that provide many more account-sharing features compared to Netflix. So, you may go with one of the Netflix alternatives.
Tips for Managing Shared Netflix Account
1. Monitoring and Controlling Devices
Review and maintain the devices that have permitted access to the shared account on a regular basis. To protect account security, remove any strange or unauthorized gadgets from the list.
2. Establishing some Ground Rules
With other users of the shared account, communicate and set up clear ground rules. The rules for concurrent streaming, parental restrictions, and consideration for one another’s viewing habits should be clear for everyone.
3. Drawbacks and Risks
Account sharing has advantages, but it also has dangers and disadvantages that users should think about:
3.1 – Breach of the terms of service
Netflix’s rules of service prohibit sharing accounts with anyone outside of your home, which might result in the suspension or termination of your account.
3.2 – Reduced Personalization
Shared accounts may have an impact on customized features like watch histories and suggestions. The content recommendations for all users on the shared account will be influenced by other users’ viewing choices.
3.3 – Security Issues
Sharing login information raises the possibility of unauthorized access and security breaches. You better trust the people with whom you share your account and that they will protect your personal data.