Turn Off the Cast Button on Your Phone

YouTube's cast feature — the icon that looks like a rectangle with a WiFi symbol in the corner — lets your phone send video to a TV connected to the same network. To stop this from happening, you can disable the feature entirely on your mobile device. Open YouTube on your phone, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings. Scroll down to Connected apps and look for any TV devices listed there. Tap the device you want to disconnect, then select Disconnect or Remove.

If you want to keep the cast button visible but prevent accidental casting, you can also unpair your phone from your TV's Bluetooth. Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings, find your TV in the list of paired devices, and select Forget or Unpair. This breaks the connection without removing the YouTube app itself.

Key Takeaways

  • The cast button in YouTube's top right corner sends video to your TV — tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Connected apps to disconnect your TV.
  • Unpairing your TV from your phone's Bluetooth settings prevents casting even if the YouTube app stays installed.
  • On Android, you can disable the cast feature entirely through Developer Options if you never want to see the button.
  • On iPhone, there is no built-in way to hide the cast button, but disconnecting your TV removes the ability to use it.
  • Restarting your TV or phone clears temporary casting connections if you are having trouble disconnecting.

Disable Cast on Android Through Developer Options

Android phones offer a deeper way to turn off casting. Open Settings, then scroll to About phone and tap Build number seven times in a row. This unlocks Developer Options. Go back to Settings, scroll down to find Developer Options, and tap it. Search for Wireless debugging or Cast and toggle it off. This removes the cast button from YouTube entirely on that phone.

Be aware that turning on Developer Options makes other settings visible that can affect how your phone works if changed. Stick to toggling only the cast or wireless debugging option, and leave everything else alone. If you change your mind later, you can turn Developer Options back on and re-enable casting the same way.

Disconnect Your TV From Your WiFi Network

If you want to prevent casting across your entire home network, you can disconnect your TV from WiFi. On most smart TVs, go to Settings, find Network or WiFi, and select Disconnect. Your TV will no longer appear as a casting option on any device in your home. This is the most complete way to stop casting, but it also means your TV cannot stream apps that need internet, like Netflix or YouTube TV itself.

If your TV is hardwired to your router with an ethernet cable, you will need to unplug that cable instead. Once your TV is offline, YouTube on your phone will not detect it as a casting target.

Clear YouTube's Cached Device List on Your Phone

Sometimes YouTube remembers a TV even after you have disconnected it. Clear the app's memory by going to your phone's Settings, finding Apps or process Manager, and selecting YouTube. Tap Storage, then Clear Cache. This removes temporary files but keeps your login and watch history. If the TV still appears, tap Clear Data instead — this removes everything, so you will need to log back in.

After clearing the cache, close YouTube completely and reopen it. The TV should no longer appear in the cast menu.

Restart Your Phone and TV

A straightforward restart often fixes casting problems. Turn off your phone completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Do the same with your TV. Once both devices are back on, open YouTube and check whether the cast button still shows your TV. Many temporary connection issues clear up after a restart.

If your TV is still appearing in the cast menu after a restart, it means the devices are still on the same network and can still see each other. In that case, use one of the methods above — disconnecting through Settings, unpairing Bluetooth, or disabling cast in Developer Options — to fully break the connection.

Prevent Casting on iPhone

iPhone does not have a Developer Options menu like Android, so you cannot hide the cast button entirely. Your best option is to disconnect your TV through YouTube's Settings. Open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, select Settings, then Connected apps. Find your TV and tap Disconnect. You can also go to your iPhone's Settings, find Bluetooth, locate your TV, and tap the i icon next to it, then select Forget This Device.

If you want to prevent casting across your entire home, disconnect your TV from WiFi using the TV's own settings menu. This is the only way to stop casting completely on an iPhone without uninstalling YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disconnecting my TV stop YouTube from working on the TV itself?

No. Disconnecting through your phone only breaks the link between your phone and TV. YouTube on the TV itself will continue to work as long as the TV is connected to WiFi or plugged in with an ethernet cable. You are only stopping your phone from sending video to the TV.

Can I disable casting for just one app instead of all apps?

YouTube does not have a setting to disable casting for just that app while keeping it on for others. You can only turn casting off at the device level — through Developer Options on Android, or by disconnecting your TV through Settings on both Android and iPhone.

What if my TV is not showing up in the cast menu but I still want to make sure it cannot receive casts?

Disconnect your TV from WiFi through the TV's own Settings menu. This is the most reliable way to prevent any casting, whether or not the TV currently appears in your phone's cast list. A TV that is offline cannot receive a cast from any phone on your network.

Does clearing YouTube's cache delete my watch history?

No. Clearing the cache removes only temporary files and the device list. Your watch history, subscriptions, and login stay intact. If you tap Clear Data instead of Clear Cache, then your history and login will be erased, and you will need to sign back in.

If I disconnect my TV, can I reconnect it later?

Yes. If you reconnect your TV to WiFi or pair it with your phone again, the cast option will reappear in YouTube. You can disconnect and reconnect as many times as you want without damaging anything.