Disney+ has announced plans to stop freeloaders from sharing their accounts and therefore paying less for subscriptions.
But there are still ways to get around the new restrictions so you can continue to borrow that friend’s login information.
Current rules mean that a subscription can be used by only one ‘household’, across a home’s group of devices.
Typically Disney, along with other streaming companies like Netflix, will consider the TV you sign in on as the primary device and then anyone else who wants to use that subscription will need to use the same Wi-Fi network at least once a month.
To avoid having to pay an additional subscription, there are reasonably easy ways to circumvent the rules, According to the Life Hacker blog.
Disney+ to begin cracking down on password sharing in September
The bear has been a huge hit on Disney+
One option, if you live close to the person paying the bill, is to visit their house once a month, log on to their Wi-Fi, and stream Disney+ for a while on your phone, tablet, or laptop.
This should convince the account that the transmission is done from devices considered within the same household.
Disney+ will then “remember” your device for the next 30 days, thinking it’s part of the account household.
Streaming on a smart TV outside of the account’s primary residence is a bit more complicated.
However, Life Hacker recommends authenticating a different tablet to your home Wi-Fi network once a month and then streaming it to your smart TV at home.
Disney announced plans to crack down on password sharing earlier this year, and enforcement is said to be intensifying in September.
“We started our password sharing initiative in June. It will go into effect, in earnest, in September,” CEO Bob Iger said at a recent meeting.
Iger said the proposed plan had been received positively by most subscribers and the company was confident it was making the right decision.
“We haven’t had any negative reaction to the notifications we’ve sent out or the work we’ve already been doing,” he said.
The Mandalorian is one of the most popular shows on Disney Plus
“We started our password sharing initiative in June. It will go into effect, in earnest, in September,” CEO Bob Iger said at a recent meeting.
The fight against password sharing has worked for Netflix, with soaring profits and record subscriber numbers.
Disney has struggled to emulate its rival’s streaming success, even with hits like The Bear, Star Wars and Marvel movies on its service.
In fact, Disney is raising the price of most of its streaming plans in the United States, a year after the last increase.
The pricing will go into effect on October 17 and will affect Disney+, Hulu and ESPN, the entertainment giant’s three streaming services.
Disney+ with ads will go up from $7.99 to $9.99 per month, a 25 percent increase. The ad-free plan will go up $2 to $15.99.
