Why Is the Cast Button Not Showing Up on iPhone? Am I doomed?

Being able to cast videos from your phone to your television is one of the biggest advances in technology.

Yet, it’s easy to take this feature for granted until you can’t get it to work.

This can be a particularly large inconvenience for iPhone users because sometimes the cast button just won’t show up at all. 

The cast button not showing up on your iPhone screen is most likely because something in your settings has changed, turning the ability off. If that’s not the case, you might be using a different internet connection, or your phone is unable to cast to nearby devices, so the button disappears.

If you’ve had problems with your iPhone’s cast button not showing up, keep reading.

This article explains the common causes for this and how to fix them. 

8 Reasons the Cast Button Disappears on iPhone

There are multiple reasons why your iPhone might not be showing your cast button. Many of which are simple to check and fix. 

1. Your Settings Have Been Changed

The most common reason your cast button may have disappeared is that your settings have been changed. 

Go into your phone’s “settings” menu and select the cast menu icon.

From there, you can see all of your iPhone’s cast-related settings.

Check to see if your phone has the cast feature been disabled, and if so, simply change it back to enable casting.

You can also cast directly from the settings menu if you’re unable to retrieve the cast button. 

2. Your Phone Is Outdated

If you’ve been putting off updating your phone, then your current system may no longer be supported by casting software. 

Should you have a phone update waiting for you, try seeing if your cast icon returns after your phone is up-to-date. 

Unfortunately, if it’s been a while since you’ve received an ios update, your phone may no longer be supported by Apple’s operating system, thus, making it impossible for you to cast videos. 

3. Only Some Cast Buttons Are Missing

If you normally cast videos from multiple apps to your television, but you’ve noticed that feature is no longer readily available for some applications, you might need to update those apps.

For example, if you usually cast videos from Netflix and YouTube, but YouTube’s cast button has suddenly gone missing, try updating that app specifically.

4. AirPlay Compatibility Isn’t Turned On

You may face difficulties if your television or other devices you want to cast to are made by companies other than Apple, and this could be at the root of your missing cast icon. 

If you’re casting to a non-Apple device, you must have AirPlay compatibility turned on.

This can be done in your AirPlay settings menu. 

When this feature is turned off, your phone won’t be able to cast to non-Apple devices.

Thus, the cast button won’t show, because your phone essentially thinks it’s useless to have the icon if you can’t cast to anything. 

5. There Aren’t Any Nearby Devices To Cast To

Should your iPhone’s cast button fail to show up while you’re outside or when no other electronics are nearby, then it’s simply because your phone isn’t registering any devices nearby to cast to.

This is a pre-programmed feature to save energy and be more efficient. 

In this case, try turning on your TV or any other device you usually use when casting from your phone and see if your icon comes back. 

6. Your TV Isn’t Set to the Right HDMI Port

If you use a Chromecast or other HDMI device to cast videos or audio from your phone to your television, your iPhone’s cast icon can suddenly disappear when you switch your television’s HDMI port.

This is because, essentially, you cut off part of your Chromecast’s connection. 

While your phone might be able to read your Chromecast device normally, if your cast isn’t helping your phone connect to anything, then it would function as if your television were turned off. 

That means, once again, your phone isn’t registering a castable device in the area, so it won’t give you the option to do so. 

You can check if this is the problem by going to your televisions input menu and checking which HDMI port it’s using.

As long as you know which port your Chromecast is plugged into, you’ll be able to figure out if you’re connected to the correct port. 

7. You Aren’t Using the Right WiFi Network

Your internet or WiFi connection is one of the easiest things you can check if your cast button isn’t showing up.

Whether you’re casting with a Chromecast or you can cast directly to your TV, you need to make sure you’re using the right internet connection.

Otherwise, the device you’re trying to cast to might not be picked up by your phone, which can cause your cast button to disappear.

If you’ve noticed you no longer have a cast option readily available on your iPhone, check what internet you’re using.

If your phone is on the internet using your 4 or 5G service, switch over to WiFi.

If you have multiple WiFi options, make sure you’re connected to the same one as your television or casting device. 

With any luck, that’s all you have to do to get your cast button to show back up on your iPhone screen. 

8. You Don’t Have the Apps You Need Installed

A final simple reason why your cast button might not be showing up has to do with the apps you have installed.

If you’re casting with a Chromecast, you have to make sure the Google Home app is downloaded. 

Without this app, Chromecast won’t work with your phone, so you won’t be able to cast to anything with it.

Verify you have all the apps you need downloaded before you start worrying about your missing cast button.

Why Is the Cast Button Not Showing Up on iPhone: Conclusion

When your cast button isn’t showing up on your iPhone, it’s usually because your settings have changed, thus disabling your phone’s casting ability.

Or, your phone might just be unable to detect any available devices to cast to, so the button won’t show. 

If your icon is still missing after trying these solutions, call Apple support for help.