Solved! How to Get Around Netflix Password Sharing

By Dave Henry Posted on December 2, 2025

Netflix's crackdown on password-sharing went into effect in May 2023 in the US and dozens of other countries worldwide. Despite the initial pushback against the new policies, they seem to have paid off, with subscriptions surging as people opted to get their own accounts rather than give up on shows like Stranger Things and other Netflix hits.

netflix password sharing

Part 1. Why Does Netflix Crack Down on Password-Sharing?

Sharing passwords was something Netflix used to overlook—and even tacitly encourage. But starting in 2023, Netflix began cracking down on the practice. While it already boasts a massive subscriber base of 238 million globally, Netflix is facing growing competition from rival streaming platforms. Before the crackdown, Netflix estimated that around 100 million households were sharing accounts. Naturally, this was cutting into Netflix's profits, especially since it invests heavily in big-budget productions like Stranger Things. So, the company decided to put an end to it and make people pay for the service they're using, which, honestly, is pretty reasonable. Frankly, we're surprised Netflix didn't do this sooner.

Under Netflix's updated password-sharing rules, it's still okay for multiple people to use and share one account—as long as they all live together. So, if you're a family or a group of friends living under the same roof, your viewing experience won't be affected. You can keep sharing your account as one household. However, if you're sharing a Netflix account with a group that doesn't all live together for free, that's no longer allowed.

Part 2. Official Ways to Get Netflix's Password-Sharing

If you want to keep the password-sharing, the only officially sanctioned method is to shell out for what the industry refers to as an "extra member." These extra members are essentially extra profiles for individuals who don't reside in your primary household. They'll have their own account and password, and can even migrate an existing profile over.

For Netflix subscribers, you'll need to be subscribed to the Standard or Premium plan to add an extra member—the ad-supported plan doesn't qualify. It'll cost you an additional $6.99 p/month if you opt for ads, or $8.99 p/month if you prefer an ad-free experience. Moreover, Netflix restricts you to adding a maximum of one new user on the Standard plan and two new users on the Premium plan. The complete guides are below:

Add an extra User Accounts

Step 1 Visit netflix.com/account and sign in.

Step 2 Scroll down to the "Extra Members" section and click Buy an extra member slot.

Step 3 Confirm the new payment amount and select Buy Now.

buy extra membership on netflix

Step 4 Enter the extra member's name, email address, and your name.

Step 5 Choose whether the extra member will create a new profile or have an existing profile transferred from another account.

Step 6 Click Next.

extra member added on netflix

Step 7 Then, the extra member will receive an email with a unique invitation link to activate their account.

Step 8 You can also copy the invitation link from the "Manage extra members" page to send it to them directly.

Part 3. Potential Workarounds to Get Netflix's Password-Sharing

Except the official methods, we have gathered some potiential methods to help you get around the Netflix password sharing.Let's have a look!

Way 1. Offline Downloads

If you're on the Standard tier or higher of Netflix, you should have access to offline downloads. As long as your device has sufficient storage space, you can download shows and movies to it while you're logged into the Netflix Household, and then take them with you wherever you go. There are two download methods:

Method 1: Download from the Official App

In this way, you can search for the content you want when visiting the Netflix Household. Then, click the download button next to the episode of the TV show or movie. After finishing it, you can watch it anywhere.

Note

However, after downloading, 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.

Method 2: ViWizard Netflix Video Downloader

Due to the limitations of Netflix downloads, the ViWizard Netflix Video Downloader may be a better choice for downloading videos on Netflix. Because you needn't worry about the Netflix download limitation. You can download the Netflix hits like Stranger Things 5, Emily in Paris,and so on. Also, you can watch the downloaded content on any device.

The step-by-step guides are as follows:

netflix video downloader

Key Features of ViWizard Netflix Video Downloader

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* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

  • Download Netflix movies, TV shows and more locally
  • Convert Netflix movies and TV shows to MP4 or MKV
  • Save multilingual language and subtitles in two types
  • Remove ads from Netflix and keep original video quality

Step 1Install on Your Netflix Account

Open the ViWizard Netflix Video Downloader on your desktop. Enter your email and password and click the "Sign in" icon. After signing in, you can explore the entire selection of Netflix content, which includes movies, TV series, documentaries, anime, and original creations.

click sign in

Step 2Customize Download Settings

Next, you can click the hamburger icon in the upper right corner of the ViWizard interface and choose the option "Preferences". In the "Download" section, choose the video format as MP4 or MKV. Besides, you can also configure the encoding type, video and audio quality, language, and subtitles as you like. After that, click "OK" to save the changes.

set preferences

Step 3Start the Download

Use the search bar to look for specific shows or movies by title, keyword, or actor. Next, pick the episodes you wish to download. When you choose "Download" to begin, the selected titles will be converted into MP4 formats. Or you can tap the "add to list" so that you can download it later.

add tv shows to download list

Step 4Browse and Play Downloaded Netflix Videos

The downloaded content was presented in the History section. You can check the downloaded content by clicking the folder icon next to the video title on the right side. Then, the Netflix videos will be stored in your local folder, and you can just play it with any video media player. Then, you can take the content anywhere and don't worry about the limitations.

Way 2. Avoid Streaming on Smart TVs and Streaming Devices

Because of a loophole in Netflix's policy that often goes unnoticed, only smart TVs and streaming devices, such as Roku or Fire TV Stick, are under surveillance for sharing a user's account beyond the household. This implies that logging into a shared Netflix account through a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone enables you to circumvent the Netflix password-sharing restriction.

This doesn't imply that you're barred from watching "Stranger Things 5" or other Netflix shows. Nonetheless, you can still project your computer's or phone's screen onto your smart TV. Alternatively, you could utilize an HDMI cable.

Way 3. Change the IP Address Via VPNs

In recent years, VPNs have surged in popularity as they enable you to view content that isn't accessible in your region's version of Netflix.

When you visit a website or utilize an online service with your VPN activated, your connection doesn't directly proceed to the destination; rather, it initially takes a detour through the encrypted servers of the VPN provider. During this process, the VPN can mask your device's actual details (including its IP address) and employ the server's information instead, thereby safeguarding your data's privacy.

However, in this way, if Netflix intends to utilize a device's details and IP address to ascertain whether users are within the same household or not, it may not approve of the use of tools that conceal this data. By employing a VPN, individuals who don't actually reside together might be able to all link to the same server and appear as if they do.

Way 4. Watch Temporarily

When you are on a holiday or on a business trip, you can use Netflix in this way. 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.

temporary code of netflix

Way 5. Log in Using the Account Holder's Wi-Fi

As Netflix identifies a household based on the devices connected to the same network, a straightforward approach is to log in from the account owner's residence.

If you reside nearby, you could potentially visit their place, log in to the account there, and then keep using Netflix on that device from your own home. Theoretically, the service will persist in believing you're part of their household and merely spend a considerable amount of time away "commuting." The only drawback is that you might need to do this more frequently than you'd prefer to interact with the account owner! From the account holder's home.

As long as you live nearby, you could conceivably head over to their house, log in to the account from there, and then continue to use Netflix on that device from your own home. The service will (theoretically) continue to believe you're part of their household and just spend a lot of time away "commuting."

Part 4. Conclusion

If you want to get around the Netflix password-sharing rules, you can try these solutions in this article. For a better viewing experience of the Netflix content, you can try ViWizard Netflix Video Downloader. Wish it helps you!

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