Netflix has unveiled a new feature that will let users kick other people off their account, without having to change their passwords.
Called Manage Access and Devices, the option lives in Account Settings and displays all the devices linked to the account, allowing the paying consumer to log them out with a simple click.
Charles Wartemberg, Netflix product manager in Netflix’s product innovation group, shared that this ability has been a ‘much-requested feature’ among subscribers, who may have allowed a former partner to log into their account prior to the breakup.
After a subscriber selects ‘Sign Out’ on an unfamiliar device, Netflix recommends a password change for extra security – but this step is not mandatory.
‘With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are traveling to see family and friends,’ Wartemberg shared in a Tuesday announcement.
‘Logging into your account while at a hotel or even your friend’s house is easy and intuitive, but occasionally people forget to log out.
The new feature is now available to all members around the world on the web, iOS and Android.
Manage Access and Devices is part of Netflix’s bigger plan to stop users from sharing accounts – instead of each person paying $15.49 a month for its standard tier.
Password sharing is a rule violation, but Netflix estimates there are more than 100 million non-paying households around the world – and 30 million are in the US and Canada alone.
And this is costing the streaming giant about $6 billion a year.
