Netflix profiles let you keep your viewing separate from other household members, but each profile still sends viewing data back to Netflix

A Netflix profile is a separate account space within one Netflix subscription. When you create a new profile, Netflix treats it as a distinct viewer — it has its own watch history, recommendations, and settings. The person who owns the subscription (the account holder) can create up to five profiles on a standard plan, and up to six on a Premium plan, depending on your region and plan type.

Creating a profile takes about two minutes. The trade-off is straightforward: Netflix can now track viewing habits separately for each profile, which means more granular data about who in your household watches what, when, and for how long. That data feeds into Netflix's recommendation algorithm and also informs their decisions about which shows to renew or cancel.

Key Takeaways

  • Each profile on your Netflix account has its own watch history and recommendations, but all profiles are tied to the same subscription and the same account holder.
  • Netflix collects viewing data for each profile separately, so the company knows which household member watches which content.
  • You can create a new profile directly in the Netflix app or website without needing a separate email address or payment method.
  • Profiles can be restricted with parental controls, but those controls do not prevent Netflix from collecting viewing data on that profile.

How to create a profile in the Netflix app or website

Open Netflix and look for your account icon in the top right corner (on a computer) or the menu icon (on a phone or tablet). Select "Manage profiles" or "Add profile." Netflix will ask you to name the profile and choose an avatar image. You do not need an email address, password, or payment information — the profile uses the existing subscription.

Type a name that identifies who will use the profile. This can be a person's name, a nickname, or anything else. Netflix does not verify that the person named actually exists or that the person using the profile is who you say they are. Once you save the profile, it appears on the Netflix home screen as a selectable option.

If you want to restrict what content appears on a profile — for example, to hide adult content from a child's profile — you can set a PIN and choose a maturity rating. This prevents someone from changing the settings or accessing restricted content without the PIN, but it does not stop Netflix from collecting data about what that profile watches.

What Netflix knows about each profile

Netflix records which profile watched which show or movie, when it was watched, how much of it was watched, and whether it was finished or abandoned. This data is tied to your account, not to an individual person's device or email address. Even if a profile is named "Child" or "Guest," Netflix's systems know it is part of your household subscription.

Netflix uses this profile-level data to build recommendations, to decide which shows to promote to which viewers, and to measure how many people watch each piece of content. The company also uses it for internal analytics — for instance, to understand whether a show appeals more to one demographic than another. This information can be sold to advertisers or used to inform Netflix's own business decisions about what to produce.

If you are concerned about what Netflix knows, you can review your viewing history on each profile by going to Account Settings and selecting "Viewing activity." You can delete individual titles from your history, though this does not prevent Netflix from retaining that data in their own systems.

Profiles versus separate accounts

A profile is not the same as a separate Netflix account. A profile shares the subscription cost and the account holder's payment method. A separate account would require its own subscription and its own email address, and would cost extra money each month.

If you want complete separation — so that Netflix does not link your viewing to another person's viewing at all — you would need a separate subscription. That is the only way to prevent Netflix from knowing that you and another person live in the same household or share a subscription. Profiles are designed for convenience and personalization within a shared subscription, not for privacy from Netflix itself.

Switching between profiles and managing who uses what

To switch profiles, go to the Netflix home screen and select a different profile icon. Netflix will load that profile's recommendations and watch history. You can switch profiles as many times as you want, and Netflix tracks which profile is active each time you watch something.

If you want to delete a profile, go to Manage Profiles, select the profile you want to remove, and choose Delete Profile. This removes the profile from your account and its watch history from your view, but Netflix retains the data in their systems. You cannot recover a deleted profile's history once it is gone.

Netflix does not require you to verify that the person using a profile is actually the person whose name appears on it. If you share your Netflix password with someone outside your household, they can create or use a profile, and Netflix will treat their viewing as part of your account. This is why Netflix's terms of service say that passwords should not be shared outside your household — the company wants to may support that the viewing data tied to your account actually comes from people in your home.

Parental controls and profile restrictions

Netflix allows you to set a maturity rating for each profile and protect it with a PIN. You can choose ratings like TV-Y (for young children), TV-14, or TV-MA (for adults). When a profile is restricted, anyone trying to watch content above that rating will need to enter the PIN.

Parental controls are useful for preventing accidental exposure to adult content, but they do not hide the profile from Netflix's data collection. Netflix still records what the profile watches, even if it is restricted to children's content. The company uses this data the same way it uses data from unrestricted profiles — to build recommendations, measure viewership, and inform business decisions.

What happens to your data when you delete a profile

When you delete a profile, the watch history disappears from your account view. However, Netflix does not delete the underlying data. The company retains information about what was watched on that profile as part of their business records and analytics. This data may be used to understand viewing trends, inform recommendations for other users, or measure the success of shows and movies.

If you want to request that Netflix delete your personal data, you can submit a data deletion request through Netflix's privacy settings or by contacting their privacy team. Netflix is required by law in some regions (like the European Union under GDPR) to honor deletion requests, but the process and timeline vary by location. In the United States, Netflix has fewer legal obligations to delete data, though they may do so in some cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a separate email address to create a new profile?

No. A profile uses the same email address and payment method as the main account. You only need a name and an avatar image. Each profile is identified by its name on the Netflix home screen, not by a separate email.

Can someone else use my Netflix profile without me knowing?

Yes, if they know your Netflix password. Netflix does not require a separate password for each profile. Anyone with access to your account can switch to any profile and watch content. This is why Netflix discourages sharing passwords outside your household.

If I delete a profile, does Netflix forget what it watched?

Netflix removes the profile from your account view, but the company retains the viewing data in their systems. Deleting a profile does not erase Netflix's record of what was watched on that profile.

Can I see what other profiles on my account are watching?

Yes. The account holder can go to Account Settings and view the watch history for any profile on the account. You can see titles, dates, and how much of each title was watched.

Does a profile with parental controls prevent Netflix from collecting data?

No. Parental controls restrict what content appears on a profile, but Netflix still collects viewing data from restricted profiles the same way it does from unrestricted ones. The PIN only prevents unauthorized access to adult content.