Netflix to roll out paid sharing feature; password sharing ends from April 2023

Netflix is making it harder for users to share their passwords with anyone (for free) outside the home. In a letter sent to shareholders, Netflix announced that it would roll out payment sharing more broadly later in the first quarter of 2023. This means that Netflix will stop sharing passwords starting in April of this year.

"Later in Q1, we expect to start rolling out paid sharing more broadly. Today's widespread account sharing (100M+ households) undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business," Netflix said.

Netflix says its terms limit an account to one household and that members who share their account more will be affected by the upcoming change. Therefore, it has created new features to offer a better experience to the Netflix experience. The platform will offer an option for members to check which devices are using their accounts, and there will be a facility to transfer a profile to a new account.

Netflix to roll out paid sharing feature to end password sharing

Netflix will soon roll out the paid sharing feature in more countries in the first quarter of 2023 and will add an in-app option that will let you pay more if you want to share your account with friends or people outside the home. . This policy will not modify the content viewing experience. All users will be able to watch on the go, whether on a TV or mobile device, according to details shared by Netflix.

Netflix said in the letter, "As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don't live with. As we work through this transition – and as some borrowers stop watching either because they don't convert to extra members or full paying accounts – near-term engagement could be negatively impacted. However, we believe the pattern will be similar to what we've seen in Latin America, with engagement growing over time as we continue to deliver a great slate of programming and borrowers sign-up for their own accounts."

Netflix hasn't disclosed the names of the countries that will be affected; we all know that it plans to end password sharing globally, something it has hinted at on many occasions. Paid sharing is already available in some countries and will now roll out to more countries/regions. There are chances that India can also be listed, considering this is one of the key markets for the company.