Hold Onto Your Netflix Password For This Long Before Sharing With Bae

There a lot of defining moments in relationships: The first kiss, the first sleepover, the first time you say I love you. These days, there are even more watershed moments in a relationship thanks to technology. Moments like becoming Instagram official, updating your relationship status on Facebook, and, of course, sharing your Netflix password. It's one of those small gestures that is actually fairly significant because it shows trust in your SO and confidence in the stability of the partnership. With it comes the question: How long should you date before exchanging streaming passwords?

According to Julie Spira, online dating expert and author of Love in the Age of Trump: How Politics is Polarizing Relationships, sharing your streaming service passwords has in fact become a rite of passage in relationships. "Sharing streaming passwords has really become a big deal,” Spira tells Elite Daily. “Since so many couples have ’Netflix and Chill’ date nights, and already have a toothbrush and more at their SO’s place, having one account makes more sense."

So, when is the time right to perform the big exchange? "Depending on your streaming habits and how long you’ve been together, the time to ask for your partner’s password should be in between defining the relationship and asking for a key to their place. For some couples it could be a month, for others, it could be up to six months," says Spira. It's probably best to hold off until you have defined the relationship and are confident that it is in a healthy stable place — and your partner has shown they are worthy of your trust. "My general rule of thumb for password sharing is to have an understanding that you’re in a committed relationship, and talk about the reasons for wanting your SO’s password,” Spira suggests. “If it’s to stream a show while they’re not around, explain that. If it’s to find out what they’re watching when they’re not with you, then it becomes a deeper problem involving lack of trust."

Typically, the conversation around sharing your streaming service password will happen organically, but in the case where its something specific you'd like to address with your partner, Spira says it can be fairly straightforward and relaxed. "Having a conversation about sharing the streaming password should be fun and easy to talk about. You’re not talking about moving in, or putting a ring on your finger, but chances are you’ve already defined the relationship, so I look at it as digital housekeeping. If the relationship goes south, it’s not a difficult task to change your password,” she explains. Her advice is to just let your partner know what is on your mind. "My recommendation is to have a chat with your partner, let them know how much you enjoy watching shows together, and that since you don’t have a Netflix or Hulu account, you’d like to stream a movie or show, and would they mind sharing their account,” Spira says.

While this may not feel like it’s as intense of a conversation as, say, moving in, it has to be said that there are some risks and drawbacks to sharing your account passwords, so it's important to consider them before giving them to anyone. For example, if you stream through Amazon Prime, according to CNET, it's a good idea to do so through an Amazon Household Teen Login, which allows you to share the streaming service without giving them access to your credit card information and prevents them from ordering anything without your approval. Sure, you trust your partner, but it's just a good practice to get into. If you are sharing a Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming service with your partner, make sure to use a unique password. Don’t just use the same one you use for everything else it's really a bad idea to do that in general, but definitely if you're sharing your password with someone). Also, let's be honest, it's technically not legal to do so, per the various terms of service for these streaming providers. Just sayin'.

All that being said, if you feel like sharing your streaming password is something you’re comfortable doing, but you're still not totally sure if the time is right, perhaps Spira puts it best when she concludes, "If you’re sharing their bed on a regular basis, sharing a streaming account shouldn’t be a big issue."