- Streaming is pulled from the Netflix app to newer Google TV devices
- You can now no longer stream content at all with an ad-supported Netflix plan
- The change came without warning and was not explained
Netflix has decided to disable one of the most useful features available on its Android and iOS apps, without any warning: you can no longer stream videos wirelessly from Netflix on your phone to newer Google TV devices like the Google TV Streamer and Chromecast with Google TV.
You can still stream from the Netflix app to older Chromecast devices (those without a remote, like the Google Nest Hub), but only if you pay for a more expensive Netflix tier. One big change is that you can no longer stream content at all with the ad-supported plan.
If you’re at home and have the Netflix app on your TV or streaming stick, this won’t be much of a problem. However, it’s a tool that travelers rely on regularly – in hotels, for example – and it also comes in handy when visiting friends and family.
I’ve often used Google’s simple streaming technology to watch Netflix on my phone when I’m caring for friends’ homes, pets, and kids — it means not having to jump through hoops to connect to another TV. It’s also very convenient when staying in places like Airbnbs, but apparently not convenient enough for Netflix to want to keep it.
It’s for our good
[RANT] Netflix no longer has casting support. you now have to use the app directly on the streamer without your phone. from r/Chromecast
According to The Verge, there is no explanation as to why this useful feature has been largely abandoned, not even on the official support page. This matches what Netflix did with Apple AirPlay in 2019, saying it helps the streaming service ensure a certain “viewing quality standard” is met.
According to one annoyed Reddit user, Netflix is once again claiming that this will improve the customer experience – probably because apps installed on a real TV or streaming dongle are supposed to be more reliable, without requiring wireless transmission.
This isn’t the first (or last) time in the tech world that a decision that’s bad for users is apparently presented as actually being good for users. From third-party Reddit apps to a Reels-first Instagram, we’re regularly told that what’s best for tech companies is also best for us.
By ditching Google’s streaming technology (along with AirPlay), Netflix will now know more about the hardware you’re using, giving it more control over what devices you’re watching on and where you’re connected to, without any outside interference.
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