As part of its ongoing efforts to combat password sharing, Netflix has introduced the ability to transfer user profiles to new accounts.
The new feature, called Profile Transfer, allows you to move your viewing history, watchlist, and personalized recommendations to another Netflix account, should you move from your current home.
“People are moving. Families grow. End of relationship. But throughout these life changes, your Netflix experience should remain the same,” Netflix said in a statement (opens in a new tab) announcing the feature.
The streaming service had been testing Profile Transfer in South America, but the feature has now (as of October 17) started rolling out to subscribers in the US and UK.
You will be notified via email as soon as the option is available in your account, in which case you will need to launch Netflix, hover over your profile icon in the dropdown menu, and follow the onscreen instructions.
At first glance, this is a useful move for anyone who is regularly forced to look away from an ex's profile when logging into Netflix. But, as we mentioned above, the profile transfer is really just another way Netflix plans to crack down on people who share accounts.
Company executives estimate there are more than 100 million non-paying Netflix users worldwide, with more than 30 million in the United States and Canada alone. By giving these free "customers" the ability to transfer their user profiles to new accounts, Netflix will encourage at least some of these people to create their own accounts.
It's not the only change
The profile transfer is the latest in a steady stream of recent Netflix updates that have been introduced to increase the streamer's revenue pool. In July, Netflix began testing an "add a household" supplement that allows paying customers to add entire households, rather than individual users, to their existing monthly subscriptions for a nominal fee.
A similar member-specific supplement was also tested earlier this year, and Netflix also sporadically experimented with verification emails to confirm user identities.
All of the above was a precursor to the streamer's boldest revenue-generating move yet: the introduction of an ad-supported subscription tier. Netflix has confirmed that this cheaper Netflix plan, which will cost $6,99 / £4,99 / AU$6,99 per month, will launch in the US, UK and Australia on November 3rd, offering subscribers a cheaper way to watch Netflix at the expense of watching four. to five minutes of ads per hour.
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