How to cast your screen to your Chromecast

Chromecasts are one of our favorite streaming devices on the market. They are a convenient way to make any TV smarter, allowing you to cast your favorite shows and movies easily. The latest models with Google TV are even more practical since you can search for content and interact with them using nothing but the Chromecast. However, you might want to cast something on your TV and watch it on a big screen with others, whether it’s a web page, photos, or content stored locally on your device.

There is a way to share your Android phone’s or computer screen to your TV using your Chromecast. The process is simple and doesn’t require any additional apps than the ones you may have. It works on all generations of Chromecast, most Android TVs, and cast-compatible devices. Here’s how it works.

Casting your Android phone’s screen to your Chromecast

If you have a Chromecast and an Android phone, casting your phone is easy. It only requires you to have the Google Home app, which you may have used to set up your Chromecast.

Here’s how to share your phone’s screen with your TV:

1. On your phone, open the Google Home app.
2. Navigate to the TV you’d like to cast your content on. Depending on the device you’re casting to, you might need to turn it on manually.
3. Tap Cast my screen in the lower-left corner.

4. Confirm the operation by tapping the blue Cast screen button.
5. Depending on your phone, you may be asked to confirm another time. Tap Start Now.

6. Your phone’s screen is mirrored on the selected device. This method is not optimized for casting videos but can be useful for sharing your screen with other people in the room, such as in a meeting or with family and friends.
7. To stop sharing your screen, open your notification tray, expand the cast notification, and tap Disconnect. You can also repeat the first two steps and tap Stop mirroring at the bottom of the screen.

Casting your computer’s screen to your Chromecast

You can also share your computer’s screen to view it on your TV. The process is different compared to the steps above but remains straightforward. However, the Chrome web browser must be installed on your computer before the process. The steps are the same for PCs, Macs, and Chromecasts.

1. On your computer, open the Chrome web browser.
2. Click the ⋮ overflow menu in the upper-right corner.
3. Click Cast.

4. Before selecting the device you’d like to cast your screen to, check out the Sources menu at the bottom of the list. This is where you’ll select whether you want to cast your current Chrome tab or your entire desktop. The latter allows you to share other applications and doesn’t limit you to what you see in Chrome.

5. Select the device you’d like to cast to. This works with speakers and displays, meaning you can cast your computer’s audio to your speakers. If you can’t find the device you’re looking for, you may have to turn it on for it to appear.
6. To stop casting, click the blue cast icon in the upper-right corner of the Chrome window and click on the blue stop icon next to the device’s name you’re casting on.

Use your Chromecast to the fullest

Now that you know how to cast your phone’s or computer’s screen to your Chromecast, you’ll be able to share documents, presentations, photos, and more with friends and family in just a few clicks or taps. You can also use this method to share your screen in a meeting where there’s a Chromecast in the room without having to look for an HDMI cable. Plus, it’s easy for anybody to cast their screen without worrying about their computer’s operating system.

If you want to learn more about how to fiddle with your Chromecast, we put together a list of tips for power users, which teaches you a bunch of useful information about your device. And if you have an issue with your Chromecast, there’s always a way to fix it, and it’s easier than you think.