Netflix expands its password-sharing restrictions to India

Netflix app logo on a phone
(Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Indian users who share their account passwords outside their households will receive a new email shortly.
  • It will indicate users to manage their devices and transfer profiles for accounts, not from the same households.
  • The strategy is expected to expand to more countries like Indonesia and Kenya.

Netflix in India has stated that it will send a new email to users sharing the streaming service subscription outside their households in the country.

One of the best streaming platforms has initially started restricting users from sharing passwords outside their households by setting up their primary location. The move first came to Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and the U.S. However, the streaming company is expanding to countries like India.

Netlfix account sharing crackdown comes to India

(Image credit: Netlfix)

As part of the change, in its announcement blog post, Netflix stated that it would be sending an email to users who often share their account passwords outside their households. It has been a tradition that's been used very widely, especially in vast markets like India.

While emphasizing Netflix's flexibility to view on personal devices like the phone or TV at home or hotel, the company recommends transferring profiles if someone uses their account outside their households. Provided, they need to take a subscription separately.

The approach for the Indian market is slightly different because, for users in the U.S., Netflix is allowed to add an extra member to the existing plan if that person is using the account outside the household.

In yesterday's earnings announcement, Netflix stated that in countries like India, Indonesia, Croatia, and Kenya, it isn't offering the ability to add extra member options because it recently cut the prices of all plans in those regions. India has one of the lowest Netflix rates compared to the recently axed "Basic" plan (not for India) dubbed Netflix Mobile, which starts at Rs 149 ($1.82) that allows users to watch Netflix on either one phone or a tablet.

Netflix Manage Profile Page

(Image credit: Android Central)

Netflix further mentioned in the earnings call that "tackling account sharing between households has been another focus as it undermines our ability to invest to improve Netflix for our paying members and grow our business." The investment here includes putting money into "new films and TV shows," the company added in the announcement blog post.

After India, the regions mentioned above might soon notice account and password-sharing restrictions. Users in these regions are recommended to use the transfer profile tool and get a new suitable subscription plan to continue using Netflix.

Vishnu Sarangapurkar
News Writer

Vishnu works as a freelance News Writer for Android Central. For the past four years, he's been writing about consumer technology, primarily involving smartphones, laptops, and every other gizmo connected to the Internet. When he is away from keyboard, you can see him going on a long drive or chilling on a couch binge-watching some crime series.