Netflix is introducing a new profile transfer feature. (Nick Ansell/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)It may not be the first thing on your mind after a messy breakup, but if Netflix’s show-picking algorithms know your tastes as well as your (now-ex) partner, then having to start again with a brand new account from scratch won’t seem hugely appealing.
Netflix has decided to make it easier for partners to move on once and for all, by introducing a new feature: profile transfer. “People move. Families grow. Relationships end,” Netflix’s Timi Kosztin wrote in a post announcing the feature, “But throughout these life changes, your Netflix experience should stay the same.”
This means that everything from your profile – personalised TV and film recommendations, viewing history, watch lists, saved games, and other settings – can be moved to a new account without hassle.
This “much-requested feature” has begun rolling out to members around the world following a successful trial in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru. Netflix often tests big changes in markets with smaller populations to ensure nothing goes horribly wrong before a global launch. You’ll receive an email when the feature is available on your account, Netflix says.
It certainly makes it easier for exes to have a clean break. Netflix’s algorithm has a pretty good handle on the kind of shows you like after you’ve used it for a while, and losing that guiding hand can be a little disorientating – the last thing you need if you’re looking for some televisual distraction post-breakup.
It’s appealing for Netflix as well. If it can make starting a fresh account more straightforward, that potentially means more subscribers paying between £6.99 and £15.99 a month for access, rather than clinging on to a shared login even after moving out.
It comes at the same time as Netflix makes another push to boost subscriber numbers. From November, Netflix will be introducing a new cheaper ad-supported tier. At £4.99 a month, the new subscription will output at 720p, but won’t let users download shows, and will subject them to around four or five minutes of ads per hour.
