Netflix has removed the ability to cast shows and movies from a phone to a TV, unless customers are using an older casting device. An updated help page on Netflix’s website, first reported Android Authoritysays the streaming service “no longer supports casting shows from mobile devices to most TVs and TV-streaming devices,” and instead instructs users to navigate Netflix using the remote that came with their TV hardware.
This change appears to have gone into effect over the past few weeks, with one user on Reddit reporting that casting support was removed “with zero warning” on November 10th. My colleague Dom Preston also found that although he was able to cast to a TV from an older version of the Netflix app, the casting option was no longer available after the app was updated.
According to Netflix’s support page, casting support is still available on older Chromecast devices or TVs that natively support Google Cast, but only for subscribers with expensive ad-free plans, which start at $17.99 per month. Netflix users with an ad-supported subscription ($7.99 per month) will be unable to cast from their phone, even if they have an older Chromecast device.
The casting changes announced on Netflix’s support page do not explain why the feature has been removed. This follows a similar move in 2019 when Netflix removed AirPlay support, citing a desire to “ensure watching meets our standard of quality.” We’ve contacted Netflix for comment.
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