Apple TV gets an Android-only feature that'll have iPhone owners seething

Apple has added a surprise feature to the Apple TV app on Android, allowing Google Cast. This will make it much easier for Android users to watch Apple TV on the big screen, sending the content from their phone to a different device.

Google Cast was all the rage in the 2010s, with Google allowing diverse methods for sharing and controlling content on other devices using its casting protocol. Originally facilitated by the Chromecast, Google Cast was adopted by a number of platforms and remains an inherent part of Google devices.

With that, it's possible to cast content to Google TV Streamer and televisions that use the Google TV platform, like Sony TVs, but it's also supported by webOS on LG TVs, as well as a range of streaming devices.

While this is a great addition for Android users, the sting in the tail is that it's not included in the iOS version, so iPhone users won’t be able to take advantage of the tech. Apple probably assumes that iPhone users will want to use AirPlay instead, which is also widely supported on modern televisions and streaming devices.

Google Cast is a good technology, because it's not sending the content peer to peer. Instead, it's a control signal that tells the receiver device where to stream the content from. It allows the mobile device to remain in control, but if that device goes offline or the owner leaves the house, the content will still be playing on the receiver device.

For Google Cast to work, both devices need to be signed into the same Wi-Fi network. In most cases, it will open the relevant app on the device, rather than just firing in the content as it would in a screen mirroring situation.

The addition to Apple TV on Android devices comes as something of a surprise, but while Google Cast enjoyed its heyday about a decade ago, it's less relevant than it once was. With the proliferation of devices – and most supporting the Apple TV app – it's likely that most users will be able to watch using a native app rather than relying on Google Cast.

Ironically, the addition of Google Cast comes just as Netflix has removed support for casting through its app. Netflix was an early adopter of casting technology, again allowing remote control of a device through the app on a smartphone. Now, users will have to use the native app on the device they are watching on instead.

That's perhaps an indicator of how relevant this technology now is. Having been a big user of casting in the early days, with every TV now being smart, voice searching common and smooth apps, I haven't used Google Cast for a number of years.

It's a great addition from Apple, but there's a chance that most people won't ever need to use it.