Microsoft Edge is showing YouTube playback from the TV in my living room in its media controls. From my laptop, I can pause, play, or resume the video even though I never intentionally connected Edge to the TV or signed in to YouTube on the television. I also disabled the "Connect to Cast devices on all IP addresses" flag, but the behavior continues. Is Edge automatically detecting and controlling the TV over my local network, or is something else happening?
1 Answer
The TV may not actually be receiving a browser cast. Many smart TVs run YouTube as a standalone app, and Edge can detect compatible media devices or playback sessions on the same local network. That can make the TV’s YouTube session appear in Edge’s media controls even when you never signed in or explicitly paired the devices. Check Edge’s media controls and permissions, then disable media-device discovery or remote playback features if you do not want the TV to appear. You can also test by disconnecting the laptop from the home network or turning off the TV’s Wi-Fi to see which connection makes the controls disappear.
The important detail is that the TV’s YouTube playback is appearing in Edge’s controls, so this is more than simply using YouTube as a guest. It is likely local-network discovery or a device-control feature rather than the Cast flag itself.