Netflix finally cracked down on password sharing this week, sending ‘hats into a frenzy, but savvy users have already found an easy workaround.
People who used to watch Netflix on someone else’s account will now have to create their own logins and pay for them, under rules that went into effect this week in 103 countries, including the US and Britain.
Those who want to go the official route can pay an extra $7.99 (£4.99 in the UK) per month to add one more member from outside their household to their Netflix account.
The only catch here is that the option is only available to Netflix Standard and Premium subscribers, who pay $15.49 and $19.99 per month, respectively.
Here’s how you can avoid the new action without paying extra money:
Millions of people are now banned from lending Netflix logins to people outside their household
Don’t Just Log In to Netflix Through Your Smart TV or Streaming Box
Netflix defines what they consider home based on the preferences you manage on the primary TV you use, whether it’s a smart TV, like the Roku, or a streaming box, like the AppleTV or Amazon Fire Stick.
Account holders will be charged $7.99 per month for each additional member they add
So, don’t just set up a house.
If you’re comfortable keeping your Netflix stream on a portable device, your laptop, tablet, and phone will do just fine.
You can also stream Netflix from your phone to your TV or connect your TV to your laptop with an HDMI cable for a home theater experience, no new charges required.
Of course, some users may find these hardware improvements annoying, if they instinctively put off the thought of adding bulky cables or extra hardware.
Fortunately, this is not the only solution.
Set up automatic resend of email verification code
In addition to the main TV in your home, Netflix uses your IP address and wireless network as part of its definition of your home.
In practical terms, this means that Netflix sets up a roadblock and sends a verification code to the primary account owner every time he or she tries to log in from the new wireless network.
This can get quite tedious, if the owner’s account is set up to send those codes via text message and everyone who shares the subscription bothers to get the verification code they want, too. need to be enjoyed.
But Netflix will also email those verification codes to the primary account holder if there is no phone number associated with the account.
And there are plenty of easy ways to automatically forward all those emails with verification numbers from info@account.netflix.com to your far and near friends and family. Both Google’s Gmail and Microsoft Outlook make automatic email forwarding a snap.
Netflix’s new strict rules now apply in over 100 countries around the world
Netflix has certainly changed its tune since the ‘love is sharing a password’ tweet in 2017.
Sign in to account holder’s Wi-Fi
Is it so hard to go to your mom or dad’s, or your best friend’s, for a sleepover every once in a while?
Because Netflix uses the primary account holder’s IP address and wireless connection as part of its definition of home, if you can, at least occasionally, log into Netflix from a Wi-Fi connection at the account owner’s home. If you can, you should be in good shape. ,
Once you’re signed in there, whether it’s on a phone, laptop, or tablet, you’ll be able to stay connected and see your bookmarks everywhere you go.
Netflix may change its rules and you’ll need to reconnect to that home Wi-Fi more often than not at some point in the future.
But for now, there’s nothing on the Netflix Help Center to suggest that you’ll need to re-verify your location after a certain amount of time is up.
Dailymail.com will update this post as Netflix reveals more about the new policy.
