Netflix is testing free trials again for the first time in 6 years — but there's a catch

Scott Younker

Thu, July 9, 2026 at 7:22 PM UTC

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It's been six years since Netflix ditched the 30-day free trial for new sign-ups. The bonus perk was a great way to get friends and family on the streaming platform, and it may be returning.

According to a new report, Netflix is "exploring the reintroduction of free trials" in select markets. Netflix confirmed the news to What's on Netflix.

"We regularly test promotions to help prospective members experience the value of Netflix," a spokesperson told What's on Netflix.

Apparently, these test trials range in length and are only for people who have never signed up for Netflix. It's not clear how many countries are seeing the test, but it appears to be available in Brazil.

→ O teste já está sendo aplicado no Brasil. https://t.co/tTKi0fCW4C pic.twitter.com/xrk576vXzV

— @netflix_portal (July 9, 2026)

Voir le tweet original

Netflix Portal, an unaffiliated Brazilian tracker, posted a screenshot that shows a 14-day trial. Some commentators said they were seeing 30 days and one person reported a 7-day version .

Crackdowns and expansion

Credit: Tom's Guide/Netflix/Shutterstock

Since Netflix ditched the free trial program in 2020, the company has been more stringent with new users and even cracked down on account sharing in 2021.

At the same time, in the last couple of years, the streamer has seen an expansion of content from partnering with Spotify for video podcasts to talk shows, live sports and events like the surprisingly controversial Skyscraper Live .

When Netflix threw its hat in the ring in a bid to purchase Warner Bros Discovery, Reuters reported that Netflix has over 325 million paid subscribers, basically the population of the United States.

Subscriber growth may have slowed and it appears Netflix is testing out new (or classic) ways to hook new viewers.

This is a test and Netflix may decide not to roll out free trials, or they could launch it in a different manner. In the meantime, getting Netflix for free isn't impossible but it is tricky .

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Crackdowns and expansion

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