Netflix now lets users add PIN lock to individual profiles

Netflix users can now set four-digit PIN locks for individual profiles. This along with more features are a part of Netflix's new set of parental controls. The new Netflix features are available for users globally including India.

Netflix said the new parental controls have been introduced based on the feedback from users. The new features also come at a time when more people are streaming content online due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Netflix already has a dedicated kids profile, and it also highlights the age limit for different kinds of content. The streaming platform now lets users add PIN locks to profiles which have access to mature content not suitable for kids.

Each profile on one Netflix account can have different unique 4-digit PINs that can be sent by the account holder. Also, this feature isn't restricted to the master profiles and anyone with access to the Netflix account password can set the PIN lock. This can be done from the edit profile section available under the settings menu.

Netflix also lets parents filter out shows that may be inappropriate for kids. It's making this even stricter by letting parents hide individual titles on Netflix. From the "Profile and Parental Controls" hub, parents can type out and select the series or movie that they want to hide from that profile. These blocked titles will not show up anywhere on the platform.

Parents can also keep a check on what their kids have been watching through the profile section. There's also an option to turn off autoplay for episodes in kids profile. Netflix doesn't have an in-app screen time, but this feature can help manage screen time for kids.

Netflix is currently leading among rivals like YouTube, Amazon Prime and Disney+ with over 59 million installs in Q1 this year, according to analytics firms Apptopia and Braze. It is however overtaken by YouTube Kids in terms of watch time as it comes second in the list. Exact hours of usage were not provided but kids spent more on YouTube Kids as schools around the world remain shut.