What happens when you delete a Netflix profile
Deleting a profile removes that person's watch history, saved titles, and personalized recommendations from your Netflix account. The profile itself disappears, but your Netflix subscription stays active — you are not cancelling the whole account, just removing one user's data from it.
Netflix keeps no record of what that profile watched after deletion. If you delete a profile and create a new one with the same name later, it starts completely blank. The new profile will not recover the old watch history or saved list.
Deleting a profile does not change your billing, your password, or anyone else's access to the account. Only that one person's viewing record goes away.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a profile removes only that person's watch history and recommendations, not the entire Netflix account or subscription.
- You can delete a profile from the account settings menu on any device where you are signed in as the account owner.
- Netflix does not recover deleted profiles or their watch history, so make sure you want the data gone before you confirm.
- If you want to keep the watch history but remove someone's access, you can change the account password instead of deleting their profile.
How to delete a profile on a TV, phone, or web browser
The steps are the same whether you are on a smart TV, phone, tablet, or computer. You need to be signed in as the account owner — the person who pays for Netflix — to delete any profile.
Go to your account settings. On a web browser, click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Account". On a TV app or phone app, go to the menu, find "Settings" or "Account", then look for "Manage Profiles" or "Profile Settings". Select the profile you want to delete, then look for a "Delete Profile" or trash icon button. Netflix will ask you to confirm. Click "Delete" again, and the profile is gone when ready.
If you cannot find the delete option, check that you are signed in as the account owner, not as a different profile. Only the account owner can delete profiles.
Deleting a profile versus removing someone's access
If you want someone to stop watching Netflix on your account but you want to keep their watch history, do not delete the profile. Instead, change your Netflix password. This logs everyone out of the account except you, and they cannot sign back in without the new password.
Changing the password is also faster if you are not sure whether you want the profile gone permanently. You can always give them the new password later if you change your mind. Deleting a profile is permanent — you cannot undo it.
If you want to remove one person's access but keep other people's access, you have no middle option on Netflix. You either change the password (which affects everyone) or delete the profile (which affects only that person's data). There is no way to lock one profile without locking the whole account.
What to do before you delete a profile
Before you delete a profile, consider whether anyone who used it might want their watch history back. Netflix does not save deleted profiles anywhere, and there is no recovery process. Once it is gone, it is gone.
If the person who used the profile wants to keep a record of what they watched, they should screenshot their "Continue Watching" list or write down their favorite titles before you delete it. Netflix does not provide a way to export watch history.
If you are deleting a profile because you want to remove someone's access to your account, tell them first. Deleting their profile without warning can be confusing, especially if they try to sign in later and find the profile no longer exists.
Deleting a profile and your privacy
Deleting a profile removes Netflix's record of what that person watched on your account. Netflix still knows that the profile existed and that it was part of your account — they keep logs of account activity for their own records — but the specific titles watched are deleted from your account's visible history.
If you are concerned about Netflix collecting data on your viewing habits, deleting a profile does not stop Netflix from collecting data on the remaining profiles. Each active profile still sends viewing data to Netflix, which uses it to build recommendations and sell advertising information to other companies.
Deleting a profile is useful for privacy within your household — keeping one person's watch history separate from another person's — but it does not reduce what Netflix itself collects about you.
If you want to delete your entire Netflix account instead
Deleting a profile is different from cancelling Netflix. If you want to stop paying for Netflix entirely, you need to cancel your subscription, not delete a profile.
To cancel, go to your account settings, find "Membership & Billing" or "Subscription", and look for "Cancel Membership" or "Cancel Subscription". Netflix will ask why you are leaving and may offer you a discount to stay. You can decline and proceed with cancellation. Your access ends at the end of your current billing period — you do not lose access when ready.
Cancelling your account deletes all profiles on that account and removes all watch history. If you think you might come back to Netflix later, you can cancel without deleting your profile data first — Netflix will hold your account information for a while, though they do not may provide how long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a profile I deleted by accident?
No. Netflix does not have a recovery process for deleted profiles. Once you confirm the deletion, the profile and its watch history are permanently gone. If you deleted a profile by mistake, you can create a new profile with the same name, but it will start completely blank.
If I delete a profile, does the person who used it get notified?
Netflix does not send a notification when a profile is deleted. The person will only notice when they try to sign in and the profile no longer appears. If you are deleting someone else's profile, it is better to tell them first so they are not confused.
Does deleting a profile change my Netflix password?
No. Deleting a profile does not change your account password or log anyone out of the account. If you want to remove someone's access to Netflix entirely, you need to change your account password separately.
Can I delete a profile on a shared Netflix account if I am not the account owner?
No. Only the account owner — the person who pays for Netflix — can delete profiles. If you are not the owner and want a profile deleted, you need to ask the account owner to do it.
What happens to my saved titles and watchlist when I delete a profile?
Everything saved to that profile is deleted along with it. The titles you added to your list, the shows you marked as "Not Interested", and your entire watch history all disappear. Netflix does not keep a backup of deleted profile data.