Apple TV Android App Adds Google Cast Support

The Apple TV app for Android has quietly added support for Google Cast, 9to5Google is reporting today. The app launched on Android phones and tablets earlier this year, but it wasn’t Cast-enabled until now.

Similar to Apple’s AirPlay technology, Google Cast lets users cast a video from an iOS or Android device to a Cast-enabled device such as a smart TV. Google says that there are over 3,000 Cast-enabled apps on the market, so it was strange to see the Apple TV not supporting the feature from the get-go.

In the Apple TV app for Android, the Google Cast button appears in the top right corner of the app, and tapping it shows the list of Cast-enabled devices on the network. On iOS devices, the Apple TV app only supports Apple’s proprietary AirPlay technology, which is unfortunate but probably not surprising coming from Apple.

In a strange twist of events, the Apple TV app is adding Google Cast support right when Netflix is removing the feature from its mobile apps. The leading streaming service had previously removed Google Cast support for users on its ad-supported plan, and it’s now telling all of its users that they should use their TV remote to navigate Netflix on the big screen.