In the past, it was easy to log into your family’s Netflix account on any TV, wherever you went. Now, Netflix Household rules have pressed pause on password sharing. Netflix recently implemented Netflix Household, a way to minimize the number of people using a single Netflix account and charge additional fees to its customers.
What is a Netflix Household?
According to Netflix, “A Netflix Household is a collection of your Netflix devices connected to the internet at the main place you watch Netflix.” Under Netflix Household account-sharing guideline, families with multiple TVs in the home will be able to continue watching Netflix as long as all of their devices are logged into the same WiFi. By linking the TVs logged into Netflix to the WiFi networks where they are used, Netflix hopes to guarantee that the only people sharing an account are people living in the same household (hence the term Netflix Household).
What happens if when someone routinely uses my account outside my Netflix Household?
At this time, a Netflix Household only applies to TVs – not mobile devices or laptops. So if you’ve shared your Netflix password or account information with someone who watches on their phone or laptop computer, they should be able to keep watching.
If someone has logged into your Netflix account on their TV on a different WiFi network, they will be asked if they are traveling or want to move the location of the Netflix Household. After a month, the travel option disappears, and you will have to pay an additional fee of $7.99 per month to add them as an extra member to your Netflix Household. Standard accounts can add one extra member, and premium accounts can add two. (The Standard with ads plan is $6.99 per month.)
What if I want to watch Netflix at other locations?
You can temporarily use Netflix on TVs in other places by logging in and verifying your credentials with your mobile device. However, if you or a family member regularly visits another location and uses Netflix on that TV, you’ll be prompted to move your Netflix Household to continue watching. You can get around this limitation by logging in to Netflix with a mobile device using WiFi at your Netflix Household and the secondary location once a month. (Follow the steps in the Guide to Using Netflix Outside of Your Home.)
[Image credit: Screenshots via Techlicious, image of laptop via Smartmockups]
Sloan Elliott Lomax-Emrick is a writer based in New York. His work covers intersections of technology, celebrity culture, family, and nature.
From Diane on August 18, 2023 :: 11:47 am
I don’t understand it but I downgraded to 1 screen and my grandkids could log in from their house. I went back to 2 screens as before for $5.99 more. Seems to still be working ok.
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From Suzanne Kantra on August 23, 2023 :: 11:20 am
If your grandkids are using their portable devices to use your Netflix account, they won’t run into any trouble. It’s only if they log into your account on their TV that they may run into issues.
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