- Casting is pulled from the Netflix app for newer Google TV devices
- You cannot now cast at all on an ad-supported Netflix subscription
- The change came without warning and has not been explained
Netflix has decided to disable one of the most useful features available on its Android and iOS apps without any warning: you can now no longer cast videos wirelessly from Netflix on your phone to newer Google TV devices like Google TV Streamer and Chromecast with Google TV.
You can still cast from the Netflix app to older Chromecast devices (those without a remote, such as the Google Nest Hub), but only if you pay for a more expensive Netflix tier. One major change is that you can’t follow the ad-supported plan at all now.
If you’re at home and have the Netflix app on your TV or streaming stick, it won’t be much of a problem. However, it is something that travelers regularly rely on – for example in hotels – and it is also useful when visiting friends and family.
I’ve often used Google’s simple casting technology to watch Netflix on my phone when I’m looking after my friends’ houses, pets and kids – it means I don’t have to jump through hoops to log into another television. It’s also really handy when staying in places like Airbnbs, but apparently not handy enough for Netflix to want to keep it.
It is for our own good
[RANT] Netflix has not long supported casting. you must now use the app directly on the streamer without your phone. from r/Chromecast
According to The Verge, there has been no explanation as to why this useful feature has been mostly dropped, not even on the official support page. It matches what Netflix did with Apple AirPlay back in 2019, saying it helps the streaming service ensure a certain “quality standard of viewing” is met.
According to one annoyed user on Reddit, Netflix is again going with the line that this will improve the customer experience — presumably because apps installed on an actual TV or streaming dongle are supposedly more reliable without requiring wireless beaming.
Not for the first (or last) time in the world of technology, a move that is bad for users is apparently being sold as actually good for users. From third-party Reddit apps to a Reels-first Instagram, we’re regularly told that what’s best for the tech companies is also best for us.
By ditching Google’s casting technology (as well as AirPlay), Netflix will now know more about the hardware you’re using – giving it more control over what devices you’re watching and where you’re logged in, without any outside interference.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
