You Can No Longer Stream Netflix To Apple Devices Through AirPlay

If you've been relying on Apple's wireless AirPlay feature to stream Netflix, we have bad news. Netflix has suddenly killed support for AirPlay, meaning you can no longer stream shows from one Apple device to another in the most convenient way. Netflix cites a "technical limitation" as a result of Apple allowing AirPlay to be used by most major television brands later this year, but others see this as a retaliation against Apple for jumping into the streaming game with Apple TV+. Get details on why Netflix stopped Apple AirPlay capabilities below.

The Verge first noticed that Netflix had removed support for AirPlay, which is now listed on their support page:

Here's the official reasoning on why AirPlay is no longer available for Netflix users:

"We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use. With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn't a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn't) or certify these experiences. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met. Members can continue to access Netflix on the built-in app across Apple TV and other devices."

That seems reasonable enough. Honestly, the assumption of Netflix trying to screw over Apple seems like a borderline corporate conspiracy theory. After all, if Netflix saw Apple's presentation for Apple TV+, then they should realize that they have nothing to be scared of (at least not yet).

Plus, at the end of the day, this shouldn't really present much of an inconvenience today. How often is a user who has an Apple TV streaming Netflix to that device from an iPad, iPod, iPhone or Mac computer instead of using the Netflix app available from the App Store? That doesn't make much sense. The only thing it might be disrupting is the chance for a friend to stream something from Netflix to your Apple TV from their own account. But even then, you can just add whatever it is you want to watch from the Netflix app on the Apple TV.

Furthermore, a lot of new televisions are coming with a Netflix app built in to their software. On top of that, even if AirPlay is dead, that's not stopping you from using the Screen Mirroring function from your Apple devices to stream Netflix or anything else to your Apple TV. Or if you don't have an Apple TV, you can also send video to a Chromecast or TV that supports Netflix 2nd Screen. So even though this might be an inconvenience for a very small amount of users, this doesn't have that huge of an impact.