Netflix Blocks Android Users With Root Access And Custom ROMs

Netflix no longer allows its software to be installed on Android devices whose operating system has been modified, for example by root access or by installing a custom ROM. In a response, Netflix says it uses new DRM.

Android users reported that they could no longer find the Netflix application in the Play Store. Shortly afterwards, Netflix confirmed to Android Police that it no longer supports Android devices with root access or custom ROMs. It remains unclear with what intention Netflix wants to block these users, but it may have something to do with preventing illegal copying of content. This is version 5.0 of the application that was recently released.

For now, the application works on Android devices with root access or a custom rom, as long as it is already installed; Netflix is ​​listed as “not compatible” in the Play Store. A test by Android Police also shows that the new version 5 of Netflix does work on Android devices with modified software, as long as it is installed outside the Play Store. However, it is still possible that Netflix eventually chooses to also block the operation of the app itself.

According to Netflix, the update uses a new type of DRM developed by Google. This Widevine DRM checks, among other things, whether the device that wants to install an application has been certified by Google.