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YouTube is tightening its rules on password sharing for its Premium Family plan, following a move similar to Netflix. The platform has begun warning users that Premium benefits could be paused if family members are found living outside the same household.
As per media reports, several users have reported receiving emails titled, “Your YouTube Premium family membership will be paused.” The notice clarifies that all members on a Premium Family plan must reside at the same address as the family manager. Accounts flagged as non-compliant are given 14 days to update their details, after which their Premium access is suspended. While affected users remain part of the family group, they’ll be shifted back to the ad-supported version of YouTube.
Priced at Rs 299 per month in India, the Premium Family plan allows up to five additional members to enjoy ad-free videos, YouTube Music, offline downloads, and background play. Although this “same household” rule has always existed, YouTube previously enforced it leniently, allowing friends and relatives in different locations to benefit.
Eligibility is verified through an electronic check-in every 30 days, which uses location and account data to confirm members are under one roof. Earlier, failing this check had little impact, but YouTube is now acting on it more strictly.
Interestingly, this shift comes just weeks after YouTube began testing a two-person Premium plan, aimed at couples or flatmates who don’t meet the strict “family” definition. By tightening family plan rules while introducing smaller, cheaper alternatives, YouTube seems to be steering users toward legitimate subscription tiers rather than shared accounts.
Similar to Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing, the platform aims to convert users who previously relied on shared access into paying subscribers.
Those affected will have three options: join a valid family plan with members in the same household, switch to an individual or smaller plan, or revert to the free, ad-supported version of YouTube.
