Chunghwa Telecom's Taiwan MOD service currently lists Ruan Dou, Pili Puppet Show, Netflix, KKBOX and GOOD TV in its TV APP section, but not YouTube. That absence does not prove that every MOD set-top-box model rejects YouTube casting; the page does not publish a model-by-model ruling.

The key distinction is between casting content from the MOD mobile app and casting a YouTube video. The MOD app describes its casting button for MOD channels and videos. YouTube casting uses the YouTube app on the television or streaming device. That separation is also useful when comparing delivery paths in an OTT service: the app that supplies the video and the device that displays it are separate parts of the chain.

Does a MOD set-top box have YouTube built in?

Chunghwa Telecom's Taiwan MOD TV APP page lists Ruan Dou, Pili Puppet Show, Netflix, KKBOX and GOOD TV, but does not list YouTube. The page says that Netflix requires a specific set-top box and that GOOD TV is limited to set-top boxes numbered 503 and above. Those service notes show why a catalog cannot be treated as a universal capability list for every model.

The published page therefore supports a narrow conclusion: YouTube is not listed in the current TV APP catalog that was checked on October 14, 2026. It does not support the broader conclusion that all MOD boxes can receive YouTube, or that none can. A model number and a direct answer from Chunghwa Telecom are needed for that question.

Can the MOD app cast YouTube?

The MOD app description says its casting function sends MOD channels and videos to a television. It also says that the video content uses digital rights management (DRM), so external outputs such as AirPlay may fail or be unsupported. The page does not say that the same button accepts a YouTube video from the YouTube app.

A phone and television show different video casting paths (illustrative image)

That means a phone with YouTube installed is not, by itself, evidence that the MOD app can relay YouTube. For YouTube, open YouTube on the smart TV or streaming device and start the connection from YouTube's own cast control. For MOD content, use the MOD app's documented path and its linked MOD set-top box.

What YouTube casting needs

YouTube's official instructions say to install or open the YouTube app on the smart TV or streaming device, then cast from a phone, tablet or computer. The normal route is for the phone and target device to use the same Wi-Fi network. If they are not on the same Wi-Fi, YouTube documents a TV-code method for linking them.

If a phone cannot find the television, check the target device first. Is the YouTube app open? Is the television using the HDMI input connected to the streaming device? Are the phone and device on the same local network, rather than one on a guest network or mobile data? If the network arrangement cannot be made identical, use the TV code if the target device offers it.

An HDMI cable connects a streaming device to a television (illustrative image)

How this plays out outside Taiwan

Outside Taiwan, the MOD question usually becomes a device-and-service question rather than a MOD compatibility question. Chunghwa Telecom's MOD service is a Taiwan-specific television platform. A viewer in the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom or Australia will normally need to identify the television or streaming device that actually runs YouTube, then check that device's YouTube app and the account's local service rules. YouTube's availability page lists Australia and Singapore among the locations where Premium memberships are offered, and its full list also includes the United States and the United Kingdom. That page is the relevant starting point for a paid-membership question; it is not proof that every television model, plan or promotion is offered in every market.

In the United States, the practical test is simple: open YouTube on the smart TV, game console or streaming device that will display the video. If the app is available there, the phone's cast control should target that app or device, subject to YouTube's network instructions. A Taiwan MOD set-top box does not become a US streaming device merely because the television is in the United States. If a household has both a MOD box and another streaming device on the same television, the viewer must select the HDMI input connected to the device running YouTube.

Singapore illustrates why country and device checks should remain separate. YouTube lists Singapore as a Premium market, but the availability list does not establish that every plan, promotion or payment route has identical terms. A Singapore user checking a paid membership should read the amount, currency, renewal period and seller shown on the signed-in YouTube checkout page. A casting failure, by contrast, should first be investigated through the YouTube app, Wi-Fi and TV-code steps. Changing a payment country will not install an absent television app or repair a local-network problem.

The same distinction applies in the United Kingdom. A UK television may have YouTube available through its built-in app or a connected streaming device while a separate subscription or billing account remains tied to another market. The availability page can answer whether Premium is listed in the country, but it does not answer whether a particular TV model supports casting. For a device problem, check the manufacturer's app store and YouTube's television instructions. For an account problem, use the Google account and billing route that owns the membership.

Australia is also listed by YouTube as a Premium market. That tells a user where the membership is offered, not what a reseller, app-store account or imported set-top box will display. An Australian household using a streaming stick should open YouTube on the stick, confirm that the television is on that stick's HDMI input, and then try the phone connection. If a paid offer is missing, use the official signed-in checkout page rather than a third-party price table; the public availability page does not publish one fixed price for all plan types and billing routes.

Google Play adds a separate rule for Android users who have moved countries. Google says a Play-country change requires the user to be in the new location and to have a payment method from that location, and normally requires at least 90 days between changes. A member of a Google Family group cannot change the Play country. Google also warns that a country change can affect subscriptions, apps and other content. These are store-account rules, not a published explanation of every signal YouTube uses for casting or country verification.

A traveler should therefore avoid using a VPN or a foreign payment profile as a shortcut to a different market. That can change what an account sees without changing which device has the YouTube app or whether the phone and television can communicate. The reliable order is to check the target device, open YouTube there, connect locally or use the TV code, and only then investigate account availability or billing. If the household has moved permanently, review the local Google Play and YouTube rules before changing country settings, because those changes can affect more than one app.

Prices and availability are also time-sensitive. YouTube's public pages do not give one permanent table for every country, tax, promotion, app-store route and membership type. A user in the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom or Australia should record the exact currency, plan name and renewal terms shown after signing in. That information is more useful than assuming that a price seen in Taiwan or another country applies to the local account.

How to identify the MOD model and contact support

Start with the label on the set-top box or its packaging. Chunghwa Telecom's MOD support page provides set-top-box guides and lists a 24-hour customer-service number, 0800-080-123, with 123 available from a Chunghwa Telecom mobile phone. Give the agent the exact model and ask two separate questions: whether that model has a YouTube app, and whether it can receive a YouTube cast from a phone.

The MOD505B guide identifies Hami Video and Netflix as remote-control hotkeys. The guide is useful for identifying the box's documented controls, but it is not a complete compatibility statement for every MOD model or software version. The same caution applies to an older guide: a missing YouTube reference is evidence about that document, not proof about every current device.

Checklist for watching YouTube at home

  1. Find the smart TV or streaming device that has the YouTube app.
  2. Open YouTube on that device before starting the cast.
  3. Put the phone and target device on the same Wi-Fi network.
  4. Use the YouTube app's cast control, or link with a TV code when the network is different.
  5. Switch the television to the HDMI input used by an external streaming device.
  6. Keep MOD app casting separate from YouTube casting.
  7. For a MOD-specific answer, provide the set-top-box model to Chunghwa Telecom support.

Frequently asked questions

Why do some people say MOD can play YouTube?
The current Taiwan MOD TV APP page does not list YouTube. Earlier reports or a feature on one model cannot establish support for every current set-top box. Check the current catalog and ask support about the exact model.

Why does my phone see YouTube but not the TV?
Open YouTube on the target television or streaming device, check that both devices use the same Wi-Fi, and verify the HDMI input if an external device is involved. YouTube also documents a TV-code connection when the devices are not on the same Wi-Fi.

Can the MOD app's cast button play a YouTube video?
The MOD app description documents casting MOD channels and videos and does not say that it accepts YouTube. Use YouTube's own app and cast controls for YouTube content.