Google ends sharing YouTube Premium outside the household

Google began taking action against those who shared their YouTube Premium accounts outside the household. The company sends notifications and pauses subscriptions that do not comply with the family plan rules.

This measure follows the same approach as Netflix. They limit sharing to prevent financial losses and ensure that only family members can access exclusive benefits.

What happens with YouTube Premium family accounts

The family plan allows up to five members over 13 years old to be added. Each user gets advantages such as watching videos without ads, downloading content, playing videos in the background, and accessing YouTube Music.

In Spain, the family subscription costs 25.99 euros per month, while the basic one is 13.99 euros. For this reason, many people shared accounts with friends or acquaintances to split the cost.

How YouTube detects shared accounts

According to Android Police, YouTube sends emails indicating that the subscription will be paused if it detects that the user doesn't live in the same household. After 14 days, all Premium benefits are lost.

The user is not removed from the family, but loses access to features such as ad-free playback and YouTube Music. Google appears to use geolocation every 30 days to verify residence.

What to do if you receive a notification

Google warns that this system may fail. If you believe this is a mistake and you live in the same household, it is possible to contact support to restore the subscription.

Impact and expansion of the measure

For now, the first blocks occurred in the United States, but the policy is expected to reach other countries in the coming months.