diff --git a/packages/app-harness/renative.json b/packages/app-harness/renative.json
index f33aa02f5..943eaee53 100644
--- a/packages/app-harness/renative.json
+++ b/packages/app-harness/renative.json
@@ -259,9 +259,6 @@
             }
         },
         "react-native-google-cast": {
-            "ios": {
-                "disabled": true
-            },
             "androidwear": {
                 "disabled": true
             },
diff --git a/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.android.mobile.tsx b/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.android.mobile.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index f2632e181..000000000
--- a/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.android.mobile.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
-import { CastButton, useRemoteMediaClient } from 'react-native-google-cast';
-import { testProps } from '../../config';
-
-export function CastComponent() {
-    const client = useRemoteMediaClient();
-
-    useEffect(() => {
-        if (client) {
-            client.loadMedia({
-                mediaInfo: {
-                    contentUrl:
-                        'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/CastVideos/mp4/BigBuckBunny.mp4',
-                },
-            });
-        }
-    }, [client]);
-
-    return (
-        <CastButton
-            {...testProps('app-harness-home-cast-support-button')}
-            style={{ width: 24, height: 24, tintColor: 'black' }}
-        />
-    );
-}
diff --git a/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.mobile.tsx b/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.mobile.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b905eb11d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app-harness/src/components/CastButton/index.mobile.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { Button, View } from 'react-native';
+import { CastButton, CastContext } from 'react-native-google-cast';
+import { testProps } from '../../config';
+import { useLoggerContext } from '../../context';
+
+export function CastComponent() {
+    const { logDebug } = useLoggerContext();
+    return (
+        <View style={{ flexDirection: 'row', alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'space-around' }}>
+            <CastButton
+                {...testProps('app-harness-home-cast-support-button')}
+                style={{ width: 24, height: 24, tintColor: 'black' }}
+            />
+            <Button
+                title="Load Media"
+                onPress={async () => {
+                    try {
+                        const client = (await CastContext.getSessionManager().getCurrentCastSession())?.client;
+                        if (!client) {
+                            logDebug(`Cast: client is "${client}"`);
+                            return;
+                        }
+                        await client.loadMedia({
+                            mediaInfo: {
+                                contentUrl:
+                                    'https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/CastVideos/mp4/BigBuckBunny.mp4',
+                            },
+                        });
+                    } catch (e) {
+                        logDebug(`Cast: ${e}`);
+                    }
+                }}
+            />
+        </View>
+    );
+}
diff --git a/packages/app-harness/test/specs/e2e.cjs b/packages/app-harness/test/specs/e2e.cjs
index 490440f06..10ff72b0e 100644
--- a/packages/app-harness/test/specs/e2e.cjs
+++ b/packages/app-harness/test/specs/e2e.cjs
@@ -72,8 +72,11 @@ describe('Test App Harness', () => {
             await FlexnRunner.expectToBeDisplayedByText('Cast to');
             await FlexnRunner.waitForDisplayedByText('OK');
             await FlexnRunner.expectToBeDisplayedByText('OK');
+        } else if (process.env.PLATFORM === 'ios') {
+            await FlexnRunner.clickById('app-harness-home-cast-support-button');
+            await FlexnRunner.expectToBeDisplayedByText('Cast to');
         } else {
             await FlexnRunner.expectToHaveTextById('app-harness-home-cast-support-text', 'Not supported');
-        }
+        } 
     });
 });
diff --git a/packages/config-templates/renative.templates.json b/packages/config-templates/renative.templates.json
index 91f2237e8..bf298e464 100644
--- a/packages/config-templates/renative.templates.json
+++ b/packages/config-templates/renative.templates.json
@@ -2599,39 +2599,23 @@
             },
             "ios": {
                 "templateXcode": {
-                    "appDelegateImports": [
-                        "GoogleCast"
-                    ],
                     "AppDelegate_mm": {
-                        "appDelegateImports": [
-                            "GoogleCast/GoogleCast.h"
-                        ],
+                        "appDelegateImports": ["GoogleCast/GoogleCast.h"],
                         "appDelegateMethods": {
                             "application": {
                                 "didFinishLaunchingWithOptions": [
                                     "NSString *receiverAppID = kGCKDefaultMediaReceiverApplicationID; // or @\"ABCD1234\"",
-                                    "GCKDiscoveryCriteria *criteria = [[GCKDiscoveryCriteria alloc] initWithApplicationID:receiverAppID];",
-                                    "GCKCastOptions* options = [[GCKCastOptions alloc] initWithDiscoveryCriteria:criteria];",
-                                    "[GCKCastContext setSharedInstanceWithOptions:options];"
+                                    "GCKDiscoveryCriteria *criteria = [[GCKDiscoveryCriteria alloc] initWithApplicationID:receiverAppID]",
+                                    "GCKCastOptions* options = [[GCKCastOptions alloc] initWithDiscoveryCriteria:criteria]",
+                                    "options.disableDiscoveryAutostart = {{props.DISABLE_DISCOVERY_AUTOSTART}}",
+                                    "options.startDiscoveryAfterFirstTapOnCastButton = {{props.START_DISCOVERY_AFTER_FIRST_TAP_ON_CAST_BUTTON}}",
+                                    "[GCKCastContext setSharedInstanceWithOptions:options]"
                                 ]
                             }
                         }
                     },
-                    "appDelegateMethods": {
-                        "application": {
-                            "didFinishLaunchingWithOptions": [
-                                "let receiverAppID = \"{{props.APPLICATION_ID}}\" // or \"ABCD1234\"",
-                                "let criteria = GCKDiscoveryCriteria(applicationID: receiverAppID)",
-                                "let options = GCKCastOptions(discoveryCriteria: criteria)",
-                                "GCKCastContext.setSharedInstanceWith(options)"
-                            ]
-                        }
-                    },
                     "Info_plist": {
-                        "NSBonjourServices": [
-                            "_googlecast._tcp",
-                            "_CC1AD845._googlecast._tcp"
-                        ],
+                        "NSBonjourServices": ["_googlecast._tcp", "_CC1AD845._googlecast._tcp"],
                         "NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription": "${PRODUCT_NAME} uses the local network to discover Cast-enabled devices on your WiFi network."
                     }
                 },
@@ -2640,7 +2624,9 @@
                 "podName": "react-native-google-cast/NoBluetoothArm"
             },
             "props": {
-                "APPLICATION_ID": "01234"
+                "APPLICATION_ID": "01234",
+                "DISABLE_DISCOVERY_AUTOSTART": "false",
+                "START_DISCOVERY_AFTER_FIRST_TAP_ON_CAST_BUTTON": "false"
             },
             "version": "4.8.0"
         },