Netflix is officially removing the ability to “cast” movies and shows from your phone directly to your television. If you prefer browsing the Netflix catalog on your mobile touchscreen and beaming the video to your big screen, you are likely out of luck. According to a newly updated help page, the company now requires you to use the physical remote that came with your TV or streaming stick to pick what you watch.
The streaming giant states that “Netflix no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices.” This change hits users with modern equipment the hardest. If you own the new Google TV Streamer, a Chromecast with Google TV, or a television running Android TV, the feature is effectively dead. You simply have to use the TV’s built-in app and navigation.
There are a few messy exceptions. The company implies that casting might still function on older generations of Chromecast devices (the “dongle” style without a remote) and some specific TVs with built-in Google Cast. However, this exception only applies if you subscribe to an ad-free plan. If you are on the cheaper tier with commercials, casting is blocked completely.
Netflix started quietly removing this feature in mid-November. Many users noticed the option disappear over the last few weeks. Even if the “cast” icon still appears in your mobile app, it might simply show an empty list when you tap it, refusing to find your TV.
This decision frustrates many subscribers because the mobile interface is generally superior for navigation. Typing a movie title on a smartphone keyboard is instant, whereas hunting and pecking for letters with a TV remote D-pad is slow and annoying. Furthermore, fixing your spot in a movie after falling asleep is much faster on a phone, where you can easily slide the progress bar to the exact second you need. By forcing everyone to use the TV interface, Netflix is making the viewing experience a little more clunky.
