Netflix has significantly scaled back its Google Cast functionality across mobile applications, discontinuing support for streaming content from smartphones to most modern smart TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models with Google TV and Google TV Streamers. This change, which began rolling out quietly around mid-November to early December 2025, has been widely reported by numerous tech news outlets globally. While Netflix has not issued an official public announcement detailing the specific reasons for this alteration, reports citing a streaming service representative at CES 2026 indicate that only approximately 10% of Android users on the platform were actively utilizing the casting feature. This suggests that low usage was a significant factor in the decision. Other speculative reasons include Netflix's desire to streamline its platform, reduce support costs, and encourage users to engage directly with native TV applications, thereby gaining more control over the user experience and potentially reinforcing household sharing rules. The impact is felt by both Android and iOS users, who previously enjoyed the convenience of browsing Netflix on their mobile devices and casting to a larger screen. Now, users are generally required to navigate Netflix directly through the app installed on their smart TV or streaming device using a dedicated remote. Notably, casting support remains for older Chromecast models (3rd generation or earlier) that do not come with a physical remote, as well as Google Nest Hub Smart Displays and select Vizio and Compal TVs that feature native Google Cast capabilities. However, even on these legacy devices, casting is typically restricted to Netflix's ad-free subscription plans; ad-supported tiers generally never offered this functionality. This move by Netflix follows a pattern of removing features, similar to its discontinuation of Apple AirPlay support in 2019, leading to frustration among many subscribers who valued the flexibility of casting.