Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast to smart TVs and streaming devices from its mobile app. Now many users are not able to see the Cast icon in the app. The company has not made any official announcement regarding this feature rollback, but has mentioned this change on its support page to highlight it. The biggest thing is that this change applies to new Chromecast and Google TV Streamer users.
Netflix removed Cast support from mobile
Netflix’s casting feature allowed users to watch content directly from mobile without installing the app on the TV. This was especially useful for those people whose smart TV has less storage or who prefer navigation through mobile only. But now Netflix’s new support page update clearly states that mobile casting support has been discontinued for most TVs and TV-streaming devices. This change started appearing recently and was first noticed by Android Authority.
Who will get the support of the cast and who will not?
According to the company, only older Chromecast devices or TVs that have Google Cast inbuilt support will still be able to use the casting feature. But mobile casting will no longer work on new Chromecast models and Google TV Streamer. The Cast icon is no longer visible in the Netflix app. Although the icon is visible to some users, it is believed that it will be removed for everyone soon.
User complaints and Netflix’s response
Two weeks ago on Reddit, a user named u/DavidinCincinnati first reported that the Cast icon had disappeared from his Netflix app. After this, many other users shared similar complaints. Another user u/freetherabbit reported that Netflix customer support has said that if the device has its own remote, casting will not be allowed. Casting was already not available in ad-supported Netflix plans, and now other users will also have to face the impact of this change.
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