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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Technology
Danni Scott

Sneaky Netflix password sharing workaround that could get your account banned

Anyone who uses streaming site Netflix has seen the move to clamp down on password sharing becoming a reality, with plans to implement single household locks on all accounts.

This has been controversial as many people, particularly the elderly and students, use the accounts of family members who do not live with them - which this roll out aims to prevent.

Netflix has already put additional payment in place for users in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain and announced plans to include the USA by the end of July.

With many desperate to save money, password sharing is common so people are looking for ways to get around the ban. But Netflix users are urged to be careful or risk your entire account getting locked.

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If you don't use Netflix all the time this hack could be for you (stock image) (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The new rules mean that people living in different households will need to use their own individual accounts, using location detection any account password sharing with another household could be blocked from using the service.

Netflix has not announced when this rule could come to the UK but appears to be going ahead with the move, despite widespread criticism.

One household will be the 'main' house, anyone else using the account will have to sign in at that location every 31 days in order to maintain their connection to the account.

According to Mashable, there is another temporary fix that could work for anyone who uses the streaming site more sporadically rather than subscribing themselves.

Netflix should allow a temporary log in using a code sent to the phone of the account owner, which gives a device outside of the household seven days of access at another location - Mashable points out it is "very easy to send strings of numbers to your friends".

This is great for anyone wanting to watch Netflix while on holiday or that no longer lives with the account holder but wants to watch that new show everyone is talking about.

Obviously, if you're hoping to use the streaming site frequently then you will also need to request a weekly code off your parent, friend or child. This could get annoying very quickly so if you're using it constantly, you may want to look into the service's paid for options.

On top of the annoyance of this fiddly workaround, this does risk Netflix flagging the constant sharing and blocking the user entirely - losing access for both you and the paying account holder.

For Canadian users there is an option to pay extra, on top of the minimum of £4.99 per month, to give access to another household which will hopefully be available to UK customers if the crack down hits our shores.

While this is more money than texting your friend an occasional code, it is still cheaper than two households subscribing to the streamer.

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