Want Netflix On Your Android Phone? A Workaround Emerges

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You saw, just yesterday, how only a handful of Android phones were going to get in the Netflix app, and chances are many of you were dismayed. And with good reason–most Android users have been waiting since they got their devices to get Netflix on them. But a new workaround has emerged to get the popular viewing app on your Android device, though it comes with plenty of caveats in its own right.

The caveats in question are simple and stark. One, this may not actually work with your device at all. Two, there’s a pretty good chance this could actually brick your device, so if you do actually try it, know that you’re doing so at your own risk and you shouldn’t proceed without backups first. And even if you do try it, it may not work in the first place.

You’ll need to begin with a rooted phone, which in itself is a process, but the process only gets more complex as you’ll need to download a variety of files, manipulate your root settings, and then even end up tricking your installer into thinking you have a Nexus S by changing some lines in the installer. It’s a fairly complex process, and you’ll find more details in a variety of places.

Like I said, this is a fairly dangerous process in terms of keeping your phone intact, and I personally find it a shame that people are having to go to such lengths to take advantage of a service that they’re already paying to use (no matter what OS you’re using the Netflix app on, you have to have a Netflix account to use it, and that means a subscription) just on a platform that no one had quite expected. And based on the numbers of people who are reporting success with this method, it makes me wonder why Netflix is dragging its feet on an Android app for all–or at least most–Android users.

So what do you think of all this? Is it all right to go to such lengths to get Netflix, or should Netflix get off the dime and make a more accessible app? Head down to the comments section below and tell us your side of this.