Apple recently allowed reader apps to include an external link to their website for making account management easy. As a result of this App Store policy change, Netflix has now added an external subscription option for people to get a subscription via Netflix’s iOS app. Here’s what this is all about.
You Can Now Subscribe to Netflix via iOS App
Netflix has started rolling out a new subscription option for people signing up for the video streaming app on their iOS devices. This will allow them to pay for the subscription without the involvement of the App Store.
While subscribing, users can select the new option, which has a message reading, “You’re about to leave the app and go to an external website.” Continuing on this path will direct users to the Netflix website, where they can make the payment for the Netflix plan they have chosen. We could also see the new option on the Netflix for iOS app and here’s a look at it.
This will help Netflix avoid paying the 30% commission fee to Apple, which has been under the scrutiny of many for a while now. Although, a fee will still be charged.
To recall, the new App Store update came in after a settlement with the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) that happened last year. For those who don’t know, reader apps are the ones providing digital content such as audio, video, newspapers, books, and more.
However, you should know that this option is currently for new subscriptions. Netflix still doesn’t allow for in-app payment options for existing subscribers and had excluded the feature back in 2018. It remains to be seen if this option will soon reach old subscribers too. Meanwhile, new subscribers can still take a sigh of relief and so can Netflix, which can now ditch Apple’s hefty fee.
What are your thoughts on this new change? Let us know in the comments below.
