Disney+ password sharing restrictions: What you need to know

Just a few years ago, the streaming industry was more concerned with growth than revenue, and as long as subscriber numbers were growing, investors were happy. And while major publishers may not approve of password sharing, They weren’t too worried about itor—after all, today’s password-sharing freeloader could be tomorrow’s paying subscriber, right?

Now, the focus is on profitability rather than pure growth, and publishers including Disney (remember, the owner of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) are focused on revenue and belt-tightening. Price hikes and cheaper ad-supported tiers are two ways to make more money, while fighting password sharing is a third.

Disney also has its eye on Netflix, which has just launched its own company.quite successful—with a crackdown on password sharing, it’s no surprise that Disney+ (along with Hulu and ESPN+) is next in line.

While we’re still learning the details of how Disney+ account sharing will work, the streamer actually started blocking password sharing earlier this year.

According to someone Updated Disney+ User Agreement It was emailed to US subscribers in early February (Canadian subscribers get a new user agreement As of (last year), password sharing was officially prohibited for new registrations.

New password sharing rules for existing Disney+ account holders went into effect on March 14.

The new Disney+ user agreementThe decision dated January 25, 2024 stated:

Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside your household. “Household” means the collection of devices associated with and used by individuals residing in your primary personal residence. Additional Usage rules may apply for specific Service Tiers.

In other words, you can’t share your password with anyone who doesn’t live in your household, but Disney does leave some flexibility for paid password sharing.

The language in the new Disney+ user agreement mirrors that of Disney-owned Hulu. submitted its own revised service agreement To the members.

Disney’s new user agreement states that the company may “analyze your account usage” to check if you’re violating password sharing rules.

Specifically, Disney+ will determine the location of your “Household” (as Disney calls it) based on your “connected” devices, subscription activity, and “other factors.”

If you (or anyone else) start streaming Disney+ on a device connected to your TV from somewhere other than your “Home,” you’ll see this message on your screen:It appears that this TV is not part of the Disney+ Household for this account”. (It’s worth noting that watching Disney+ on your phone is fine when you’re out of the house.)

You’ll have a few options at this point. If you’re the account holder, you can reset your home location (you can only do this a “limited” number of times), or if you’re temporarily away, you can choose the “Away from home” option; in either case, you’ll need to enter a one-time password that’s sent to the account holder’s email address.

You’ll also be able to add the device to your existing Disney+ household if you’re willing to pay for an “extra member.”

The final options include creating a new Disney+ account (those who share old Disney+ passwords can transfer their old profiles to their new accounts) or just sitting around and getting blocked.

If you’re a Disney+ Basic (with ads) subscriber, adding an “extra member” to your account costs $6.99 per month.

For ad-free Disney+ Premium subscribers, the cost for an additional member is $9.99 per month.

If that doesn’t sound like much cheaper than Disney+’s current Basic and Premium prices, note that Disney+’s prices will increase to $9.99 per month for Basic subscribers (up from $7.99 per month) and $15.99 per month for Premium subscribers (up from $13.99 per month) starting October 17.

While an “extra member” on your Disney+ plan can only stream on one device at a time, standard Disney+ subscribers are not allowed to stream on “multiple” devices at the same time.

Extra Disney+ members will also only be able to create one profile.

However, extra members will have “the same content and features” as the account holder.

For example, Disney+ Basic subscribers can stream in 4K HDR and 5.1 audio, while Premium subscribers get Dolby Atmos audio and the ability to download to up to 10 devices.

No, only standalone Disney+ subscribers can add extra members to their accounts at this time.