If you share your Netflix account with family or friends outside of your home, you may have run into some trouble streaming your favorite shows lately.
With no worlds left to conquer, the most popular streaming service is trying to maximize profits with some desperate measures. Namely, restricting password sharing. The streaming giant officially banned password sharing in 2023, and has been taking steps to enforce that ban ever since.
So what’s a law-abiding viewer to do? Do you really have to invest in a whole new Netflix subscription? Do you have to lose your entire watch history?
I’ve got all the details on Netflix’s policies, even the ones they don’t advertise that well. Let’s dive right in!
How many households can use one Netflix account?
As of 2023, Netflix only allows one household per Netflix account. You can designate one location as your “Netflix Household,” and then that’s it. Netflix can tell your location through your Wi-Fi, or the Wi-Fi on the mobile device used to verify your login. If it doesn’t think you’re at the same address as your Netflix Household, you won’t be able to access the Netflix app.
Sometimes this barrier can kick in too late—my parents’ house is the designated Household for our Netflix account, but the other day, I tried to watch a show from my own apartment. The app let me in just long enough to watch half an episode, but then as soon as I paused it to check the episode count, Netflix struck.
When I tried to resume the episode just seconds later, Netflix hit me with the “Your device isn’t a part of the Netflix household” page. IMO, it would have been better if they hadn’t let me in at all, rather than let me get halfway through an episode.
I pay for Netflix Premium. Shouldn’t I get extra streams?
Streaming services, like cable companies and insurance providers, thrive on being as opaque as possible. That’s why websites like ours exist! So I shall now impart onto you the wisdom that Netflix doesn’t want you to know when signing up: streams are different from extra members.
I know! It seems that, if you’re paying $24.99/mo. for a Premium tier that allows four simultaneous streams, you should be able to watch Netflix from four separate locations! Unfortunately, Netflix only counts it if those four devices are in the same physical location. Seems like a pretty antisocial house, but who am I to judge.
Streams are also different from devices. You can be logged in to as many devices as you want, as long as they’re all within the same household.
Can I add extra households to my Netflix account?
Yes. If you’re on the Standard plan, you can add an extra member to your household, and if you’re on the Premium plan. Don’t misunderstand this, like I initially did: this extra member does not come with your subscription. You’ll have to pay an extra fee for each additional member, and they will each create their own account with their own password.
As you can see from the prices below, it’s still a better deal than having to create an entirely new account from scratch. If you have a family or friend who you don’t mind Venmo-ing every month, you could save a decent amount with this setup.
Still not as good a deal as it was when you could freely share passwords, though.
Netflix base pricing
Netflix extra member pricing
| Extra member type | Price per extra member |
|---|---|
| With ads | $6.99/mo. |
| Without ads | $8.99/mo. |
Can I transfer my watch history to a new account?
Yes. Log in to your original account from an approved location and then visit the “Profiles” section of your account page. You’ll be able to transfer your profile to a new account from there. The process is very similar if you want to transfer your watch history to an existing account.
The process is different for extra members: you’ll transfer your profile data while buying an extra member slot directly from your account page.
How can I get around the Netflix password-sharing ban?
If you’ve elected not to give in to Netflix’s bullying and purchase a separate account or extra member pass, there are still ways you can enjoy your family’s Netflix subscription outside of your official Household.
Second home
If you travel frequently between two locations, you can get around Netflix’s policies with frequent use. For example, as long as I bring a device to my parents’ house once a month and watch a few seconds of a video, I can watch Netflix on that same device when I return to my own apartment.
Embarrassingly, I didn’t know that was how it worked until I was researching this article. And I’m a streaming expert!
Watch temporarily
Every so often, you’ll be able to tell Netflix that you’re on vacation by hitting the “Watch Temporarily” button. This will temporarily give you access to your full library, regardless of your location.
You might have to input a code sent to the email address on file, so definitely make sure you’re ready to call the account holder and explain what show you’re trying to watch.
However, even with the account holder’s blessing, your temporary permission still won’t last very long. You’ll get 14 days to use Netflix before you’ll lose access again.
If you don’t get any sort of “Watch Temporarily” button when trying to open the Netflix app, you’ve probably used your allotted passes for the time period. If you wait a couple of months, it might reappear, but it’s not clear how long you have to wait, or if there’s a limit to Netflix’s generosity. Personally, my parents’ account doesn’t show the button for me anymore, so I make sure to bring a device to their house once a month so that Netflix knows I’m still part of the family.
Offline downloads
If you get Netflix at the Standard tier or higher, you should get access to offline downloads. As long as you have space left on your device, you can download shows and movies to your device while visiting the Netflix Household and take them wherever you want.
However, you may have to turn off the device’s Wi-Fi in order for this to work, so it’s best to dedicate an old phone or tablet to this task.
Netflix games
I’ve found that Netflix games typically still work outside of the Netflix Household. It would be a pretty crappy feature if they didn’t—mobile games are meant to be played anywhere, not just on your couch. You sign in to your Netflix account right in each individual game, so you don’t have to worry about being denied access to your Netflix app.
You don’t need to go through the Netflix app at all—you can download Netflix’s free games right from the App Store or Google Play Store. Go to the Netflix app’s store page and click on “Netflix, Inc.” This should show you all of Netflix’s other apps and games.
Most of Netflix’s games library is just shameless advertisement for its shows, but it’s not all CoComelon. There are actually a few excellent third-party games in there, ported in from PC and console libraries. I recommend World of Goo, Oxenfree, and Sonic Mania Plus. Unfortunately, you only have access to these games for as long as Netflix cares to license them, and Netflix removed a ton of titles in July 2025, including Hades and Monument Valley. So if you want to take advantage of this perk, you should do so soon. And don’t get too attached to that save file.
Why you should trust us
Our writers have been testing every major streaming service—and plenty of the smaller, weird ones—for years. We’re television lovers, and we care about our readers. That’s why we’re doing our best to provide you with the best deals and tips for getting the most out of your subscriptions. For more on our process, check out How We Rank.
