Netflix is turning off one of the most comfortable tricks from its mobile app: the option to send what you see on your phone directly to the TV with the classic “cast” button. The change is being rolled out silently and there are already users reporting that the Google Cast icon simply disappeared from the Netflix app on their phones.
What is happening with the Netflix “cast”?
Netflix has updated its help page to make it clear that “no longer supports sending content from a mobile device to most televisions and streaming devices”. In practice, this means that if you previously opened the Netflix app on your phone and tapped the Cast button to cast the series to your TV with Chromecast or Google TV, now your TV will most likely simply no longer appear in the list.
Instead, the platform indicates that you have to use the remote control of your TV or streaming dongle and enter the native Netflix app on the device itself. That is, Netflix wants you to open its app directly on the big screen, not control it as a “second screen” from your mobile.
The exceptional cases: old Chromecast and ad-free plans
The decision is not a total and absolute blackout, but almost. According to the help documentation and reports from specialized media, The “cast” only continues to work on some older devicesmainly two types:
- Classic Chromecasts without a physical remote control (the old “dumb” dongle models).
- TVs that come Google Cast integrated but they do not rely on a modern Google TV-type interface.
Even in those cases, the thing comes with fine print: Mobile sending is only allowed on ad-free plansthat is, in the higher level subscriptions, while the advertising-supported plan is left without the option to cast even if you have one of those old devices. If you are in a hotel, in an Airbnb or at a relative’s house and you relied on the “cast” to avoid logging into other people’s TV, this move makes your life quite complicated.
The chronology doesn’t help calm anyone either: users on Reddit point out that the cast button started disappearing in mid-novemberwithout any prior alert or notice in the app. Basically, one day you opened Netflix and the feature you always used…was gone.
Why is Netflix killing mobile casting?
Officially, Netflix has not given a detailed technical explanation, but there are several very clear clues. Customer service representatives have told some users that “if the device has its own remote control, you can no longer cast” and that the decision was made “to improve the customer experience.” Translated: if your TV or dongle already has a native Netflix app, the company wants you to use that app no matter what.
This move fits with other previous movements: in 2019 the platform had already removed Apple AirPlay supportbreaking another bridge between the mobile phone and the TV to favor its own apps on the big screen. By centralizing playback on the device where the native app runs, Netflix gains several things:
- More control over image quality and codecs (like AV1), by directly handling streaming on the TV instead of depending on the signal sent from the mobile.
- Stronger DRM and better content protectionsomething key in the middle of the streaming war.
- More accurate analytics and usage databecause all the interaction goes through its own interface on each screen, not through a simple Cast-type “bridge”.
There is also a business interpretation: just as the end of account sharing forced many “stowaways” to pay their own subscription, Cutting features like casting can push people to use official apps more and their new advertising experiences or premium plans. In an ecosystem where almost all smart TVs come with Netflix pre-installed, the company feels strong enough to cut historic amenities without fear of losing critical mass.
What does this mean for your daily life (and for Google Discover)?
For the average user, the change is clear: No more using your phone as an advanced remote control to control Netflix on the TVunless you have an old Chromecast or a TV with old Google Cast and an ad-free plan.
You will no longer be able to pause, fast forward, change subtitles or adjust audio from your mobile while the content is playing on the big screen; everything will have to be done from the remote control of the television or streaming device.
This also hits a very specific audience:
- People who they travel frequently and they preferred to cast the hotel or Airbnb TVs without logging into the app.
- Users who already had the idea of using the mobile phone as an entertainment “hub” well integrated and did not want to fight with the slow interfaces of some smart TVs.
From a trends point of view, what is seen is a pattern: streaming giants are prioritizing their native apps and their closed ecosystem above the flexibility of the user. Today is the cast button; yesterday it was AirPlay; Tomorrow there could be other integrations that make your subscription less “portable” and more tied to certified hardware.
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