Student Streaming: A Guide to Sharing Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Accounts
If you have a student in your household preparing to leave for college or university, you might be wondering how that will affect your shared family streaming accounts. Will they still be able to access your Netflix, Apple TV+, or Amazon accounts from a different location?
The answer depends on the streaming service, as each has its own rules and account options for students living away from home.
Here's a guide for students and parents on how to continue streaming like they do at home, service by service:
Netflix
Not long ago, students could freely use family Netflix accounts even when they were away from home for extended periods. Netflix was fairly lenient with students accessing their parents’ accounts from afar.
However, Netflix's recent crackdown on password sharing has made it harder for students living on campus to continue using the family account. While streaming from a different address may work for a few weeks or even months, eventually, the student might encounter the dreaded “not in the same home” message, barring them from streaming.
One potential workaround is using a VPN. For instance, NordVPN offers a Meshnet feature that allows you to link family devices together. This can make it appear as though the student’s remote device is still connected to the family’s home network. However, this solution isn’t foolproof, and the cost of the VPN might outweigh Netflix’s official alternative.
