Netflix has stopped support for casting a streaming video from a mobile phone to a TV. Earlier, if someone was watching a show on their phone, they could easily cast it to a TV and continue watching without any issue. But now users must open the Netflix TV app and control everything using the TV remote.
This means no more using a phone to pause, rewind, control volume, see captions, or change any playback settings when the show is running on the TV.
Why Netflix Removed Its Casting Feature?
Android Authority first reported this change, and it quickly upset many users on Reddit. People are angry because they loved browsing Netflix on their phone and then sending the selected show to their TV.
Some users also used this method because the only logged-in Netflix account they had access to was on their phone, and they could not log into the TV app. Many are asking why Netflix removed such a useful feature and why the experience is now more difficult.
According to Netflix, not many members used the casting feature. They say they sometimes remove less-used features so they can improve areas that offer more value. Netflix did not share how many users used casting or how many resources it required.
Alternatives To Netflix Casting Feature
Casting still works in a few limited situations. It does not work at all on the cheaper ad-supported plan. Even if someone pays for a more expensive plan, casting from a phone will now work only on older devices like pre-2020 Google Chromecast models that do not need a remote.
However, Google has mostly moved away from those devices, and most modern smart TVs already have the Netflix app preinstalled. Some users think Netflix has shifted focus from simply gaining users to increasing subscription money by raising prices, restricting password sharing, and placing limits on how people can use Netflix.
Netflix says this change is not connected to password sharing. They say the usage rate of the casting feature was extremely low. The company suggests users check whether their TV can support a Google Cast device, because that can still allow casting from a phone to a TV.
