Netflix has quietly ended one of the most convenient ways millions of people watched its shows: casting from a phone or tablet to Chromecast with Google TV, the Google TV Streamer, and most modern smart TVs running Google TV. As of mid-November 2025, the Cast icon disappeared from the Netflix mobile app on devices on the same Wi-Fi network. The change is permanent and intentional.
The company updated its official help center to state that it “no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices.” In practice, this means anyone with a Chromecast with Google TV (2020 and later), the new Google TV Streamer released in 2024, or a Sony, TCL, Hisense, or Philips television with built-in Google TV can no longer fling Netflix content from their phone. The only way to watch is to open the Netflix app directly on the television or streamer and control it with the remote.
Older hardware escapes the cutoff. Classic puck-style Chromecasts (1st through 3rd generation) and a handful of older smart TVs with built-in Google Cast still allow casting, but only for subscribers on ad-free plans. Anyone on the Standard with Ads tier is blocked, even on those legacy devices.
Netflix has offered no public explanation beyond vague references to providing “the best possible experience.” Behind the scenes, the decision appears to be driven by a mix of technical controls and business strategy. Casting adds complexity—extra network handshakes, variable bitrates, and occasional compatibility bugs—that the company no longer wants to support. By forcing viewers into the native TV app, Netflix can more reliably deliver AV1-encoded 4K streams, enforce stricter DRM, collect more precise viewing data, and serve ads exactly as intended on its cheaper tier.
The move echoes Netflix’s 2019 decision to drop AirPlay support from iOS devices for similar reasons. It also arrives at a time when Google itself has shifted its focus from simple casting dongles to full-featured Google TV devices, reducing the incentive for both companies to keep the older integration alive.
For everyday viewers, the loss is immediately felt. Searching for a title on a phone is faster than navigating with a remote; skipping intros, changing audio tracks, and adjusting subtitles are all smoother from the mobile app. Many households with multiple TVs or who frequently cast from the kitchen to the living room now face extra steps or clunky workarounds, such as screen mirroring, which is laggy and drains phone battery.
While the change won’t push most subscribers to cancel, it adds another small friction point in an industry already training users to accept walled gardens. Netflix is another step toward a future where each streaming service prefers you stay inside its own app on its preferred hardware. For now, the couch binge continues—just with a few more clicks of the remote than before.
