Adding a profile takes about one minute and requires no payment

To add a profile on Netflix, open the app or website, select your account icon in the top right corner, choose "Manage profiles," and click "Add profile." Type a name, pick an avatar image, and confirm. The new profile appears immediately on your home screen. Each profile keeps its own watch history, recommendations, and settings, so household members can have separate viewing experiences without affecting each other's accounts.

Netflix allows up to five profiles per account on most plans. You can add profiles for children, adults, or test profiles without creating separate email addresses or passwords — they all use the same account login.

Key Takeaways

  • A new profile appears on your Netflix home screen within seconds of creation and requires only a name and avatar choice.
  • Each profile maintains separate watch history, recommendations, and viewing preferences, so family members do not see each other's activity.
  • Netflix allows up to five profiles per account, and you can delete or rename them at any time from the Manage Profiles menu.
  • Child profiles can be set to restrict content by age rating, while adult profiles have access to all titles on the account.

Step-by-step process on phones, tablets, and computers

On a phone or tablet, tap your account icon (usually in the top right corner or in the menu), then tap "Manage profiles." Tap the plus sign or "Add profile" button. Enter a name for the profile — this can be a person's name, a nickname, or anything you choose. Select an avatar from the available images, then tap "Continue" or "Save." The profile is now active and appears on your home screen.

On a computer or web browser, click your account icon in the top right, select "Manage profiles," and click "Add profile." Follow the same steps: enter a name, choose an avatar, and confirm. The process is identical across all devices.

Setting up a child profile with content restrictions

When you create a profile, Netflix asks whether it is for a child or an adult. If you select "Child," the profile automatically restricts content to titles rated for ages 7 and up by default. Netflix will not show R-rated movies, TV-MA shows, or other adult content on that profile's home screen or search results.

You can change the age restriction later by going back to Manage Profiles, selecting the child profile, and adjusting the maturity level. Options typically include ages 7+, 13+, and 16+. A child profile cannot access adult content even if they know the account password, because the restriction is tied to the profile itself, not the account.

Renaming or deleting a profile

To rename a profile, go to Manage Profiles, select the profile you want to change, and edit the name field. The change takes effect immediately. To delete a profile, select it from Manage Profiles and choose "Delete profile." Netflix will ask you to confirm — once you confirm, the profile and all its watch history are permanently removed.

Deleting a profile does not affect other profiles or the main account. You can create a new profile with the same name afterward if you want to start fresh.

Why separate profiles matter for households

Without separate profiles, everyone using the same Netflix account sees the same watch history and receives recommendations based on what everyone has watched. This means one person's viewing habits affect what appears on another person's home screen. Separate profiles solve this by keeping each person's activity private within their own profile.

Profiles also allow Netflix to remember where you stopped watching a show or movie. If two people watch the same title, each profile tracks its own progress, so you do not have to skip past someone else's viewing to get back to where you left off.

Switching between profiles

To switch profiles, go to your home screen and select a different profile from the profile menu. On phones and tablets, this is usually at the top of the screen. On computers, it is typically in the top right corner. Netflix remembers which profile you were last using and opens that one by default the next time you launch the app.

You can also set up a PIN code for individual profiles to prevent others from accessing them without permission. This is especially useful if you want to keep a child from switching to an adult profile or to protect a profile from accidental changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than five profiles on one Netflix account?

No, Netflix limits accounts to five profiles. If you need more, you would have to delete an existing profile first or create a separate Netflix account. Most households find five profiles sufficient for family members and guests.

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

No. All profiles on a Netflix account share the same login email and password. Each profile is just a separate viewing space within that single account, not a separate account itself.

What happens to a profile's watch history if I delete it?

The watch history is permanently deleted along with the profile. Netflix does not recover deleted profiles or their history. If you want to keep the history but stop using a profile, rename it instead of deleting it.

Can I set different passwords for different profiles?

No. All profiles use the same account password. If you want to restrict access to a specific profile, you can set a PIN code for that profile instead, which prevents others from switching to it without entering the PIN.

Will adding a profile increase my Netflix bill?

No. Your Netflix bill stays the same regardless of how many profiles you create. The number of profiles does not affect your subscription cost — only the number of people watching simultaneously does, depending on your plan.