Streaming services have contained a major user flaw, but Netflix is about to change that.
Gone are the days of sneaky ex-partners, distant relatives and former friends freeloading off your account.
The streaming giant has launched a feature that will give users greater control of who – and which devices – have access to their account.
Netflix announced the feature in a release on Wednesday, saying the highly requested feature was now available to access on web, iOS and Android.
“With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are travelling to see family and friends,” Netflix product manager Charles Wartemberg said.
“Logging in to your account while at a hotel or even your friend’s house is easy and intuitive, but occasionally people forget to log out.”
The feature will allow users to view which devices they’re currently logged into in the managing access and devices area, and sign out of a single device with just one click.
Alternatively, if users suspect their account may have been hacked (amid the numerous recent data leaks), they can click ‘sign out of all devices’ and reset their passwords.
This new feature means users can butt out any unwanted guests – whether it be a smart TV you once used at an Airbnb, an unknown mystery device, or a sneaky ex-partner still logged in with your details.
The feature lists the type of device used (eg. Apple TV), the profile that was accessed, the time and date they last accessed Netflix, and their rough location based on their IP address.
To access the feature:
- Click your profile icon on the top right
- Click ‘Account’
- Click ‘Manage access and devices’ under the ‘security and privacy’ tab
- Scroll through your signed-in devices and click ‘sign out’ to remove any unwanted devices.
Netflix has been in recovery mode since the platform suffered its first subscriber loss in more than a decade earlier this year.
In response, the streaming platform has rolled out a number of changes in recent months, with more expected to arrive in the new year.
Earlier this year, Netflix announced it would be completely revamping its pricing model.
Along with increasing the prices of its standard and premium subscriptions, it now offers ‘basic’ and ‘basic with ads’ tiers, which only allow one supported device at a time.
These users are also restricted to 720p image quality, and cannot download episodes to watch when out of service at a later time.
Plus, ‘basic’ and ‘basic with ads’ subscribers do not have access to about 10 per cent of Netflix’s catalogue, including shows like House of Cards and Arrested Development.
Password crackdown
By giving users the option to get rid of moochers, Netflix could be hoping that these non-paying users would instead start paying for their own accounts, and add to its floundering subscriber base.
Netflix’s anti-freeloading efforts don’t stop there. Earlier this year, the streaming giant said it eventually intends to restrict users from sharing passwords with other households.
The crackdown is expected to start early next year.
And, if users don’t stop sharing passwords with other households, they could be facing additional charges.
“We’ve landed on a thoughtful approach to monetise account sharing and we’ll begin rolling this out more broadly starting in early 2023,” Netflix said in its October letter to shareholders.
“After listening to consumer feedback, we are going to offer the ability for borrowers to transfer their Netflix profile into their own account, and for sharers to manage their devices more easily and to create sub-accounts (‘extra member’) if they want to pay for family or friends.”
