Phone automatically cast to devices!

[YingTK]

I just start using a pixel since a few weeks ago, and I have noticed that while at work, at times when I pick up my phone, I see a notification for "casting to XXXX device" on my screen. I have no idea why the phone is doing that and the fact that this can happen when my phone's been sitting on my desk!

I really suspect that my phone is actually actively casting when I saw that notice, since there is a pause sign on the notification, but not a play sign. In my experience with other devices, a pause sign usually means something is playing. It happened just now and the same notification even pops out again after I shut it off!

This is quite terrifying as I don't know what's being casted and to whom. Is there a way to stop the casting function entirely in the phone? Or have any of you experienced the same thing?

 

[Aquila]

Something else is casting on your network and your phone is letting you know that it is happening.

 

[gone down south]

You'll get a notification for any casting being done on the wifi network you're connected to.

 

[Trigati]

Expected behavior as long as your phone is connected to your WiFi network. In fact, any device that has Google Home on it will notify you of current casts. You can then control the cast from any device you happen to have with you, not just the original casting device. It makes it very convenient if you cast from your computer to a TV in a different room, as you can then control the cast from your phone instead of needing to go back to the computer.

 

[Billy Bob Jimmy Joe]

Such an unnecessary and disliked feature Google gave us.

 

[B. Diddy]

I've seen more tech articles about this, so now that it's gaining prominence, I would expect Google to take notice and fix this in a future update. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to send feedback to Google from within the Google Home app to let them know this is a lousy idea.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

There are people who want a device to take control of another device on the network they are attached to and not be notified? Using a protocol that can be implemented on just about anything?

That's insane.

 

[B. Diddy]

There are people who want a device to take control of another device on the network they are attached to and not be notified? Using a protocol that can be implemented on just about anything?

That's insane.

But there's a privacy issue as well. Doesn't it also tell everyone else on the network what's casting?

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

But there's a privacy issue as well. Doesn't it also tell everyone else on the network what's casting?

It says where the cast is originating, and the destination: Casting Play Movies and TV to Shield TV

No data about the content or who originated it. I wish it said both of those, too.

There's no button or command needed to accept a cast command. Having something that can just take over anything with that bit of code enabled in it with no notification or warning is a very bad thing.

 

[B. Diddy]

Oh, I thought it would actually show what was actually being cast -- I coulda sworn I saw that at some point. I'll have to look at that again when I get home.