Technically, it is easily possible to share your Netflix account with friends or family members. But is that even allowed? In this practical tip, we’ll tell you.
Netflix: Account sharing is allowed – with restrictions
If you share your Netflix account with people in the same household – such as family members or participants in a shared apartment – you do not have to fear the closure of your account or other penalties. Sharing with friends or other people outside your household, on the other hand, is not allowed
- This is explicitly stated in the Terms of Service: “4.2 The Netflix Service and all Content […] may not be shared with persons who do not live in the same household. “
- However, the Help Centre contains a contradictory statement: “If you share your Netflix account with friends or family members, they may also be using Netflix when you want to watch a title. The number of users who can stream at the same time depends on your Netflix subscription. “
- This wording suggests that Netflix will at least tolerate you sharing your account with friends.
- Nevertheless, if you share your Netflix account with people outside your household, you are strictly speaking in violation of the service’s terms of service. Accordingly, Netflix could terminate your account without notice – even a claim for damages would be possible since Netflix at least theoretically loses revenue through shared accounts.
- However, there has not yet been such a case and it remains to be seen whether Netflix will take action against account sharing in the future. A special tool could help the streaming service detect shared accounts in the future.
Netflix account sharing: Note the type of subscription
When sharing your Netflix account, however, be sure to have a subscription model that is suitable for it.
- Only a limited number of simultaneously active streams are available to you. This means that once this number is reached through use by other people, you yourself can no longer use the streaming offer at the same time.
- If you use the basic Netflix subscription, you can only watch a stream on one device. With the standard subscription, this is possible on two devices, and with the premium subscription on four devices at the same time.
Be careful when sharing your login details
In the terms of use, Netflix writes that you should not share your password with anyone else, but it does not explicitly forbid this. The corresponding section is rather to be understood as a security notice:
- “To maintain control of the account and prevent access by unauthorized persons […], the account holder should always have control over the Netflix-compatible devices used to access the service and should not disclose the password or account details for the selected payment method to third parties. “
- You should therefore only make your password available to trustworthy persons. Alternatively, you can also set up your Netflix account on your friends or family members’ devices once. You will then not need to identify yourself again when using the service in the future, so you do not need to share your password.
