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From Chromecast to Nest Hub: A Timeline of Casting Tech and Where It Goes Next

llatests

2026-01-31

10 min read

A complete timeline of casting tech from DLNA to Chromecast and Nest Hub — and practical steps to future-proof your second-screen setup in 2026.

Hook: Why the casting story matters now

If you’ve ever wrestled with a mobile app that won’t talk to your TV, or felt overwhelmed by half a dozen remotes and a dozen “cast” buttons that behave differently — you’re not alone. Consumers in 2026 face fragmented casting experiences, uncertain privacy rules, and sudden feature removals (yes, Netflix’s January 2026 decision.) This timeline explains how we got here, why a sudden shift in 2025–26 matters, and what the next chapter of second-screen control and smart displays will look like.

Top-line: The current state in one paragraph

Casting is no longer a single technology with a single behavior. It’s an ecosystem of protocols and products — from Chromecast and Nest Hub to AirPlay and app-to-app native playback — that has shifted toward remote-first, app-first streaming and richer second-screen control. Major platforms are consolidating how sessions are handed off across devices, and smart displays have become control hubs that do more than show thumbnails. Recent moves by services such as Netflix in early 2026 accelerated a re-think about what casting means in practice.

Timeline: Casting tech and major milestones (2003–2026)

2003–2009: Foundations — DLNA, UPnP, and the early “throw” era

Before “casting” had a consumer brand, the industry used standards like DLNA (2003) and UPnP to let devices share media inside the home. These standards enabled basic file and media streaming between PCs, media servers, and compatible players. The experience was clunky: discovery was inconsistent, codecs were limited, and usability depended on a maze of vendor-specific apps.

2010–2012: Discovery and remote launch — DIAL and AirPlay gains

In 2010, the DIAL (Discovery And Launch) protocol — developed by Netflix and YouTube — made it easy for a mobile device to tell a TV app to launch a title and take over playback. Apple’s AirPlay (which evolved from earlier AirTunes) expanded the idea to both audio and video streaming and introduced the concept of the mobile device as a remote controller rather than the primary playback engine. This period set the model for “start on phone, continue on TV.”

2012–2014: Miracast and the rise of streaming sticks

Wireless display standards like Miracast attempted to mirror screens across devices, but they suffered latency and compatibility issues. The major consumer turning point came in 2013 when Google released Chromecast. Chromecast popularized the model where the mobile app instructs a small dongle (or built-in TV runtime) to fetch video from the cloud while the phone becomes a remote — the classic cast model that millions adopted.

2015–2019: Smart displays, multi-room audio, and voice

Amazon Echo Show, Google’s Home Hub (rebranded to Nest Hub) and their successors turned screens into household hubs. Platforms added multi-room audio (AirPlay 2, Google Cast multi-room), and voice assistants began to mediate casting requests. Smart displays added persistent UI to control playback, show casting sources, and surface contextual cards — moving second-screen functionality from a mobile app to a permanent countertop device.

2020–2023: OS consolidation, low-latency streaming, and standard maturity

Smart TV platforms matured (Roku, Tizen, webOS, Google TV), and streaming protocols added low-latency options (LL-HLS, WebRTC-based flows for interactive content). Matter began shipping in 2022–2023 as the smart home interoperability layer, and by 2023–25 many displays and TV platforms started advertizing Matter compatibility. The result: smart displays were not just screens, they were unified control surfaces for entertainment and home automation.

2024–Jan 2026: Friction, consolidation, and notable reversals

By late 2024 and throughout 2025, streaming services and device makers responded to user fatigue and reliability issues with casting. Some platforms simplified by prioritizing native TV apps and session-handovers rather than sender-streaming. Then a landmark move in January 2026 altered the landscape: Netflix removed the ability to cast from its mobile apps to a broad set of devices — a shift toward remote-first control and tighter app-to-device session models.

“Fifteen years after laying the groundwork for casting, Netflix pulled the plug on the technology,” reported Janko Roettgers at The Verge in January 2026 — a sign that casting as we knew it is evolving fast.

Why that Netflix change matters

Netflix’s decision spotlighted several underlying problems that had been building:

Inconsistent behavior: Casting worked differently across apps and devices, producing a poor user experience.
Security and DRM complexity: Ensuring playback protection when senders streamed to receivers created platform-specific workarounds.
Developer burden: Supporting multiple discovery and casting protocols increased testing and maintenance costs.

Removing mobile casting forced users to rely on TV apps or specific devices (older Chromecast units, Nest Hub, select TVs). In practice this accelerated a pivot: the industry is treating casting as one tool among many — often favoring session handoff and remote control semantics over the original “throw the stream” model.

How casting actually works now (short technical primer)

Understanding three common patterns helps predict future directions:

Sender instructs receiver: Classic Chromecast/AirPlay model — the mobile app tells the receiver which cloud host to fetch. The phone is a controller; the receiver plays the stream.
Mirroring: Miracast-style — the sender mirrors its screen; useful for non-app content but higher latency and processor load.
Session handoff / native app: The phone triggers a native app on the TV to resume playback, often with shared session tokens or account-based state transfer.

Where smart displays like Nest Hub fit in

Smart displays have evolved from passive screens to active control hubs. The Nest Hub family (first-gen Home Hub in 2018; Nest Hub Max iterations later) exemplifies this shift: displays now do more than mirror — they interpret voice commands, run local automations (Matter-enabled), show contextual suggestions, and act as persistent second screens for companion content such as recipes, live stats, and synchronized captions.

In 2026, Nest Hub and similar devices are often the authoritative “remote” when multiple users are present: they offer face- or voice-based profiles, manage household playback permissions, and provide a visual continuity layer when moving from couch to kitchen. For authentication and identity work, teams are looking at edge identity signals and device pairing flows such as FIDO-backed device pairing to reduce impersonation risk.

Key consumer trends shaping the next phase (2026 outlook)

Remote-first UX: Many services prefer native TV apps and session handoff to mobile casting to reduce reliability issues and ensure better DRM handling.
Smart displays as context hubs: Nest Hub-class devices are the default surface for metadata, while TVs emphasize immersive full-screen playback.
Interoperability via Matter: Matter is increasingly used to coordinate context (who’s home, lighting state, listening groups) and tie casting behavior to broader home scenes.
AI-driven second-screen features: Automatic chaptering, highlights, and personalized playback suggestions on companion displays are common by 2026 — often powered by on-device AI.
Low-latency, multi-device sync: Live events, watch parties, and interactive content rely on LL-HLS and WebRTC to keep multiple displays tightly synchronized.

Practical advice — What to do now (consumers)

Whether you’re upgrading a living room or managing a household of devices, here are actionable steps to avoid casting headaches:

Prioritize devices with native app ecosystems: Choose TVs or streaming players that run the apps you use (Netflix, Disney, Prime, Peacock) natively — native apps reduce surprise breakages when casting changes.
Keep a modern Chromecast or smart display: If you like cast-style workflows, keep a recent Chromecast (or a Nest Hub) that supports the latest Google Cast SDK and firmware for the best compatibility.
Enable Matter and update firmware: Make sure smart displays, hubs, and TVs have Matter firmware where available — it improves device discovery and scene-based automations tied to playback.
Use account-based session continuity: Log into the same streaming accounts across devices to enable seamless handoff and avoid relying on fragile local discovery.
Fallback options: For stubborn apps that disable casting, use the TV’s browser, plug in a streaming stick, or mirror from a laptop using HDMI as a last resort.

Practical advice — What to do now (developers and product teams)

Build durable second-screen experiences by planning for multiple contexts:

Support app-to-app handoff: Implement a robust session transfer API so users can start on phone and continue on TV without fragile local discovery.
Implement multiple transport fallbacks: Provide both Cast/AirPlay support and WebRTC/LL-HLS flows for low-latency or interactive use-cases.
Embrace Matter for context signals: Use Matter events (presence, scenes) to adapt playback and UI on smart displays.
Design for privacy and DRM: Adopt account-based authentication and edge identity approaches and FIDO-backed device pairing to avoid impersonation and protect licensed content.
Invest in companion UX: Smart displays shouldn’t just show metadata — they should surface interactive overlays, chapter navigation, and voice-first controls. Teams tackling these challenges are also rethinking internal tooling to reduce developer burden and duplicate protocols.

Future possibilities: What casting could become (2026–2030)

The next five years will shift casting from a one-off “throw” to a persistent, intelligent multi-device session model. Expect these developments:

Predictive, context-aware handoff: Your household’s AI may suggest resuming a paused show on the TV when it detects you arriving home, using Nest Hub as the authentication and context source.
Visual and voice continuity: Smart displays will show scene-specific controls and summaries (e.g., recap highlights, cast bios) powered by on-device AI to maintain privacy and speed.
Interactive second screens: Live sports and shopping will use companion displays for stats, alternate camera angles, and synchronized commerce overlays.
Edge-assisted low-latency: Edge compute will enable synchronized multi-device experiences where each device plays a local chunk of the stream in sync, improving scalability for large watch parties.
Augmented and mixed reality casting: Casted content won’t be limited to TVs — AR headsets could receive scene-appropriate layers or private streams from the same session.

Risks and friction points to watch

Transition periods bring problems. Watch for:

Fragmentation: If services split between native app-first and cast-first strategies, consumers will face new confusion.
Privacy trade-offs: Personalization on shared displays needs strict defaults and clear user controls.
DRM and interoperability: Content protection requirements may slow adoption of low-latency or mixed-reality use-cases.

Case studies in adaptation

Netflix (early 2026)

Netflix’s removal of mobile casting in January 2026 forced many households to use native apps or supported devices such as older Chromecast adapters and Nest Hub. The company argued the change reduced technical debt and gave a more predictable playback quality. The lesson: large services will trade open interoperability for consistent UX when necessary. For more on how app design is changing in response to this shift, see how the loss of casting could change streaming app design.

Google’s ecosystem (Chromecast + Nest Hub)

Google doubled down on a hybrid approach — keeping Google Cast for legacy compatibility while pushing app-to-app session handoff via Google TV and Nest Hub acting as the contextual layer. That combined approach shows how ecosystems can support both backward compatibility and future UX improvements.

Checklist: Choosing the right setup in 2026

Do you want a simple remote-first experience? Buy a TV with your streaming apps installed and a voice-enabled smart display for secondary control.
Do you prefer universal cast-style workflows? Keep a modern Chromecast or a device that advertises Cast/AirPlay and Matter support.
Are you an interactive-viewing fan (sports, watch parties)? Focus on low-latency-capable devices and services that support LL-HLS or WebRTC.

Final take: Casting’s new identity

“Casting” in 2026 is not dead — it’s transformed. The early magic of “send it to the TV” has been refined into a multi-dimensional set of patterns: app-to-app session handoff, persistent smart-display controls, and tightly synchronized multi-device playback. For consumers, that means more reliable experiences if you choose devices and vendors thoughtfully. For developers, it means designing resilient session architectures that work across Cast, AirPlay, Matter, and low-latency transports.

Actionable next steps

Audit your living room: list all devices, update firmware, and standardize on account logins across apps.
Choose one ecosystem for primary media (Google, Apple, Amazon) and verify native app availability on your TV.
Keep one smart display like a Nest Hub for household control, context, and voice-based handoff.
Developers: add session transfer APIs, support LL-HLS/WebRTC, and make Matter signals part of your context model.

Call to action

Want a personalized setup plan for your home? Tell us which devices you own (TV brand, streamer, smart display) and what you watch most — we’ll recommend a concrete, future-proof configuration that minimizes friction and maximizes the new generation of second-screen features.

latests

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.