Netflix quietly kills the ability to cast from mobile devices

Netflix has begun killing off one of the best features of their service on mobile devices, with the company quietly killing off the option to cast your stream from your mobile device to most TVs and streaming devices. 

The option to cast has quietly been removed from the Netflix app, with users starting to notice the missing ‘cast’ icon over the past couple of weeks. 

Android Authority found a support page on the Netflix website titled quite simply ‘Can’t find ‘Cast’ button in Netflix app’ which lists a small number of still compatible devices, advising users that if your device ‘isn’t listed, you’ll need to use a physical remote to navigate the Netflix app’.

As of now, the only devices supporting cast from mobile devices are: 

• Chromecast 3rd gen or older (did not come with a physical remote)
• Google Nest Hub Smart Display
• Select cast-enabled Vizio TVs
• Select cast-enabled Compal TVs

Netflix did remove the ability to cast from their cheaper ad-supported tier, though this now affects all users across all plans. It’s a wild move, though not unprecedented, with Netflix removing the ability to AirPlay from iOS all the way back in 2019. 

Some reasons for the removal of the feature have been thrown around including Netflix’s ability to deliver ads through a mobile device, with some also speculating this could be to do with clamping down further on password sharing.

The reason for the move is unrelated to account sharing according to a Netflix rep talking to Wired who said ‘Usage of the feature was just extremely low‘ which seems off considering all the users including myself who use the feature regularly. Still, the feature is now gone.