YouTube News

YouTube dropped the same-WiFi requirement for TV casting

A September 1 support post said signed-in phones can browse without stopping what plays on the living room screen.

By The Creator Wire Staff Published Sept. 4, 2026

YouTube said in a September 1 support forum post that a phone and TV signed into the same account can link for playback even when they are not on the same WiFi network.

The update also keeps the TV stream running while you open other videos on the phone, so one handset can search or queue without interrupting what plays on the bigger screen.

YouTube replaced the old cast control with a "Play on different device" option and said likes and comments typed on the phone now appear on the TV session.