One of Netflix’s best features is that you can use it anywhere. Going on holiday? No problem; you can download shows on your phone or tablet. Bored at your parent’s house? You can log into your account through their smart TV.

But sometimes, because it’s so easy to sign in anywhere, you forget to log out. And suddenly, you see shows on your account that you’ve never watched, meaning an ex or a casual acquaintance is now using your account without your permission. Luckily, with Netflix’s Manage Access and Devices feature, you can log them out.

What Is the Manage Access and Device Feature on Netflix?

This option is called Manage Access and Devices and is available on the Netflix website, as well as the Android and iOS devices. It sits under account settings and shows you all of the currently connected devices using your account and password. It also shows what profile those devices use if your account has more than one profile.

The main thing to understand here is that everyone who is logged in can remove anyone else. So potentially, a spiteful ex who has your password can log you out and change the password.

However, if they are just logged in and don’t know the password, they can’t change it. In that case, you can come back in, kick them out and change the password. It’s also a useful tool if you logged in to your account on a public computer or a hotel room and forgot to log out.

How to Log Out a Device From Your Netflix Account on Mobile

  1. Launch the Netflix app on your phone and choose your profile.
  2. Press your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap Account.
  4. Scroll down and tap Manage access and devices.
  5. Find the device you want to remove (you can see the location when it’s signed in) and tap Sign Out.

Don’t forget to change your Netflix password on the Account page, so they can’t sign back in.

How to Log Out a Device From Your Netflix Account on Desktop

  1. Navigate to the Netflix website and log in to your profile.
  2. Hover over the arrow next to your profile picture in the top right corner.
    Netflix desktop home
  3. Select Account.
  4. Click Manage access and devices.
    Netflix desktop account
  5. Locate the device you want to disconnect by the type of device or by its location and press Sign Out.
    Netflix desktop manage access
  6. Go back to Account and change the password.

Why Did Netflix Introduce This Feature?

For many years, it seemed like Netflix didn’t mind it when people shared their passwords with friends and family members outside their households. However, in 2022, the company experienced a drop in revenue, as well as a massive loss in subscribers.

In an effort to regain subscribers and financial stability, Netflix started to crack down on password sharing. Sharing your Netflix password isn't illegal, but you might lose access to your account. However, with features like Manage Access and Device, Netflix surely hopes to encourage people to create new individual accounts.

The company also introduced Nexflix Basic with ads to encourage people who couldn’t afford an individual account in the past. In addition, Netflix's profile transfer lets people start a new account without losing their viewing history and recommendations.

Keep Your Netflix Account Secure

Now that you know how to log out of unfamiliar devices, you can hopefully keep your Netflix account more secure and ensure no one other than you uses it (unless you want them to). As we’ve mentioned, don’t forget to change the password once you’ve logged people out.

Another thing you can do to keep the account secure is to choose a complicated password. Also, always remember to log out when you use Netflix on a device other than yours, and never save the password on someone else’s browser.