Google Chromecast tips and tricks: How to use and set up Chromecast

(Pocket-lint) - You're astir apt speechmaking this due to the fact that you ain a Chromecast but don't cognize what to bash with it beyond casting YouTube oregon Netflix videos from your instrumentality to a TV. Well, Pocket-lint is present to help.

You tin usage Chromecast to magically crook connected your TV, watercourse locally stored video to your TV, reflector websites, and more. If you'd similar to larn much astir these features, we've elaborate respective tips that volition instantly heighten your Chromecast streaming experience.

Of course, the latest Chromecast offers the afloat Google TV experience, on with a remote, meaning casual entree to each your favourite shows - but it volition bash a batch much than that.

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Turn connected your TV and Chromecast without a remote

You tin simultaneously crook connected your TV and Chromecast and adjacent alteration to the close HDMI input without ever touching your TV remote. This is imaginable due to the fact that Chromecast supports a communal exertion called HDMI-CEC. Although astir HDTVs connection HDMI-CEC, you mightiness person to alteration the diagnostic nether TV settings.

Once CEC is enabled connected your TV, you volition beryllium capable to formed thing from your machine and mobile device. Your TV volition automatically crook on, past power to the close HDMI input for Chromecast, and statesman streaming your content.

Magic, right?

Stream section video utilizing a keyboard shortcut

You could usage apps similar RealCloud Player, Plex, Beamer, oregon Videostream to formed video saved connected your machine to your TV. You tin usage a keyboard shortcut, too. First, download the latest mentation of the Chrome browser. Then, unfastened the browser and simply property Control+O (Chromebook and Windows) oregon Command+O (Mac).

Use the pop-up to prime your video. Keep successful caput you tin prime files from your section drive, connected outer drive, and adjacent web locations. After picking your file, it should load successful your browser. You'll privation to spell to the Cast icon successful the browser barroom and prime your Chromecast to instantly statesman streaming.

Stream section video stored connected Android devices

We've already discussed however you tin watercourse section video stored connected your computer, but this extremity is somewhat different: you tin nonstop photos, music, and videos stored connected your mobile instrumentality to your TV. Casting is supported from galore Android apps, including Google Photos, which volition fto you nonstop photos and video nonstop to your Chromecast.

You tin besides reflector your Android telephone oregon tablet to the TV, meaning you tin watercourse immoderate is connected your mobile surface to the large screen, specified arsenic apps, oregon conscionable to bash a demo. On galore Android devices the enactment to formed volition beryllium successful the Quick Settings pane astatine the apical of the screen, conscionable swipe down, pat the formed icon and distant you go.

Mirror your full surface oregon tab

This 1 should beryllium well-known among Chromecast users, but it is inactive worthy mentioning to each the newbies reading: you tin beam immoderate you're looking astatine successful the Chrome browser to your TV. You indispensable archetypal download the latest mentation of the Chrome browser and past click connected the driblet down paper successful the apical close with the 3 vertical dots earlier selecting Cast from the database of options.

A tiny paper volition appear, with a Sources container successful the bottommost left-hand corner. Click connected the arrow to uncover options for casting your browser tab, your full screen, oregon take a record from your computer. The tab enactment volition evidently lone reflector what's disposable successful your browser tab, portion the full surface enactment volition reflector your full machine screen. Once you've made your choice, click connected your Chromecast instrumentality sanction to commencement mirroring.

This is simply a truly useful diagnostic for presentations.

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Cast full-screen contented successful the background

It is amusive to formed from your computer. But you indispensable support video and antithetic things successful afloat surface mode wrong the Chrome browser astatine each times successful bid for it to show successful afloat surface connected your TV. That's not truthful fun, due to the fact that it makes playing with your machine portion watching TV impossible.

Luckily, determination is simply a workaround. When casting from your Chrome browser, property Alt+Tab to power tasks. This volition inactive watercourse your contented successful afloat screen... but successful the background, enabling you to usage your machine freely.

Add emoji oregon symbols to your Chromecast name

This is simply a silly 1 that doesn't heighten your streaming experience, but it does marque you consciousness cooler. You tin usage emoji and quality symbols to alteration your Chromecast sanction into thing much imaginative. Just unfastened the Google Home app and scroll down to your Chromecast device. 

Tap connected the settings cog successful the apical close corner, past prime Name. Tap connected the sanction container and you'll beryllium capable to participate the caller name. Type what you want, and erstwhile done, pat "OK".

You tin adhd emoji by simply copying and pasting them into the instrumentality sanction field.

Cast Facebook Live broadcasts

Facebook Live offers enactment for Google's Cast tech. That means you tin nonstop a Facebook Live broadcast to a TV. Just marque definite your mobile instrumentality and the TV with Chromecast are connected the aforesaid Wi-Fi network.

Then, simply unfastened a Facebook Live broadcast and deed the Cast icon that appears connected the screen. It's similar casting immoderate different contented from your phone, specified arsenic a YouTube video, lone it's a Facebook unrecorded stream.

Link your Chromecast to Nest speakers

With a small know-how you tin crook your Google Home oregon Nest speakers into a dependable activated controller.

Google's voice-activated speakers volition recognise erstwhile you inquire them to play Netflix oregon Disney+ shows and with the due setup, you tin power your TV with your voice. You'll beryllium capable to inquire its adjunct to skip episodes, intermission and resume playback, power connected captions, and adjacent rewind what you're watching.

To get started, you'll request 1 of the Nest devices and the latest mentation of the Google Home app. You'll besides request a Chromecast instrumentality plugged into your TV. You'll past request a Netflix/Disney relationship to nexus to your Google Home. In the Home app, spell to the "+" icon successful the apical near country > Videos. From there, nexus your Netflix/Disney relationship to your Google account.

Keep successful caput you tin besides bash each this with YouTube videos. All you person to bash is motion into your YouTube relationship done the Google Home app. Once you're each set, you tin commencement controlling Netflix oregon YouTube utilizing your Google Home. You tin accidental things similar "OK Google, play House of Cards from Netflix connected my TV" oregon "OK Google, intermission Stranger Things connected my TV" oregon "Play John Oliver videos from YouTube connected my TV".

Get an Ethernet adapter

Chromecast requires a beardown Wi-Fi connection. Google has an Ethernet adapter for Chromecast Ultra oregon Chromecast with Google TV which mightiness beryllium worthy considering if you person a anemic Wi-Fi signal. The adapter looks similar the Chromecast powerfulness cord, but the plug extremity has a tiny Ethernet larboard to link an Ethernet cable. You tin find it connected the Google Store.

Just marque definite that the Ethernet cablegram is connected to your modem arsenic well, and past plug the USB extremity of the adapter into the Chromecast, and connect the Chromecast to the HDMI larboard connected your TV.

Switch up those Chromecast photos

You tin usage your ain photos - oregon you tin take from Google's enactment images - to power up your Chromecast background. In the Google Home app, prime the Chromecast you privation to customise, and pat the settings paper successful the apical close corner. From there, prime Ambient Mode.

Enable impermanent mode

You tin fto guests usage Chromecast without giving them entree to your Wi-Fi. Just crook your Chromecast to Guest Mode successful the instrumentality settings, and anyone with the Cast-enabled app tin formed erstwhile the enactment shows up connected their instrumentality (if they're wrong 25 feet of the Chromecast).

Factory reset Chromecast

You whitethorn ne'er request to usage this tip, but it's useful to cognize nonetheless: successful lawsuit your Chromecast develops an contented wherever it doesn't enactment oregon relation properly, you tin revert the instrumentality to mill settings.

Just entree the Settings paper successful the Chromecast app connected your PC, Mac, oregon mobile device, and past unfastened the driblet down paper connected the apical close and prime Factory Reset. Simple. You tin besides reconstruct the mill settings by holding down the Chromecast's fastener for 25 seconds.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 5 July 2014.