Create a Netflix account without a phone number (2026)

Yes. Netflix's own sign-up steps on every device come down to the same line: "Create an account by entering your email address and creating a password." A phone number is optional. Netflix suggests adding one later for sign-in and recovery, but you never have to.

Short answer: go to netflix.com/signup in a browser, choose a plan, enter your email and a password, and add a payment method. No phone number is needed. On a TV, Netflix asks for "your email address or phone number" first, so type the email.

Everything below comes from the Netflix Help Center as of November 3, 2026. Netflix notes that some details vary by country.

Can you make a Netflix account with just an email?

You can. Netflix's sign-up guide lists the steps for TVs, Android, iPhone and iPad, computers and cable boxes, and the account itself is always an email address plus a password. The phone number only shows up as an alternative way to receive a sign-up link on TVs, and as an optional extra in your account settings.

What changes from device to device is where you can sign up at all:

Where you start	What Netflix says	Phone needed?
Computer browser (netflix.com/signup)	Choose a plan, enter email and password, add payment	No
iPhone or iPad	"Sign-up is not supported on the Netflix iOS app." Use netflix.com/signup in a mobile browser	No
Android, app from Google Play	You can start in the app, then finish in a browser using the link Netflix emails you	No
Android, app from Samsung Galaxy Store	Sign up in the app, no browser needed	No
Most TVs and streaming devices	Start "by providing your email address or phone number," then follow a link sent by email or SMS	No, choose email
Cable box	Follow the prompts on screen	Not stated

The TV row is where most people end up giving a number without meaning to. The first screen accepts either one. If you type your email, the activation link arrives in your inbox instead of by text.

How to sign up for Netflix without a phone number

The browser route is the simplest and works from a computer, an iPhone or an Android phone.

Go to netflix.com/signup in a browser. On an iPhone or iPad this is the only option, since the app can't create accounts.
Choose a plan. You can change it later at any time.
Enter your email address and create a password. Use an address you check, because it is your main way back in if you forget the password.
Enter a payment method. Netflix bills monthly on the date you signed up.
Install the app and sign in on your phone, TV or other device with the same email.

If you start on a TV instead, pick email on the first screen and open the activation link Netflix sends. If that link doesn't arrive, Netflix's page on sign-up and sign-in codes says to check spam and promotions folders, then choose Resend Link or "Create Password Instead" to finish with a password. Netflix says most links arrive within 2 minutes and expire after 15.

No phone and no card: the gift card route

Netflix's gift card page describes a sign-up path for people who aren't members yet. Go to netflix.com/redeem, enter the code, enter an email address, choose Create Account, pick a plan and set a password. At the payment step, Netflix says "You can also skip this step." The balance pays for the membership until it runs out, and Netflix emails a reminder 7 days before.

Gift cards are sold through retailers, and Netflix's payment page says the payment methods on offer depend on your country, so check that gift cards are sold where you live.

Does Netflix ask for a phone number later?

It asks, but it doesn't require one. Netflix's account security page puts it this way: "If you have not yet added a phone number, which is important to your account security, see How to add, change or delete a phone number." You may see that suggestion in the app or on your Account page. It is a prompt, not a gate, and you can keep watching without answering it.

None of the sign-up steps Netflix lists include a text message check when you use email. Sign-in works the same way: Netflix's sign-in guide says you can sign in with "the primary account email or phone number," and the 4-digit sign-in code goes "by email or text message" to whichever you used. With an email-only account, every code goes to your inbox.

If you'd rather type a password than wait for a code, choose Get Help and then "Use password instead." Netflix notes that a code is still sent by email even when you pick the password option.

Why Netflix wants your number

Netflix gives three reasons in its article on adding a phone number. In its words, a number "makes sign-in easier, improves account security, and can help you get back into your account if you ever forget your password."

In practice that means a second place to receive sign-in codes and password resets. Netflix's privacy statement says that when you register it collects "your contact information (such as your email address)" and a password, and that a phone number is among the details it collects only "depending on your interaction with the Netflix service." The same statement says Netflix can use a hashed form of your email address or phone number to match you on third party services for marketing, and that you can manage this under "Privacy and data settings" for your profile.

If you do add a number, Netflix sends an SMS code to confirm it, and "only one account can have your verified phone number on it." Verifying it on one account removes it from any other.

Getting back in without a phone number

This is the part worth knowing before you skip the phone. Netflix's password reset page offers a reset by email or by text, and adds: "We can only send text messages if you've added a mobile phone number to your Netflix account." Without a number, you have three routes:

Route	How it works	When it helps
Email reset	Go to netflix.com/loginhelp, choose Email, then Email Me. The link expires in 24 hours	You still have the email
Card lookup	Choose "I don't remember my email or phone" and enter your first and last name plus the card that pays for Netflix. A reset email goes to the address on file	You forgot which email you used
Customer service	Contact Netflix from help.netflix.com	You lost access to the email, or pay by gift card

Netflix says the card option may not appear in every region. Its article on lost access to your email or phone adds that gift card customers should contact customer service directly.

If the reset email doesn't show up, Netflix suggests adding info@account.netflix.com to your contacts, checking spam and promotions folders, and waiting up to 5 hours, since some email providers delay it.

The common thread is the email address. On a phone-free account, it is your sign-in, your codes and your recovery, so keeping it working matters more than anything else. Netflix's own advice is the same: "Make sure that the email and phone number on your account are current and accessible."

How to remove a phone number you already added

Netflix lets you delete it. From its account information page:

Go to the Mobile phone page in your Netflix account. Sign in if asked.
Follow the instructions to confirm your identity.
Choose Delete Phone Number.

After that, codes and resets go to email only. To change the email instead, use the Change Email page. Netflix says the new address must be between 4 and 50 characters and can't already be on another Netflix account.

Use an email that needs no phone either

Since the email address carries the whole account, it is worth picking one that doesn't tie back to a number. Gmail and Outlook can ask for a phone during their own sign-up; we cover what each does in creating a Gmail without a phone number and creating an Outlook account without a phone number, and our email without a phone number page compares the big providers. If you're already locked out of an email account, see recovering an email account without a phone number.

Secria Mail's sign-up is a name, the address you want and a password, with no phone number and no card. You save a 12-word recovery phrase at sign-up, so getting back in doesn't depend on a number. The free plan includes 1 GB and 2 email aliases, so you can give Netflix an alias and keep your main address private. You can create a free account here.

FAQ

Can I create a Netflix account without a phone number? Yes. Netflix's sign-up asks for an email address, a password, a plan and a payment method. On a TV, the first screen accepts an email or a phone number, so enter the email.

Can I sign up for Netflix in the iPhone app? No. Netflix says "Sign-up is not supported on the Netflix iOS app." Create the account at netflix.com/signup in Safari or another browser, then sign in to the app.

Does Netflix verify your phone number? Only if you add one. Netflix sends a text message code to confirm a new number, and a number has to be verified before you can use it to sign in.

Can I reset my Netflix password without a phone? Yes. Choose Email at netflix.com/loginhelp and Netflix sends a reset link that lasts 24 hours. Text message resets only work if a mobile number is on the account.

Can I remove my phone number from Netflix? Yes. Open the Mobile phone page in your account, confirm your identity and choose Delete Phone Number. Sign-in codes and password resets then go to your email.