How to Transfer Netflix Profiles Before the Password-Sharing Crackdown

It’s no secret that Netflix is cracking down on password sharing. Soon you’ll find yourself paying an additional charge if people outside your household access your Netflix account.

The password sharing crackdown is expected to happen in the United States by the end of June. In the meantime, Netflix has provided a tool to ease the pain — the profile transfer feature.

Rather than bumping friends and family harshly out of the Netflix password-sharing nest, the profile transfer feature helps them pack their bags. If you’ve decided that you won’t be charged for that ex-partner or ex-roommate using your account to watch Netflix, they’ll need to create their own account.

The profile transfer feature enables them to take their Netflix profile with them, so they don’t leave behind their watchlist, watch history and custom-tailored recommendations. After endless hours of “Stranger Things” and “Wednesday,” they won’t want to start over with a blank Netflix profile with their new Netflix subscription — they’ve worked for those recommendations.

How to Migrate Netflix Profiles

Transferring Netflix profiles (Netflix users) to new Netflix accounts is easy, and we are here to show you how exactly you can complete the process and end your password-sharing situation. To begin, you’ll first need to turn on profile transfers within your account, then follow these detailed instructions.

1. Once you have confirmed that profile transfers are enabled within your account, sign into the account containing the profile you wish to transfer. You must access Netflix through the website, not the Netflix app.
2. At the “Who’s Watching” screen, click on the profile you wish to transfer.
3. In the upper right corner of the Netflix website, click on the small profile icon, then select the “Transfer Profile” link.
4. If you have forgotten to enable profile transfers for your profile, you will be prompted to do so now before you can continue.
5. Netflix has put a transfer hold time in place to make it more difficult to transfer profiles without permission. As a result, you’ll need to check the email of the primary account owner for a notice from Netflix and click the “Enable Instantly” button — otherwise, wait two days and the feature will be enabled automatically.
6. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the transfer process. You will be asked for the email address and password you would like to use for the new account.
7. That’s it! Wish your friend or family member the best experience watching Netflix on their own Netflix account (via the Netflix app or website) and say goodbye to the days of password sharing.

The Price for Password Sharing

When Netflix password-sharing fees go into effect soon, we estimate they’ll cost you an additional $3 to $4 per person.

Netflix says it will have subscribers set a primary location for their accounts, but it says members will still be able to watch Netflix when they’re traveling. Subscribers in the U.S. don’t have the ability to set a primary location yet.

A lot of Netflix subscribers are unhappy with the crackdown on password sharing. For example, in a sign that Netflix’s new policy could backfire, it reportedly lost more than 1 million users in Spain in the first three months of 2023 after cracking down on password sharing there. Roughly two-thirds of those users were reportedly using someone else’s password.

Save With an Ad-Supported Plan

If you don’t wish to boot others off your account but want to save money while others are watching Netflix on your dime, you may want to consider the company’s new Basic with Ads subscription tier. At only $6.99 a month, you can enjoy a 720p HD ad-supported Netflix experience on a single device at a time.

Michael Archambault is a former senior writer with The Penny Hoarder. Senior writer Mike Brassfield contributed to this article.