Let’s start off by admitting the obvious: Jailbreaking a Netflix account can, technically, be viewed as stealing something that doesn’t belong to you since, of course, you aren’t paying for the service. With that said, there are ways to circumvent this ethical dilemma — and there are plenty of people who will argue that, given the outrageous a la carte prices you’re expected to pay for Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, and cable ), you’re left with no choice but to take matters into your own hands and find ways to jailbreak content and watch it free.
We will leave you to decide whether that checks out for you.
Ethical debate aside, the reality is there will always be a market for jailbreaking content. And that’s where Kodi comes in.
Kodi, which used to be known as XBMC, is a free downloadable service that opens you up to a brand new world of content and broadcasts (available on your TV or laptop) that won’t require you to pay or subscribe to services in order to access content.
And, technically, while what Kodi is used for in many cases is illegal, Kodi itself is not illegal to download because it’s little more than a media player. At this very moment, anyone, regardless of their tech or piracy skills, can download Kodi on its website or in the Google Play store if you are an Android user. It’s available on all operating systems, including iOS, Android, and Linux.
What makes it super legal and safe is that Kodi is blank. There is no pre-installed content to be found anywhere on Kodi. Kodi is little more than an app that’s typically used on an external USB stick.
Things start to get murky when you consider the separate add-ons and downloadable options that can be accessed once you download Kodi and plug it into your streaming device — and this is also where Netflix and other services you’d normally pay top dollar to access come in.
Despite its sinister implications, jailbreaking a device just means that you get around restrictions set in place for that device so that you can use it in ways that weren’t intended. When it comes to “jailbreaking Netflix,” you aren’t actually jailbreaking the streaming service. Instead you’re installing separate add-ons and content packages for Kodi that require separate downloads. You’re actually jailbreaking a separate device like Amazon Fire Stick to watch and enjoy your content.
Sounds complicated, but kind of innocent, right?
But there are other add-ons not found on the Kodi website that raise a flag.
“Kodi is open-source software (like Android), so developers have creative freedom to build and share add-ons without restrictions — including unsupported third-party plug-ins that pull pirated content from services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, and Amazon Prime Video,” reports Thrillist. “Then come the plug-ins that expand beyond video and get music from Pandora or Spotify, bypassing the agreements that artists signed with those services and streaming it all for free. Then you've got plug-ins with new or unreleased movies.”
Before you purchase an Amazon Fire Stick and follow a few YouTube videos on how to jailbreak yours or simply buy one already loaded with Kodi on Craigslist or eBay, there are a few things to keep in mind. Sure, having a world of content at your fingertips is tempting, but if you have ever used Netflix that you’ve paid for, you’ll probably find this version runs slower and is interrupted more often. You’re also at the mercy of media pirates when it comes to video content; one video may be crystal clear, but the next could be poor quality.
Remember: You’re always taking a chance when you don’t pay for content. If you do decide to try your luck and jailbreak a Netflix account, Kodi remains one of the most popular downloads out there.