Entertainment

Netflix quietly removes popular phone feature — leaving users fuming

Netflix logo on a phone
Whether it’s removing people’s favourite shows or making changes to the subscription model, Netflix does, on occasion, make a move that leaves its subscribers a bit unhappy. And its latest change has already attracted criticism from those who use their phones to watch the streaming platform. (Picture: Getty Images)
The company has announced that it has stopped the ability to cast video directly from phones to a larger TV screen – a change which many have said came last month without warning. Instead, you’ll have to pick up the remote and browse Netflix on the TV itself, which also means having to use the often-slow TV search function rather than the speedy phone keyboard to find the titles you want. (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Netflix no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices,’ the streaming platform said on its website. ‘You’ll need to use the remote that came with your TV or TV-streaming device to navigate Netflix.’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Casting has long been viewed as a way of sharing content with others, or just watching Netflix on a larger screen on other TVs – for example if you’re staying in a hotel or holiday home – with many using a device such as Google Chromecast, which allows you to stream from your phone to a TV. (Picture: Getty Images)
However, only those who have older Chromecasts, such as the original 2013 device, will be able to continue casting. And as Netflix explains on its website: ‘If you’re on an ad-supported experience, you won’t be able to use your TV as a display for Netflix content playing on your mobile device’. Which means you’ll have to be on a paid subscription model to be able to do it even then. (Picture: Getty Images)
The change was rolled out in mid-November, but has only just been confirmed after users began noticing the difference – with many taking to social media to express their annoyance. ‘First password sharing, now no casting. Netflix is speed-running how to annoy its entire user base,’ said one person on X, while another said they were ‘genuinely cancelling’ their subscription. Meanwhile on Reddit one user said: ‘Netflix just doesn’t want casting in any form I guess,’ while another called it ‘easily the most consumer-hostile thing Netflix has ever done.’ (Picture: Getty Images)

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Others have suggested that this is the latest way of Netflix cracking down on its users sharing content with others, after it changed the rules around account sharing. The ‘one household’ rule, which came in two years ago, now means that logging into Netflix on another device can trigger warnings or requests for a validation code unless the user pays for other devices to be added. (Picture: Getty Images)
When asked about ending the casting feature, a Netflix representative told Wired that it was due to not enough members using the function and the platform ends features that are no longer widely used to invest in those that provide more value. (Picture: Getty Images)
Netflix also ended the Apple AirPlay feature in 2019, which allowed iPhone and iPad users to cast their shows straight to an Apple or other compatible TV. That move now means users who want to watch on an Apple TV either have to connect through a cable to the television, or access Netflix directly through the TV. (Picture: Getty Images)
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