On-demand streaming content is more popular than ever – but not everyone has the latest smart TV. With Google Chromecast, viewers don’t have to settle for watching their favourite shows on their smartphones or laptops – they can beam it to their best screen in their house: the television. Discover how to connect to Google Chromecast now.
What is Chromecast?
There are now two Chromecasts: the Google Chromecast and the new Chromecast with Google TV. Both have a WiFi dongle attached to an HDMI cable. The goal of Chromecast is to turn a regular TV into a smart TV, and make an already smart TV even smarter. Users connect the Chromecast’s HDMI cable into one of the HDMI ports on their TV and wirelessly “cast” content to the Chromecast from their smartphone, tablet or laptop.
How Does Chromecast Work?
The Chromecast uses your home’s WiFi network to relay content from apps on your mobile devices and laptops so they can be viewed through your TV in the same way you would connect another source, such as a gaming console, via a HDMI cable to an HDMI input on a TV.
How Do I Connect Chromecast to the TV?
Plug the HDMI cable on the end of the Chromecast into a vacant HDMI port on your TV. Connect the included USB cable to the Chromecast and the other end of the USB cable into either the USB port on the TV where it can draw power, or plug it into a power supply.
How Do I Connect Chromecast to the WiFi?
Firstly, you’ll need a Google (Gmail) account to operate Chromecast. From your mobile device open the Google Home app – it’s available to download for iOS devices and Android smartphones and tablets. The WiFi network your phone is connected to will also become the WiFi network the Chromecast connects to. Switch your TV to the source where the Chromecast is plugged in.
Log in to Google on the app, look in the top left corner and hit the “+” symbol. Click Set Up Device > New Device and choose “Home” as the location. The app will now look for the Chromecast and eventually it will say “Chromecast Found”. Proceed to connect to the Chromecast. Once connected, it will display a code in the Google Home app and ask if it matches the code that should have also appeared on your TV. The next step is naming the room where the Chromecast is located – this comes in handy to identify the device if there are multiple Chromecasts in your home.
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How Do I Use Chromecast?
To stream content from apps on your mobile device such as Netflix or Stan, find the program you want to watch and look for the casting symbol – it looks like a square with a WiFi symbol in the bottom left corner. Tap this symbol and a list of the connected Chromecasts will appear. Choose your Chromecast and control playback from the streaming app on your phone. From a laptop, users can stream content directly from a Google Chrome browser by looking for the same cast symbol.
How Do I Use Chromecast with Google TV?
The new Chromecast with Google TV comes with a remote control and offers several improvements on the earlier model. For example, Chromecast with Google TV can stream 4K content (if you have a 4K TV) and can also be controlled with your voice through Google Assistant via the microphone on the remote.
Connect the Chromecast with Google TV to an HDMI port on your TV and to power with the included cable and small power brick. Pair the remote to the TV by pressing the Home and Back arrow buttons at the same time. Once connected, you can use the remote to complete the set-up. It will ask you to sign into your Google account on the Google Home app on your smartphone. It will detect the Chromecast already connected to your TV (you’ll be able to see the device’s name in the top left corner of the TV).
Next, scan the on-screen QR code when prompted and choose the room where the Chromecast is located before selecting your WiFi network. Users can view their streamed content through the Chromecast with Google TV dashboard on the TV itself rather than casting from a mobile device or laptop. Plus, you can control everything and navigate the Google TV interface with the remote control.
