Google Chromecast is one of the best, affordable and cheapest methods of streaming video to multiple screens in your home/office, etc. If you’ve never used these features before, but now you need them, we’ll help you figure it out. This article will talk about how to use Chromecast on various gadgets such as PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android.
How to set up Chromecast on Android
When unpacking the Chromecast package, you will be presented with the following kit: a round Chromecast dongle with an HDMI cable sticking out of it and a power supply with a Micro-USB cable. To start the chromecast setup you will also need an Android or PC that has previously installed and running Google Home. Once you have made sure you have all this, you will need to do the following steps:
- Patch in the Chromecast connector to the HDMI input on your TV
- Patch in the power supply to an AC outlet
- Patch in the Micro USB cable to the opposite end of the Chromecast
- Turn on the TV and toggle to the HDMI input you connected the Chromecast into
- Log in to the Google Home app on your computer and click the link chromecast.com/setup
- Verify your Wi-Fi connection. From this step, the app will ask you to start searching for new devices
- After the search process, the app should find a new Chromecast near you. Click the “next” button
- The Chromecast app and Google Home will receive a code, match them to make sure the code is the same, and click “yes”
- Name your device and press “next”
- Connect your Wi-Fi network for use with Chromecast. If you are already patched into the network on your Android phone, there is no need to do so again. That’s it, you are successfully connected
Now all you have to do to activate the broadcast is to click on the Cast icon in the app.
Cast with Android and iPhone
To start a broadcast with an Android or iPhone you need to use apps that are supported by Chromecast, such as YouTube. Log in to YouTube and look for the Cast icon at the top of the toolbar. Important note: For this icon to appear on your device you must be patched in to the same network as Chromecast.
Click on the icon and select Chromecast from the list, then the app will assign the “output” as Chromecast. Select the desired movie file you want to broadcast and click on it, so it displays on the TV set.
You can lock the phone screen but the media file will still continue to play and if you want to pause, just press pause on the phone screen.
Role-playing with a PC
To stream a video/movie or TV series from a Windows or Mac computer, you need to use Google Chrome and sites that Chromecast supports (Netflix for example is included in this list). After connecting to a shared video player, make sure that your PC and Chromecast are patched into the same WiFi. If everything is as it should be, you will see the Cast icon in the video player itself. Then just click on it, select Chromecast, and the broadcast will be transferred to your TV. To control the volume or pause it, use the website where the broadcast is coming from.