Netflix is determined to squeeze every possible lever of control from its platform. Between cracking down on password sharing, hiking subscription prices across multiple markets, and ending casting to TVs, they've made it clear that relaxed, flexible access is over.
You'd think that would be enough. But they'll soon require every profile on a shared account to have its own unique email address and login. Users are already getting the prompt.
You need to identify every profile on your Netflix account
A Reddit user on r/netflix shared a screenshot of a prompt Netflix served them on their account. The prompt, titled “Personalised new ways to enjoy Netflix are coming,” asked them to add an email address to their profile.
Each profile becomes its own standalone login. So, a household with four profiles now needs four separate email addresses and credentials to access an account paid for as a single subscription.
The change was presented as a way to make sign-in easier, recover their account, and get personalized suggestions. But it goes against the ease of access that Netflix is built on.
The existing profile system works on a single login where you create one account with one email address and password. Every profile lives under this account and switching between profiles requires no additional credentials.
As confirmed by multiple users who contacted the platform, the new system is not optional and the only way to get rid of the prompt is to tap the Continue button. It's still rolling out and not everyone has been prompted yet.
However, one user mentioned a trick that could be useful. Closing Netflix on their iPad and reopening it repeatedly worked for them, although it may take five or six attempts. But if it's already part of Netflix's grander plan, it's not long before they close gaps like this as they roll out the change out more widely.
Other users mentioned using a period trick. Gmail and some other email providers ignore periods or plus sign followed by any text before the @ symbol in email addresses. So, JaneDoe123+netflix@gmail.com, JaneDoe123@gmail.com, and Jane.Doe.123@gmail.com are technically the same inbox. They may register as different addresses to Netflix.
At this point, just get your own subscription
It's not hard to see how adding email addresses to profiles pushes Netflix's broader strategy around paid sharing. Since the streaming giant began cracking down on password sharing, the company has introduced features to encourage people who were using someone else's subscription to sign up for their own.
The profile transfer feature is one example. When Netflix detects that you're using a profile outside the primary household, it prompts you to move your watch history, preferences, and other information to a new account you'll pay for yourself. This way, you don't feel like you're starting over from scratch. Regardless, user's aren't happy about what's coming.
If you are the account holder, you have nothing to worry about. You're already a paying subscriber. The people with the most to worry about are the ones using your account from outside your household.
