the Google Chromecast was, and still is, one of the most successful technological objects ever, because it allows you to watch movies and videos streamed from the internet on any TV, even non-Smart TVs, or those stored on your PC or smartphone. The success of the Chromecast is due both to the price accessible to everyone and not at all demanding, and to the ease with which it is possible to configure it.
On a technical level, the Chromecast is a key with HDMI connection and wifi connection, which attaches to the TV and acts as a receiver of data from another device that can be a computer or a smartphone or any tablet, Android or iOS. The latter is the main difference compared to similar devices such as the Fire TV Stick, namely the fact that the Chromecast does not work autonomously and has no app inside it. With a Chromecast you can not only watch videos and movies and listen to music, but you can also see photos of your mobile phone and computer, see the PC desktop on the TV, surf the internet and many other things.
In this article we see some of the best features of the Chromecast, with a 16-point guide that explains tricks and applications to become masters of the legendary Google stick .
Today you can buy the Google Chromecast to turn every TV into a Smart TV .
Only if you are using a Chromecast Ultra will you need to have a TV with 4K viewing support and a high-speed Internet connection. The initial configuration is really simple, but it can only be done from a smartphone and not from a computer.
To connect, you need to download the free Google Home app from the device's app store ( Google Home for Android and Google Home for iPhone and iPad ). Within the app, go to Add> Configure Device> Configure New Devices and follow the instructions on the screen. The wizard updates the Chromecast software and connects the stick to the wifi network.
After connecting the Chromecast, you can try immediately with the Youtube app of the mobile phone and try to see a video on TV by pressing the Chromecast button which is the one with the symbol of a screen in the upper right corner.
To make the selection, in the Transmit window, before pressing on the name of the Chromecast on which to transmit, press the Sources menu.
If you choose to cast a single Chrome tab or stream a file, you can continue to use your PC with Chrome without affecting the broadcast and what you see on TV. The important thing is to leave Chrome open and running in the background.
With Chromecast you can therefore watch Netflix on a non-smart TV).
If, on the other hand, you choose to broadcast the entire desktop, whatever you see on the PC monitor, it will also be shown on TV. Again Chrome must remain open, even if in the background.
Chromecast supports streaming videos from the internet . If you find another streaming video, live from a web page, you can use the Cast button on Chrome from PC.
As for streaming local videos from the PC, Chromecast only supports MP4 and WebM video formats, but luckily there is a simple solution to see all the movies including AVI and Divx (see point 7).
If you open a full screen video from your PC via Google Chrome, you don't necessarily have to keep it in view on your computer monitor. If you want to do something different on your computer, but want to keep the video streaming from full screen from the Chrome browser, after putting it in full screen, press Alt + Tab to switch to another program.
Open Google Chrome, press the button with three points at the top and then click on Send, choose the Chromecast and the Sources to select to transmit a video or a movie on the Mac, a browser tab or the desktop.
With Android you can also broadcast the entire screen of your smartphone or tablet on TV . In this way it is possible to stream content even from apps that do not natively support Chromecast devices. To cast your Android screen to Chromecast, open the Settings app, go to Device connection> Cast and choose your Chromecast device from the list. If you don't find the option, open the Google Home app, then press on the profile icon at the bottom right, scroll through the options and press on " Mirror device ".
Some apps, like YouTube, have a built-in broadcast button that looks like a small TV screen. tapping that button, it will automatically transmit the video to the Chromecast, without including the phone interface.
In another article, How to stream videos and photos to TV from iPhone and iPad with Chromecast
We wrote a guide about this, talking about the guest mode on the Chromecast and hotel use
The ideal, however, would be to have your own portable router plug it in and have your own wifi network in the hotel which, even if not connected to the internet, allows you to watch the movies saved on your laptop on TV without the need to use cables, as you would at home.
Without looking further, you must use the free program Plex, install it on your PC and use it to watch videos on TV with the Chromecast.
In another article, the step-by-step guide to watching videos and movies streaming from PC with Chromecast on TV .
A very convenient free app, then, is Videostream which allows you to open videos and play them on TV via Chromecast and which works as a remote control via the Google Cast extension.
From version 3, you can also use VLC to play computer videos on Chromecast from the PC
The Sodaplayer program for PC also supports transmission on Chromecast, which is particularly useful for watching Torrent and Acestream videos.
Another app to watch each video saved in the memory of the Android smartphone is Localcast which also supports streaming videos from the internet and from the computer via SMB (file sharing from Windows) or DLNA / UPnP (via the Plex program).
Also for Android, it is possible to use the Web Video Cast app to be able to stream online videos (therefore those of websites) displayed on the Android smartphone on TV.
Also that a popular app like ES File Explorer allows you to open videos on your Android phone or PC to watch them on TV with the Chromecast.
Other good applications for viewing photos on TV are:
LocalCast for Android allows you to view photos in automatic slideshow on TV, without having to choose them manually.
Castify for Android instead allows you to see photos of your mobile phone on TV via the Chromecast.
For iPhone, however, you can also install the AllConnect app that projects both photos and videos on TV.
It is also possible to view slideshows of personal photos on TV with the Chromecast.
From Smartphone, in addition to Youtube, the app to use to listen to cell phone music on TV is certainly Google Play Music. The app is compatible with Chromecast so there are no tricks to discover. If you want to use Play Music from a PC, the only job to do is to upload the songs from your computer on the internet to Google Play Music, which allows you to upload 10000 songs for free.
Chromecast is also supported by the Spotify app for streaming music.
The best game however is Super Sync Sport and other games where you can use your mobile phone as a controller, which you can play on TV, without installing anything.
To try absolutely projecting on TV the card where you open the game from Chrome on your computer.
In case of problems with the connection of the Chromecast, if yesterday it worked well while today it is not working, it is worth doing the factory reset and reconfiguring it from scratch. To do this, you can use the Google Home app on your Android phone and iPhone, from the Options menu.
If this does not work for communication problems, then take the key and, without disconnecting it from the USB power cable, press the only button that is there and hold it for 25 seconds.
The cheat list continues with 6 other little-known ways of using Chromecast .
On a technical level, the Chromecast is a key with HDMI connection and wifi connection, which attaches to the TV and acts as a receiver of data from another device that can be a computer or a smartphone or any tablet, Android or iOS. The latter is the main difference compared to similar devices such as the Fire TV Stick, namely the fact that the Chromecast does not work autonomously and has no app inside it. With a Chromecast you can not only watch videos and movies and listen to music, but you can also see photos of your mobile phone and computer, see the PC desktop on the TV, surf the internet and many other things.
In this article we see some of the best features of the Chromecast, with a 16-point guide that explains tricks and applications to become masters of the legendary Google stick .
Today you can buy the Google Chromecast to turn every TV into a Smart TV .
Article Index
- Guide to get started with Chromecast
- from PC to TV
- Chromecast with a Mac
- Chromecast with Android
- Chromecast with iPhone or iPad
- Chromecast without Wi-Fi
- Computer movies and videos
- Streaming from Smartphone or tablet
- Photos on Chromecast
- Music on Chromecast
- Draw on Chromecast
- Play on Chromecast
- TV window
- Cell phone camera
- Powerpoint on Chromecast
- Reset Chromecast
1) Starting and initial configuration of the Chromecast
To use Chromecast on TV you need to have a TV with HDMI input (any screen with HDMI connection is fine), a Wifi network accessible from PC and mobile phones in the home, an Android smartphone or tablet, an iPhone or iPad or even just a PC or Mac with the Chrome browser. The only trick to use is to keep the router close to the TV and computer.Only if you are using a Chromecast Ultra will you need to have a TV with 4K viewing support and a high-speed Internet connection. The initial configuration is really simple, but it can only be done from a smartphone and not from a computer.
To connect, you need to download the free Google Home app from the device's app store ( Google Home for Android and Google Home for iPhone and iPad ). Within the app, go to Add> Configure Device> Configure New Devices and follow the instructions on the screen. The wizard updates the Chromecast software and connects the stick to the wifi network.
After connecting the Chromecast, you can try immediately with the Youtube app of the mobile phone and try to see a video on TV by pressing the Chromecast button which is the one with the symbol of a screen in the upper right corner.
2) Cast from PC to TV using Chromecast
To use Chromecast with a Windows PC (Chromecast supports Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows 8.1) you need to open the Google Chrome web browser. Any site opened with Chrome can then be viewed on the TV screen by pressing the menu button at the top right (the one with three dots) and then on Cast . You can then choose whether to stream content from a single tab (to see any website on TV ), whether to stream the entire desktop (to see other programs' windows ) or even whether to stream a file video or movie saved on your PC (to view downloaded movies).To make the selection, in the Transmit window, before pressing on the name of the Chromecast on which to transmit, press the Sources menu.
If you choose to cast a single Chrome tab or stream a file, you can continue to use your PC with Chrome without affecting the broadcast and what you see on TV. The important thing is to leave Chrome open and running in the background.
With Chromecast you can therefore watch Netflix on a non-smart TV).
If, on the other hand, you choose to broadcast the entire desktop, whatever you see on the PC monitor, it will also be shown on TV. Again Chrome must remain open, even if in the background.
Chromecast supports streaming videos from the internet . If you find another streaming video, live from a web page, you can use the Cast button on Chrome from PC.
As for streaming local videos from the PC, Chromecast only supports MP4 and WebM video formats, but luckily there is a simple solution to see all the movies including AVI and Divx (see point 7).
If you open a full screen video from your PC via Google Chrome, you don't necessarily have to keep it in view on your computer monitor. If you want to do something different on your computer, but want to keep the video streaming from full screen from the Chrome browser, after putting it in full screen, press Alt + Tab to switch to another program.
3) How to use Chromecast with a Mac
To stream a video or the entire desktop from the Mac, the process is the same as for Windows.Open Google Chrome, press the button with three points at the top and then click on Send, choose the Chromecast and the Sources to select to transmit a video or a movie on the Mac, a browser tab or the desktop.
4) How to use Chromecast with Android
Support for Android devices with Chromecast is better than other devices and there are many ways to stream content on TV. With the Google Home app, the main one, you can broadcast what you see on your smartphone on TV, including all applications and games, then using your mobile phone or even an Android tablet as a remote control to do anything. In this regard, we have written a special guide for Casting Android on TV .With Android you can also broadcast the entire screen of your smartphone or tablet on TV . In this way it is possible to stream content even from apps that do not natively support Chromecast devices. To cast your Android screen to Chromecast, open the Settings app, go to Device connection> Cast and choose your Chromecast device from the list. If you don't find the option, open the Google Home app, then press on the profile icon at the bottom right, scroll through the options and press on " Mirror device ".
Some apps, like YouTube, have a built-in broadcast button that looks like a small TV screen. tapping that button, it will automatically transmit the video to the Chromecast, without including the phone interface.
5) How to use Chromecast with an iPhone or iPad
With an iPhone, you can stream content to a Chromecast only with apps that support this broadcast. Consequently, the function that transmits the entire screen is not supported on the iPhone. If the app you are using supports Chromecast, you will see a small button similar to a TV screen somewhere on the home screen or application menu. Tapping this button will display a list of Chromecast devices found on the network.In another article, How to stream videos and photos to TV from iPhone and iPad with Chromecast
6) How to use Chromecast without Wi-Fi
Only with Android it is possible to transmit videos on TV on a Chromecast without Wi-Fi network by following the instructions in point 1. When the Android smartphone finds a Chromecast nearby that is not on the wifi network, just touch its name and then enter the PIN which should appear on the TV screen to complete the connection.We wrote a guide about this, talking about the guest mode on the Chromecast and hotel use
The ideal, however, would be to have your own portable router plug it in and have your own wifi network in the hotel which, even if not connected to the internet, allows you to watch the movies saved on your laptop on TV without the need to use cables, as you would at home.
7) Play any type of computer video on Chromecast
Since Chrome does not allow to play all video file formats, therefore to open AVI or Divix or DVD files on PC to see them on TV on Chromecast you need an external program.Without looking further, you must use the free program Plex, install it on your PC and use it to watch videos on TV with the Chromecast.
In another article, the step-by-step guide to watching videos and movies streaming from PC with Chromecast on TV .
A very convenient free app, then, is Videostream which allows you to open videos and play them on TV via Chromecast and which works as a remote control via the Google Cast extension.
From version 3, you can also use VLC to play computer videos on Chromecast from the PC
The Sodaplayer program for PC also supports transmission on Chromecast, which is particularly useful for watching Torrent and Acestream videos.
8) Watch streaming video from Smartphone or tablet
On Android, videos can be viewed on Chromecast by opening them with an app like EZCast, free, which allows you to open any website to stream it on TV with Chromecast. With EZCast you can also open videos saved on the mobile phone memory. If you want to watch a video streamed from a website on Chromecast, it must be opened with Chrome on Android or iPhone and then it must have the Chromecast icon. In another article, the guide to use Chrome and Firefox on Android with Chromecast.Another app to watch each video saved in the memory of the Android smartphone is Localcast which also supports streaming videos from the internet and from the computer via SMB (file sharing from Windows) or DLNA / UPnP (via the Plex program).
Also for Android, it is possible to use the Web Video Cast app to be able to stream online videos (therefore those of websites) displayed on the Android smartphone on TV.
Also that a popular app like ES File Explorer allows you to open videos on your Android phone or PC to watch them on TV with the Chromecast.
9) See photos of the Android phone on TV
To see the photos taken with the smartphone camera, on Android and iPhone you can use the Google Photos app, very comfortable, easy and also to have to manage the photos taken. In Google Photos, when you open a video or photo, you can press the Chromecast button to cast.Other good applications for viewing photos on TV are:
LocalCast for Android allows you to view photos in automatic slideshow on TV, without having to choose them manually.
Castify for Android instead allows you to see photos of your mobile phone on TV via the Chromecast.
For iPhone, however, you can also install the AllConnect app that projects both photos and videos on TV.
It is also possible to view slideshows of personal photos on TV with the Chromecast.
10) Hear music on TV
From the PC you can choose to transmit an MP3 file on Chromecast to listen to it on TV. You can also use a program like Sodaplayer or VLC Media Player or Plex, all programs already seen above.From Smartphone, in addition to Youtube, the app to use to listen to cell phone music on TV is certainly Google Play Music. The app is compatible with Chromecast so there are no tricks to discover. If you want to use Play Music from a PC, the only job to do is to upload the songs from your computer on the internet to Google Play Music, which allows you to upload 10000 songs for free.
Chromecast is also supported by the Spotify app for streaming music.
11) Draw on the TV
With the CastPad app you can also draw with your finger or nib on your Android smartphone or tablet, seeing what you draw on TV.12) Play with the Chromecast
You can also make games with the Chromecast and on the PlayStore you will find some games to be shown on TV from your smartphone (as seen in point 2, each game can be played on TV).The best game however is Super Sync Sport and other games where you can use your mobile phone as a controller, which you can play on TV, without installing anything.
To try absolutely projecting on TV the card where you open the game from Chrome on your computer.
13) Turn the TV into a window
with long, relaxing videos.For example, you can see a fire lit with a cat resting, animals eating in the forest, moving space, a storm and much more. The videos can be searched on Youtube and can be shown on TV using the PC with Google Cast on Chrome.14) Project the camera of the mobile phone on TV
You can see on TV the recovery of the Android smartphone connected to the same Wifi network of the Chromecast using the EZCast app, already mentioned in point 3.15) Powerpoint on Chromecast
With the Polaris Office app you can project Powerpoint presentations and documents from Android and iPhone to TV.16) How to factory reset Google Chromecast if it no longer works
It also happened to me that the Chromecast no longer worked suddenly and refused to connect to the network.In case of problems with the connection of the Chromecast, if yesterday it worked well while today it is not working, it is worth doing the factory reset and reconfiguring it from scratch. To do this, you can use the Google Home app on your Android phone and iPhone, from the Options menu.
If this does not work for communication problems, then take the key and, without disconnecting it from the USB power cable, press the only button that is there and hold it for 25 seconds.
The cheat list continues with 6 other little-known ways of using Chromecast .
