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Some rooted Android users can no longer download Netflix from Google Play

Netflix is one of the biggest streaming services on the planet and thus, a lot of people use its app on mobile platforms. On Android, the app hasn’t come with too many restrictions, but it seems that the company is starting to block some users from accessing the service.

According to a handful of users on Reddit (via Android Police), Netflix is no longer appearing on the Play Store on their device. Further, the app listing shows the device as incompatible with the application. It appears that this behavior varies depending on the root method used, as some methods aren’t affected at all.

Right now, this is just a minor inconvenience, as if the app is already installed, it stills works without an issue. Further, rooted users can still easily sideload the APK from reputable sources. However, this is not a good sign for rooted users down the road. It’s likely that this is just the first step Netflix has before implementing a more effective block both in the Play Store and in the app itself. Why? The cause may be Netflix’s new download feature, as the company could be taking precautions to prevent piracy with that feature.

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