Apple TV brings casting to Android just as Netflix removes it

Earlier this year, Apple finally launched an Apple TV app for Android. While it mostly matched the iOS version feature-for-feature, it had one key omission: casting support. Now, just in time for the holidays, Apple has addressed that gap.

With the latest update to the Apple TV app on Android, Apple has added Google Cast support. This lets you cast shows and movies directly from your Android phone or tablet to your TV and control playback from your device, instead of relying on a TV remote.

This update is already rolling out, so if you have automatic updates enabled, you should see Google Cast support in the Android Apple TV app now. If not, you can head over to the Google Play Store and update the app to make sure you have it.

How to use Google Cast on the Apple TV Android app

You’ll see the option in the top-right corner of the app

Credit: Apple TV / Pocket-lint

Apple has made it extremely easy to access Google Cast in its Android Apple TV app. When you open the app after updating it, you should see the casting icon in the top-right corner of your screen, to the left of your profile icon.

When you tap it, you’ll see all the nearby devices available to cast to. Just tap your TV to start casting shows and movies directly to it.

Once you start casting, all the playback controls appear on your phone screen, including play/pause, 10-second rewind and skip buttons, and my favorite feature: easily scrubbing through the entire timeline of a show or movie. One thing I really dislike about using a TV remote is trying to jump to a specific moment in something I’m watching, which usually means holding down a fast-forward button and waiting. With casting, you can simply tap the timeline to exactly where you want to go.

I’m really glad to see Google Cast support added to the Apple TV app for Android. It brings the app much closer to the iOS version, with both now supporting features like casting, continue watching, watchlist, and offline downloads for shows and movies. Considering Netflix just controversially removed casting support from its app (except in select circumstances), it’s nice to see Apple update its Android app to support it. Casting is one of my favorite ways to pop something up on my TV quickly, and in my view, every streaming app should support it.