The Disney+ streaming service’s anticipated crackdown on password or account sharing has reached Australia, with users facing a new fee if they want to allow someone outside their household to access their subscription.

The changes, which Disney first tested in smaller markets earlier this year, are now rolling out in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Europe.

It follows in the footsteps of streaming giant Netflix, which implemented its own password sharing crackdown in Australia in May 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about how Disney+ is attempting to prevent password sharing in Australia, and why it is doing so.

How much does it cost to add an extra Disney+ member?

Adding an extra member to your Disney+ account will cost $7.99 per month in Australia — the same amount Netflix charges for an extra member.

Only one extra member slot is available per Disney+ account.

Disney said subscriptions to its Disney+ service were “meant to be used within your household, which is a collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside there”.

While Disney has not informed all of its Australian subscribers about the change to Disney+, a spokesperson told Information Age that Australian users would receive notifications about it “as it is relevant to their user experience”.

Disney said people who subscribed through a third-party (such as Apple or Hubbl) or used a Disney Bundle were not able to add extra members at this time.

Extra member charges would be billed monthly to the account holder, even if their Disney+ subscription was an annual one, the company said.

How do I add an extra Disney+ member?

As the feature rolls out in Australia, owners of Disney+ accounts can invite extra members from outside their household by choosing the Extra Member option in their account settings, Disney said.

“The Extra Member must be at least 18 years old, reside in the same country where the Disney+ subscription was created, and cannot have an active or cancelled Disney+ subscription,” the company said.

After entering the extra member’s email address, users can allow the extra member to use an existing profile on the account which doesn’t belong to the account owner, transfer over their existing profile from a separate account (to keep their watch history and settings), or add a new profile.

“Note that certain profiles — including primary profiles (account holders), minors’ profiles, and those set to Junior Mode — cannot be transferred,” Disney said.

Extra members would then need to accept the invite and create their own password through the email they received.


Disney says only one extra member can be added to each Disney+ account. Image: Disney / Supplied

An extra member would be able to access the same content as the Disney+ account holder, the company said, but would only be able to stream and download using one device at a time.

Extra members could also be removed from an account by the account holder at any time.

Can I keep watching Disney+ when I’m not at home?

Account holders and household members would still be able to watch Disney+ on their devices wherever they are, the company said.

“If you’re on the go and you see the message ‘This TV doesn’t seem to be part of the Disney+ household for this account’, you can mark yourself as 'I'm away from home’, or select ‘Update household’ if you’ve recently moved and need to reset the household location for your Disney+ subscription,” Disney said.

“These selections will require a one-time passcode that’s sent to the email address associated with the account.”

The system appears to be similar to that implemented by Netflix, which uses IP addresses and other location tracking tools to check where accounts are being accessed, and by which devices.


Using Disney+ outside of its household will now lead to messages asking for account verification. Image: Disney / Supplied

Why is Disney+ trying to stop account sharing?

Amid increasing competition in the video streaming market, Disney+ is following Netflix in attempting to increase subscriber numbers by preventing people from sharing their accounts across households.

Netflix was found to have experienced its first drop in Australian subscribers following changes to its pricing and its crackdown on account sharing, but has since credited its decision for a significant increase in its subscriber numbers, reporting over 260 million paid subscribers at the end of 2023 and seven per cent year-on-year revenue growth.

Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC in April that cracking down on password sharing was part of his company’s goal of reaching profitability for Disney+, after previously reporting losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

He said Netflix was “the gold standard in streaming”, adding, “If we can only accomplish what they have accomplished, that would be great.”

Cheaper ad-supported streaming plans, which Disney+ has yet to embrace, have seen video streaming subscriptions rise in Australia, according to analyst firm Telsyte.

“Offered by Netflix, Binge and Paramount+, ad-supported plans are the most affordable base tier and come at a time when consumers are increasingly tightening their wallets,” the company said last month.

It found Netflix was still “the clear leader” in streaming in Australia, with 6.2 million subscribers at the end of June 2024, followed by Amazon Prime Video (4.8 million), Disney+ (3.1 million), Stan (2.6 million), Paramount+ (1.8 million), Kayo Sports (1.6 million), and Binge (1.6 million).

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service is also expected to launch in Australia in 2025.