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How to see who’s been using your Netflix account – and how to stop them

Published Feb 19th, 2016 9:39AM EST
Netflix Tips
Image: Netflix

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Netflix provides what has to be one of the most consumer friendly services out there right now. Not only did the company change the game when it popularized movie and TV show streaming, but its policies have been and continue to be quite liberal. For example, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been very open in stating publicly that he’s perfectly happy with people sharing their account credentials with friends and family. So go on, keep stealing Netflix all you’d like.

Of course, there are a few downsides to being so generous with your Netflix login. Once all the available profiles are used up, people are going to start using your profile and messing up your recommendations. Beyond that, there are limits to the number of devices that can stream at one time on an account, so you could certainly run into problems on a rainy Sunday night.

In this post, we’ll help you undo the mess that your generosity has created.

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Netflix is a very popular service and we often share tips and tricks that help you get the most out of your streaming experience. For example, here’s a collection of 10 great Netflix tricks you’ll wonder how you’ve ever lived without.

Today, we’re going to focus on one tip in particular that will help you regain control of your account. Using the steps outlined below, you’ll be able to see if people have accessing your Netflix account, where they are, and when they’ve been logging in.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Log into your account at netflix.com
  2. In the top-right corner, hover over your profile avatar and then click Your account
  3. In the My Profile section, click on Viewing activity
  4. You’ll see My Activity at the top of the next page; click the See recent account access link just beneath that

That’s it. In the pop-up that opens you’ll see a list of recent times your account has been accessed. Each line item will include a date and time, a location, an IP address and the type of device that was used to access your account.

See anything you don’t like? Is your ex up in Massachusetts still enjoying a free ride even though you broke up a year ago?

Well then, it’s time to start fresh: reset your password. Feel free to give the new password to people you’d still like to have access to your account, but this time try to be a bit more selective.

Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.