Netflix blocks rooted Android devices from downloading its app

Users who have rooted Android devices or devices with unlocked bootloaders can’t download the Netflix app from the Google Play Store anymore. That’s the bad news. The good news is you can still watch your favorite TV shows and movies on your smartphone if you already have the app installed.

Recently, users have started complaining that the Netflix app is listed as “incompatible” with their devices on the Google Play Store. The company has explained what is going on in a statement given to Android Police. Netflix said that the 5.0 version of the app fully relies on the Widevine DRM provided by Google and that those devices that are not Google-certified or have been altered will no longer be able to download the app from the Play Store.

As already mentioned, if you have Netflix installed on your rooted/unlocked Android device you can still use it. At least for now. There’s a chance that it might stop working eventually because of all the changes that are taking place, but we hope that won’t happen. The move to block rooted devices from downloading the Netflix app isn’t something users are happy about, and it just might a good enough reason for some to take their business elsewhere.

What’s your opinion on this topic? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.