It was once possible to sign up for Netflix directly in the iPhone app, but anyone still holding on to that plan has lost access and must sign up directly on the Netflix website.
Netflix
Netflix ended the ability to subscribe from within its iOS app in 2018. The move was made to avoid Apple's in-app subscription commission of 30%, which reduces to 15% after a subscriber pays for a year.
According to a report from The Verge, Netflix has finally ended support for grandfathered accounts that still used the in-app subscription payment option. New users haven't been able to use the method since its removal in 2018, but anyone who didn't change their subscription or end it since was still paying from their Apple payment method.
Subscribers report that they were suddenly unable to access their Netflix account. Netflix would launch and ask for payment information with no explanation.
The company may have alerted affected users via email, which was the case for some users, but such communications often slip by. The only options users who lost the in-app subscription have are to either subscribe via the Netflix website or give up the service altogether.
Those that held onto the old payment method were able to keep paying the old $9.99 price for ad-free viewing. Those users must now pay $6.99 for ad-filled content, $15.49 for HD ad-free content, or $22.99 for the 4K tier.
The change so far has only affected users in some countries like the United States and Canada. Netflix hasn't announced where the update is going live or when it might be global.
Netflix has been aggressive with how it handles its business in recent years. It set rules limiting password sharing, raised prices multiple times, and costs more than services that offer 4K content.