Chromecast Guides

Whenever you have problems or have questions on Chromecast, Chromecast how-to guides are here for you!

The setup and use of Chromecast are not complicated. But considering so many different devices (smartphones, PCs, TVs) may be involved, you may need some help on how to set up Chromecast for your own devices and how to use Chromecast in your living room.

These Chromecast how-to guides will save you time. It is not necessary to fiddle around to make Chromecast work for you as expected. The step-by-step guide will show you how to make it work.

We also publish Chromecast 101 Series Books if you want to read the guides offline. Currently, there are 2 books available:

• Chromecast 101: The Unofficial Chromecast Setup Manual and
• Chromecast 101: How to Stream Local Media Files with Chromecast.

Some Chromecast How-to guides/tutorials are short, while some are quite long. All are detailed enough for you to follow.

These Chromecast how-to guides are organized according to the task to be performed.

Some Chromecast tips and tricks are also covered on this page to help you use the device more efficiently.

This is a live page: we are adding new Chromecast how-to guides regularly. So, do … Continue to read the post....

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On October 4, 2016, Google announced a new $69 (not $35) Chromecast device: Chromecast Ultra.

This actually is the 3rd generation of Chromecast. Chromecast (1st gen) was released in  2013. Chromecast 2nd gen and Chromecast Audio (which were discontinued in 2019) were announced in 2015.

This post will try to help you understand the differences between Chromecast 2nd Gen and Chromecast Ultra, and help you decide whether you need a Chromecast Ultra.

Chromecast 3rd gen (Chromecast 2018) and Chromecast 4th gen (Chromecast 2020; Chromecast with Google TV) are also available in the market now.

Is Chromecast Ultra for 4K TV only?

One of the most prominent features of Chromecast Ultra is supporting 4K video streaming.

But this does NOT mean Chromecast Ultra is only for 4K TV owners.

If you only have a Full HD (1080p) TV, compared to Chromecast 2nd gen,  Chromecast Ultra can still offer some nice new and improved features:

• High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. Of course, HDR contents are still very limited. YouTube and Google Play will gradually join Netflix and Amazon for streaming HDR contents. HDR-ready TV is also needed to enjoy the benefits. We will discuss this in detail in

… Continue to read the post....

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You can setup Chromecast Audio from any one of the following devices:

• Android phones or devices with Android Jelly Bean 4.1 or later;
• iPhone or iPad with iOS 7 or higher;
• PC with Windows 7 or later;
• Chromebook with Chrome OS 28 or later;
• Mac computers with Mac OS 10.7 and later.

In this guide, Android device is used to show you how to setup Chromecast Audio.

To setup Chromecast Audio, please follow these steps.

Step 1:  Connect your Chromecast to the speaker or AV receiver

Before you try to setup Chromecast Audio, you need connect Chromecast Audio to the speaker or AV receiver

You can use one of the following 3 audio/optical cables to connect Chromecast Audio to the speaker or AV receiver:

• 3.5mm stereo cable (which is included in your Chromecast Audio box) for analog output.
• 3.5mm to RCA cable for analog output.
• Mini TOSLINK to TOSLINK optical cable for digital output.

If your speaker does not support any of them, you cannot use it for Chromecast Audio and therefore you cannot proceed to setup Chromecast Audio.

Anyway, almost all speakers and AV receivers support at least one of the three input options.

If you speaker or AV … Continue to read the post....

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When Chromecast is idle, it pulls some nice pictures on your TV screen from Google servers.

It also shows time (and date) on the TV screen. Sometimes, you may want to change the time format from 12-hour format to 24-hour format for your Chroemcast. Or, you may find the time is not correct because the wrong time zone was used.

This guide shows you how to change Chromecast time format and time zone from your Android devices using the Chromecast app.

Step 1:  Turn on the TV and power up your Chromecast device

You should see the normal Chromecast screen with photos, your WiFi network ID and time on the TV.

If there are any error messages on the TV screen, you probably need setup your Chromecast again. You may follow the Chromecast manual or Chromecast setup page to setup your Chromecast.

Step 2: Install Chromecast app in your Android device

To  change Chromecast time format or Chromecast time zone from an Android device, the Chromecast app is required. Of course, the Chromecast app has some other functions.

You can start Play store in your Android device, then search for “Chromecast”.

Tap the Chromecast, then tap install as shown below.… Continue to read the post....

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When do you need to reset Chromecast (factory data reset)?

Most of the time, it is not necessary to factory reset Chromecast  (factory data reset). The device update itself when connected to internet.  It seldom gives problem.

But in the following two scenarios, you probably have to reset  Chromecast:

• You change your wireless router. Chromecast can only remember one network. If you changed your router, you can either re-do the setup (you may follow this Chromecast setup guide) if the old network is not in range, or simply reset Chromecast.
• Chromecast hangs or freezes.  You can try to plug out the USB power cable, then check whether Chromecast works after plugging the cable back. But if this doe not work or Chromecast hangs frequently, it is good idea to reset Chromecast (factory data reset) before calling Google support or returning the unit.

How to reset Chromecast (factory data reset)?

It is quite simple to factory reset Chromecast. There are two ways to factory reset Chromecast.

Method 1: Use the button on Chromecast to reset Chromecast

Hold down the button (next to the micro USB port) on your Chromecast for at least 25 seconds or until the solid light begins … Continue to read the post....

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What is the Google Home and Chromecast casting notification?

With the release of Google Home, the Google cast app was renamed as Google Home app.

Now, Chromecast (including Chromecast Ultra), Chromecast Audio and Google Home are all managed by the same Google Home app.

One of the new features in Google Home app (through Google Play services on the phone) is the Google Home and Chromecast casting notification (remote control notifications) in all mobile devices that are connected to the same network as the casting devices.

This means, by default, all mobile devices (with a Google account and the latest Google app) in the same network as casting devices now get the casting notification (remote control notification) when any of the casting devices is casting.

Here casting devices include Chromecast, Chromecast 2nd Gen, Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast Audio and Google Home.

For example, when Google Play music is playing music to Chromecast Audio, you will see the notification in other Android  phones as shown below.

This notification appears not only on the device you initiated the casting, but also all other mobile devices in the same network, by default.

So, any devices can control the playback remotely through … Continue to read the post....

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The developer options in Chromecast with Google TV allow you to access some advanced features of Android TV, e.g., sideloading apps directly through ADB commands.

This Chromecast with Google TV guide explains what you can do with developer options in Chromecast with Google TV and how to enable it for the dongle.

Please note this guide applies to Chromecast with Google TV only. Other Chromecast devices (all previous generations of Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, and Chromecast Audio) are not powered by Android.

Update: there are now two versions of Chromecast with Google TV: the HD version (up to 1080p full HD, new@29.99) and the 4K version (up to 4K, same as the original one @49.99). This guide applies to both of them.

What can you do with developer options in Chromecast with Google TV?

Chromecast with Google TV differs from previous generations of Chromecast in two major aspects, as explained in this post:

• There is an official voice remote for the Chromecast with Google TV.
• Chromecast with Google TV is powered by Android TV (currently Android 10 Android 11 Android 12) instead of modified Chrome OS.

Android traditionally hides some special additional features for developers under … Continue to read the post....

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