The days of using your phone as a Netflix remote are effectively over. In a move that's confused subscribers since reports first surfaced on Reddit in early November, Netflix appears to be blocking the ability to beam content wirelessly from your phone to your TV. 

CNET testing confirmed the option has vanished from newer setups, like LG TVs, though some people say that it can still be accessed via older versions of the app and legacy Chromecast dongles. 

A representative for Netflix didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, on a Netflix Help Center page, the company appears to be nudging customers in the direction of using built-in Netflix apps for TVs and devices.

Until the streaming giant clarifies why, the new rule is simple: if you want to watch on the big screen, you need to launch the app directly from the big screen.

According to the Netflix Help Center page, only those who aren't on an ad-supported basic plan can still access the feature for older devices, such as Chromecasts. The help page explicitly mentions the few devices that still support casting with Netflix:

• 3rd generation or older Chromecast (no remote)
• Google Nest Hub Smart Display
• Certain Vizio TVs
• Certain Compal TVs

If you're thinking about bypassing the Netflix casting ban with screen mirroring, you're probably out of luck. The Netflix help page specifically mentions that users with ad-supported plans won't have access to "casting or mirroring," even for old devices. 

When we tried to mirror the screen of an iPhone 17 Pro running iOS 26.1 to a TCL TV, we received the following "E100" error using a Netflix Standard plan (no ads).  

Netflix's decision to end casting comes as movie and TV services (and music services such as Spotify) are steadily increasing their prices, leading some viewers to cancel streaming services to save money.