analysistechstreaming

The Future of Second-Screen Control: What Companies Are Betting On Next

tthenews

2026-02-02

10 min read

How second-screen control is evolving in 2026: integrated remotes, universal TVs, session-first standards, and casting’s new role.

Hook: Why second-screen control still feels broken — and why it matters in 2026

Consumers want one thing from the living-room experience: reliable, frictionless playback control across phones, remotes, and TVs. But between disappearing casting features, competing platform rules, and a fragmentation of protocols, many viewers still struggle to pause, transfer, or subtitle a show without a multi-step dance. That frustration matters: it lowers engagement, increases churn for streaming services, and fragments discoverability for creators and platforms alike.

Top-line: The industry is pivoting — not away — from second-screen control

In early 2026 the debate sharpened when Netflix removed broad phone-to-TV casting support in January, narrowing cast targets to a subset of older Chromecast devices, Nest Hub displays, and a few select TV vendors. That move crystallized a broader industry trajectory: companies are consolidating control flows around native TV apps, platform-level sessions, and standardized playback control stacks rather than relying solely on ad-hoc casting implementations (The Verge, Jan 16, 2026).

At the same time, major media partnerships — like the BBC's talks with YouTube for bespoke content (Variety, Jan 2026) — underscore how content owners and platforms are aligning strategy and engineering to favor platform-native consumption. These shifts mean the role of the second screen is evolving rather than vanishing.

Where we are now: four parallel trends shaping the roadmap

Integrated remotes are getting smarter — Remotes now blend tactile control, voice, and spatial awareness (UWB/BLE) to reduce friction when switching devices or users in a room.
Universal TVs aim to be the hub — TV manufacturers are positioning their OSes (Google TV, Roku, Tizen, webOS) as universal endpoints that host apps, manage accounts, and arbitrate playback sessions.
Mobile playback control standards are consolidating — Web-native control APIs, session handoff patterns, and cloud-session models are winning favor over multiple vendor-specific casting protocols.
Casting is being repurposed, not retired — Casting persists for simple discovery and session transfer but is often replaced by server-side session continuation for premium content and DRM-sensitive playback.

Deep dive: Integrated remotes — the hardware layer of the future

Integrated remotes are evolving from single-purpose clickers into multimodal devices that combine:

Bluetooth and BLE for low-latency commands;
Ultra-wideband (UWB) for device localization and automatic profile switching (who's pointing the remote?);
Onboard microphones and far-field mics that act as a proxy for voice assistants;
Haptic feedback and context-aware buttons that change depending on the app or media type.

Why this matters: remotes that can identify the user and map to profiles reduce account friction (PINs, switching) and allow customized playback states (subtitles, audio descriptions, watchlists). For manufacturers and platform owners, integrating authorization flows into the remote can improve conversion for paywalled content and reduce the need for repeated logins on TVs with clumsy keyboards.

Actionable for device makers

Design remotes with an extensible input layer: include BLE, UWB, and at least one voice AI integration slot.
Expose a Remote Capability API so apps can change remotes’ contextual controls (e.g., review, skip, chapter view).
Embed a secure enrollment UX for pairing remotes with user accounts quickly — test flows for 90+ second setup times and iterate (device identity & approval workflows).

Universal TVs: the living-room OS fight

The phrase "universal TV" describes two related trends: first, TV platforms increasingly host native streaming apps that manage authentication, DRM, and playback; second, TVs are being designed as the home’s primary media hub, integrating smart home, gaming, and social features.

In 2025–2026 we saw a surge of firmware and app-store consolidation. Platform owners prioritized native apps capable of resuming cloud sessions and exposing standardized control surfaces to second-screen devices. The practical effect: when a user launches a show, the TV often becomes the canonical session leader — with phones and remotes acting as controllers rather than independent playback sources.

Key implications

Service providers must optimize TV apps for account linking and server-side session management.
Manufacturers should support multiple standard control protocols simultaneously (AirPlay, Google Cast, Roku mobile control APIs, and vendor-specific APIs) but prefer an extensible control shim to reduce future fragmentation.
Universal TV UX needs to prioritize multi-user profiles and fast switching — the single-TVin-a-household model is dead.

Mobile playback control standards: convergence ahead

Historically, the ecosystem included a patchwork of technologies: Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, DIAL, DLNA, UPnP, and multiple vendor-specific SDKs. Each solved parts of the problem — discovery, media transport, or remote control — but none unified the full experience, particularly for DRM-protected content.

In 2026 we’re seeing a convergence on a few guiding principles for modern mobile playback control:

Session-first design: the canonical playback session lives with the service or the TV, with the second screen acting as a controller that can attach/detach without interrupting content.
Authenticated control: OAuth-based control flows ensure that only authorized controllers can manipulate playback (important for paywalled and localized content).
Web-native APIs: web standards like the Remote Playback API, WebTransport, and secure cross-origin messaging are being revisited and extended to support modern DRM and latency requirements.

Practical developer checklist

Implement server-side session tokens that can be transferred between devices with short-lived keys.
Support both WebRTC for low-latency interactivity and WebTransport for resilient control signals.
Adopt standardized discovery protocols (mDNS/HTTPS-SSDP) and publish capabilities so companion apps can adapt their UI dynamically. See integrations and tooling for web-native stacks (JAMstack/web integrations).

Where casting fits in the roadmap

Headlines in January 2026 declared “Casting is dead. Long live casting!” — a useful shorthand for what's actually happening (The Verge, Jan 16, 2026). Casting, as originally conceived, solved discovery and simple handoff well. But several forces are reshaping its role:

DRM and regional licensing favor platform-native playback so rights holders can enforce policies and ads reliably;
Server-side account and playback sessions allow richer personalization and cross-device continuity;
Platform economics push providers to keep users inside their native app experience, where ad formats, recommendations, and measurement are controlled (creative automation & ad systems).

The result: casting remains useful for quick, ad-hoc handoffs and for content formats that don’t require tight DRM controls (user-generated video, social clips, photos). For premium, subscription, or ad-supported streaming with monetization needs, a hybrid model is emerging:

Discovery via casting-like protocols (fast discovery and launch), followed by
Server-side session takeover (the TV app resumes playback under the user’s account, with DRM and ad insertion intact) — a pattern enabled by cloud-session models and micro-edge deployment.

Case study: Netflix's casting change (Jan 2026) — what it signals

Netflix’s decision to remove broad mobile casting support — limiting it to specific legacy Chromecast adapters, Nest Hub displays, and select TVs — is less an attack on casting than a nudge toward more controlled, reliable playback flows. For a major streaming service that must manage complex content rights and ad insertion, relying on native TV sessions reduces unexpected edge cases and improves measurement.

"Casting is dead. Long live casting!" — Janko Roettgers, Lowpass (The Verge), Jan 16, 2026.

This is instructive for other services: if your control layer doesn't guarantee proper DRM, ad delivery, or analytics, downstream partners (device makers, TV manufacturers) and rights holders will push toward native solutions. But because legacy cast devices remain in millions of homes, there's still a fallback role for lightweight casting in discovery and casual scenarios.

Platform partnerships and content strategies: why they matter

Deals like the BBC-YouTube conversations in January 2026 show another dynamic: content owners want distribution where audiences already are. When content is tailored to a platform, that platform will naturally prioritize native consumption paths — which in turn affects how second-screen control is architected. Expect more co-engineered integrations where platforms and content owners jointly design playback flows, measurement hooks, and ad insertion points. Publishers and platform teams should consider modular workflows that make these integrations repeatable.

UX and accessibility: the user-centered demands

Technical consolidation is moot if UX suffers. Key UX priorities that must be baked into any second-screen roadmap:

Instant discoverability — the user should see available TVs and profiles in one tap;
Consistent metadata — chapter markers, captions, and language selections must synchronize across devices;
Failsafe transfers — if a session handoff fails, playback should continue on the originating device until the user confirms transfer;
Accessibility parity — captioning, audio descriptions and control remotes should respect user preferences across controllers and TVs.

Predictions for the next 24 months (2026–2028)

Convergence on a session-control model: Most premium services will adopt server-side session tokens for cross-device continuity.
Matter-inspired playback signaling: The smart-home standardization around Matter and Thread will pressure the industry to explore standardized playback control semantics for home devices.
Remote-as-identity: Remotes and phones will increasingly be used as identity keys for quick profile switching, supported by UWB/biometrics and short-lived auth tokens (device identity briefs).
Casting remains for UGC and discovery: Lightweight cast-style discovery will persist for non-DRM content and social sharing experiences.
More co-engineered partnerships: Expect deeper ties between broadcasters, streamers, and platform owners to guarantee measurement and ad flows.

Actionable takeaways for each stakeholder

For streaming & content teams

Prioritize server-side session models and short-lived transfer tokens to enable seamless device switching without breaking DRM or ads.
Instrument TV apps for reliable measurement and make those endpoints first-class for monetization.
Collaborate with platform partners early on UX flows for account linking and error recovery; treat integrations like creative automation projects that need repeatable templates.

For device makers & TV OEMs

Support multiple control protocols but publish a unified capability descriptor so companion apps can adapt without guesswork.
Invest in remotes that provide identity and context (UWB, BLE, secure enrollment) and expose APIs for developers (device identity guidance).
Ship updateable middleware that can accept new web-native control standards without a full OS rewrite.

For app developers

Implement graceful fallbacks: if casting isn't available, allow quick account link via QR + short-lived token to continue on TV.
Design the controller UI for low latency and one-handed use; assume users will control playback while multitasking on their phones. Consider testing on hardware used by creators and live producers (edge field kits).
Test across TV OSes and legacy cast targets; ensure captions, bitrate controls, and ad signals remain synchronized.

For consumers

Prefer TVs and streaming sticks with regular OS updates and clear support for your streaming services.
Use platform-linked accounts (Apple ID, Google account) to speed profile switching and reduce logins.
Consider multifunction remotes or phone-based companion apps that support your household’s needs — multiple profiles, accessibility options, and parental controls.

Risks and friction points to watch

Consolidation around native sessions improves reliability but raises concerns:

Lock-in: Platforms that control both content distribution and playback could limit portability and innovation.
Privacy: richer identity signals (UWB, phone as ID) must be paired with clear, user-friendly privacy controls (governance-minded integration patterns).
Legacy device churn: millions of older cast-enabled devices will remain in homes for years, creating edge cases for support.

Final assessment: casting survives — but it's being redefined

Second-screen control in 2026 is at an inflection point. The industry is moving away from a one-size-fits-all casting mindset toward a layered approach where:

Discovery remains lightweight and familiar (casting-like UX),
Playback authority resides with TVs and cloud sessions for DRM and monetization integrity, and
Remotes and mobile devices act as context-aware controllers that prioritize identity, accessibility, and speed.

For companies that invest early in interoperable control standards, secure session models, and better remote/device UX, the payoff will be higher engagement, fewer support tickets, and stronger partnerships with content owners and platform operators.

Call to action

If you're building or buying streaming tech in 2026, don't treat second-screen control as an afterthought. Start by auditing your session model and discovery flows this quarter: map every path a user can take from phone to TV, identify where DRM or ad logic breaks, and prioritize fixes that reduce friction under 30 seconds. Join the conversation below — share your biggest second-screen pain point or success story, and subscribe for a monthly roadmap brief where we track platform moves, standards updates, and real-world case studies.

thenews

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.