Chromecast Guides

What is AllAboutChromecast.com?

AllaboutChromecast.com is a community for owners of Chromecast devices: Chromecast, Chromecast 2nd Gen (Chromecast 2015), Chromecast Audio, and Chromecast Ultra (Chromecast 2016).

AllAboutChromecast is a community for Chromecast owner to help other owners.  We are NOT affiliated to Google in any means.

All guides and articles in AllAboutChromecast.com are free to access for all users. No subscription is needed. You can also post your questions in comments section of each guide or article.

Why AllAboutChromecast.com?

Chromecast is a unique device.

It is easy to setup and use, only if you know how to use it.

Like most modern gadgets, Chromecast has so many features and possibly different usages. It is impractical to cover them in one user guide.

For most Chromecast owners, you only need to know “how can I use it for bla bla bla”.

This is what our Chromecast How-to guides and Chromecast Audio guides will do for you.

We simply have the best how-to guides on using Chromecast (including Chromecast, Chromecast 2nd Gen and Chromecast Ultra) and Chromecast Audio.

All our guides were tested on our own devices before they were released. No BS.

Any most importantly, we (the whole … Continue to read the post....

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Many Chromecast owners wasted free Chromecast offers for them, are you one of them?

For most companies, you can only get some special offers or gifts when buying their product.  After paying them, you seldom get free offers from them unless you upgrade or buy a new one again.

Google is really different.

Google gives  owners offers after offers, including existing owners. All these Chromecast offers are offered free from Google. Some of them are just like cash rebate e.g.,  Google Play Store credit,  which you can use for apps, music, TV or movies. Some are free movies.  Of course, some are free trials.

But many Chromecast owners are not aware of such Chromecast offers, and therefore let the offers expired.

This guide is to show you how to check the Chromecast offers available for you, and how to claim (redeem) them from your PC or Android (or iOS) devices.

Step-by-step guide on how to check and claim Chromecast offers from your PC

Please note, you can check and claim the Chromecast offers either from your PC or from a mobile device.  If you want to do this on a mobile device, you may skip this section … Continue to read the post....

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If you are not aware of it, Google quietly released the $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast early this month.  You can get it from Google devices store for $15.

This guide will show you how to use Ethernet adapter for Chromecast to get best connections for your Chromecast.

Who need Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast?

The Ethernet adapter is a lifesaver for those Chromecast owners:

• Who do not have a wireless router at home.
• Whose wireless signal is poor near the TV.
• Whose wireless signal quality is not good.
• Whose router is configured with AP isolation.
• Who are streaming very high quality 1080p videos with Chromecast. Please follow this guide if you want to stream local media files.
• Who are not satisfied with the WiFi connection quality for their Chromecast.

What are in the box of Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast?

In the box, you can find:

• One Ethernet adapter for Chromecast, which will replace your current power adapter. It is essentially an 850mA power adapter with an Ethernet port.
• One 1-page quick start guide. It illustrates you how to connect Ethernet adapter for Chromecast to Chromecast and the router.
• One 36-page safety, regulatory and warranty information in many languages. You

… Continue to read the post....

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If you want to ask a question on Chromecast privately, or want to leave  feedback/give suggestions on our website, please use this form to leave your message. We will try to answer you as early as possible.

If you want to find the instructions or tips on setup or using your Chromecast, you may check this Chromecast manual page and  Chromecast how-to guide page.

You are also welcome to start a discussion in the Chromecast Forum, a public forum for anything related to Chromecast.

Please note:

• All About Chromecast is a community site  for Chromecast owners. We are NOT affiliated with Google.  We will try to answer your questions if we can.
• Please provide gmail because our emails have problems to reach other email providers.
• You will get faster answer if you post your questions in comments section on relevant pages.

… Continue to read the post....

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You can rename Chromecast at any time as you like.

During the initial setup,  you are given a chance to name your Chromecast so that you can distinguish it from other Chromecast devices.  You can use anything to name your Chromecast.  You can use up to 24 characters for the name of your Chromecast.

After the initial setup, you can still rename Chromecast if you want. For example,  the name of your ex-girlfriend probably is no longer the right choice when you enjoy the device with your new girlfriend. Sometimes, you may want to rename Chromecast to something meaningful if you forget to change the default name during the initial setup.

It is very straightforward to rename Chromecast from your mobile phones or tablet.  Here is the step-by-step guide on how to give a new name to your Chromecast.

In the following example, I will show you how to rename a Chromecast device from “Chromecast2013” to “AllAboutChromecast.com” from an Android phone.

Step 0: Make sure your Chromecast is powered on

To rename Chromecast, your Chromecast must be powered on, and you must be able to connect to it from your mobile devices.

It is not necessary to power on the … Continue to read the post....

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Android screen casting makes the TV your second screen!

The latest Chromecast app (1.9.6) update brought  Android screen casting (screen mirroring), one of the most anticipated features of Chromecast, to all Android devices with Android KitKat 4.4.2 or later.

If you are new to this feature, you may refer to this post.

Essentially, Android screen casting (screen mirroring) through Chromecast will make your TV the second screen of your Android devices.

You can enjoy videos, games, music, and everything on the TV with Android screen casting through Chromecast.

Anything displayed on your android screen and the audio can be mirrored on your TV through Chromecast.

This makes your $35 Chromecast more values.

Previously, screen casting feature is only supported on a few selected (high-end) devices.

How to start and stop Android screen casting?

After you update Chromecast app to 1.9.6 or later, you can find the cast screen option as shown below.

If your device is not among the supported device list (see this post for the updated officially supported devices), you will see the following warning messaging

“Screen casting is not optimized for this device, your experience may vary.”

Tap OK to continue as shown below.

Now tap … Continue to read the post....

The post Android screen casting for Chromecast is now supported on all Android devices with KitKat 4.4.2 or later appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Although  the Chromecast is simple to setup and simple to use, you may encounter this issue or that issue.  Google’s support is robotic.

So, we decided to start a new community for Chromecast owners and enthusiasms.

AllAboutChromecast.com will cover Chromecast news and updates. You will get the latest info on Chromecast.

Chromecast how-to guide section will teach you everything on using Chromecast for all occasions.

Chromecast manual section gives you the best guide on setup, using and troubleshooting Chromecast.

Chromecast Forum is a public forum for you to share your views on Chromecast, and discuss anything related (or even unrelated) to Chromecast.

We will also discuss the technology behind Chromecast. A lot of people confused Chromecast with Miracast or screen mirroring in Android 4.2 or later versions.   For screen mirroring, you may check this screen mirroring guide.

If you have any questions or want to leave a feedback, please leave comments in the relevant pages/posts, or use the contact us page to send your message.

Of course, the most valuable assets for you is the Chromecast Tips and Tricks, our free newsletter. You should subscribe now!… Continue to read the post....

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This guide will show you how to use an Android app to stream local media files to Chromecast. It is intended mainly for streaming contents saved in your Android devices.

Using an Android app to stream local media files (on your Android device)  is one of the 5 major methods of streaming local media files for Chromecast. For a detailed comparison (advantages and limitations) of these 5 local media streaming methods, please check this guide: Comparison of 5 methods for streaming local media files to Chromecast.

Update (Jan 2018): VLC for Android now also supports Chromecast. It offers a better way to stream local media in Android to Chromecast. You may check the guide here.  It also supports 4K streaming to Chromecast Ultra.

How to find an Android app to stream local media files to Chromecast?

There are many Android apps that can stream local media contents to Chromecast. In other words, in Google Play store, you can easily find an Android app to stream local media files to Chromecast. But some work poorly.  Normally, if the average review score is less than 3, you should avoid that app.

Google Play store now has a special Chromecast … Continue to read the post....

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Update: a mini user guide is available on how to use Ethernet adapter for Chromecast.

Google quietly released a $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast in July 8.

The adapter will not only improve the network performance of Chromecast especially if your WiFi  network signal (strength and quality) is not so good, but also may introduce new usages for Chromecast.

I will share with you why this $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast actually is a big thing for the e  .

Will $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast drag you back to wired era?

The  is supposed to be very simple to setup and simple to use.

Most of the time, it is.  But not always.

Some Chromecast owners have faced such problems:

• weak WiFi signal or poor WiFi signal quality near TV.
• no idea how to connect the Chromecast to the wireless network.
• very old wireless router only supporting 802.11b.
• no WiFi in office.
• poor network performance of Chromecast.

Ethernet adapter for Chromecast will surely solve these problems.

Why?

1. Ethernet connection is far more stable than WiFi. Even the  10M/100M Ethernet ports  in some aged routers usually can offer better and smoother streaming than 5G Hz wireless AC  connection

… Continue to read the post....

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