Disney+ has started cracking down on free account sharing Europe, the US and other countries. Like Netflix, Disney+ lets you pay for an extra member.
You can no longer share a Disney+ subscription for free with family or friends outside the household. You will have to either pay extra or sign up for a separate Disney+ subscription plan.
- "This week, Disney+ expanded its paid sharing program to give its users ways to enjoy their Disney+ subscription along with a family member or friend, through the management of devices within a household," announced Disney. "These features and capabilities are now available in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region after launching in select markets over the summer."
Disney is following in the footsteps of other major streamers, including Netflix, who was the first to roll out a sophisticated system to combat free sharing.
How paid sharing works
FlatpanelsHD has seen the system in action: The account holder receives a notification that payment is required for the 'extra member' (an external household), while the external household receives a blocking notification.
In the US, an extra member costs an additional $7 per month for Disney+ Basic and $10 per month for Disney+ Premium. Prices are lower in Europe. In the UK, for example, prices are £4 and £5 monthly.
The account holder must pay the full cost, which contrasts with Netflix, where the extra member can pay themselves.
You can only add 1 extra member per subscription plan and the extra member can only use Disney+ on 1 device at a time. The extra member has the same features as the account holder, for example 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Disney+ Premium.
It is not possible to add an extra member if you have Disney+ as part of a TV package or a mobile subscription.
It does not appear to work correctly for everyone in the Disney+ app, so try instead to use a web browser pointed to Disney's website here.
It is possible to transfer your Disney+ profile to retain your viewing history and settings, for both an extra member account or a new separate account. However, only the account holder can do it and it is not possible to transfer a child or junior profile.
You can for some user profiles transfer your viewing history and settings. Photo: Disney
You can still travel with Disney+
Disney said that it is still possible to travel with your Disney+ subscription, but it will involve some extra steps, including a code sent to your email.
The technical implementation monitors which devices regularly connect to the internet from the primary household, explained Disney.
For example, if you try to log in on a TV device at a vacation home, you will receive this message:
You’ll se this message on a TV when trying to access Disney+ outside of the household. Photo: Disney
