Netflix has officially made their password-sharing crackdown policy global, and it’s been working for them—the streaming company has gained 5.9 million new subscribers in the last three months, according to The Guardian. But what if you could still get Netflix for “free”? I use quotes here because, as you know, nothing in life is really free. But we can sure get close to it.
Sign up with T-Mobile
If you’re a T-Mobile customer (or want to switch to it), you can get free Netflix with their “Netflix On Us” program, depending on the plan and how many lines you get.
You must at least have two lines to qualify and depending on which plan you get, you’ll either get Netflix Basic ($6.99/month) or Standard plan ($15.49/month) on them. (A single line on their Go5G Plus plan can also get the basic subscription covered).
You can read T-Mobile’s Netflix terms and conditions here.
Sign up with Verizon (quickly)
Verizon just came out with a limited-time deal for free Netflix that’s worth considering if you are a Verizon subscriber. The deal ends on July 31 and comes with a catch, but it’s still sure to save you a lot of money on the long run.
This is a BOGO deal where you pay for a year of STARZ ($75 for the year) and you get Netflix Premium (a $19.99/month value) free for a year. Netflix Premium allows you to watch from four (as opposed to two from the standard plan) devices at the same time, gives you Ultra HD (as opposed to Full HD), the ability to download on six devices at a time (as opposed to two), allows you to add up to two extra members who don’t live with you (as opposed to one), and gives you spatial audio (surround soundswithout needing special equipment).
If you do the math, you’d be saving $165 for the year and getting STARZ streaming as well. Not a bad deal.
Or opt for a package with Comcast Xfinity
If you are a Comcast Xfinity customer, you can opt for a package that includes a Netflix subscription. There are some requirements as far as equipment, plan, and Xfinity internet you’re going to need. If you meet those, they can activate the package by linking your Netflix account, whether the Netflix plan is new or already existing.
You can still try the Netflix sharing hack
If you’re not able to (or don’t feel like) getting a new phone or Internet package, you can still try to get around Netflix’s password sharing crackdown. As we have written previously:
First, as mentioned above, devices that connect to your household wifi are good to go in Netflix’s eyes. So, if you can, head over to the house of whoever’s account you use, sign in on your device or devices, then go home, and you should be able to watch without issue. Perhaps Netflix will require you to reconnect at some point, but since the change is so new, we’ll just have to see how that works out, and how long you might be able to keep watching. (At the moment, there’s nothing in the Help Center about needing to verify your location after a certain period of time outside the household.)
The second workaround, however, is thanks to a loophole in Netflix’s policy: If you don’t watch Netflix on a smart TV or via a streaming box like a Roku or Apple TV, you don’t need to set a household for your account.
So long as you keep your streaming to devices like phones, tablets, and laptops, it should feel like nothing’s changed. You could even cast your phone to your TV (or connect your laptop with an HDMI cable) to get the big screen experience, no extra monthly fee necessary.
