Top 10 Google Chromecast tips and tricks: Full list
Despite being a widely-used device all around the world, people are not aware of all the features Google Chromecast offers. In this article, we will give you the top 10 tips and tricks that will take your experience to a whole new level!
People enjoy watching things on their TVs, and most of them want to be in charge of what they watch. For example, you can pick what to watch on Cable TV, but digital streaming platforms like Netflix allow you to do so. If you want to connect these services to your TV, you might need an additional device, like Google Chromecast. However, it has many more features than just that. Here are the top 10 tips and tricks!
Parental Controls
Chromecast is a great device for usual family nights, strengthening the family bonds with film night activities. However, it means that your children may also use it when you are not home, and there are some contents that you might not want them to see. That is where Google Chromecast's parental controls sub-in to the game.
If you are using Google TV with Chromecast, you can set your kids' individual profiles with parental restrictions. These restrictions include specifying the apps that the kids can access, selecting a theme, and managing screen time, which is probably the biggest issue parents face. Parents can also set up PIN codes for their own profiles so that their kids can't access them.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant makes life easier in many aspects. It helps you simplify easy tasks and saves you time and hassle. In this case, you can use it to access your watchlist or even find whatever you are looking for. It also supports some third-party apps, like Netflix. Which means that if you say, "OK, Google, play The Office on Netflix," it will understand you and complete the task you give.
You can also use it to access your watchlist, likes, and other categories. Use the same formula and say, "OK, Google, show me my watchlist," and it will work its magic, saving you time searching.
Smartphone Control/HDMI-CEC
Let's say you can't find your Chromecast remote and need to turn it on. Enable HDMI-CEC on your TV, which runs the device as soon as you switch to the related HDMI port on your TV, and your Chromecast will automatically start too. If you don't know if your TV supports HDMI-CEC, check this list of Google and take a look at your TV's settings.
You can also control your Chromecast with your smartphone. Download the Google TV app on your iOS or Android device and select the TV Remote option and pair the devices. It will create a virtual remote.
Mirror your Android device
Mirroring smartphones and tablets is an effective solution to boost productivity or have fun in general. Chromecast lets you mirror your Android device, offering you a wider area to work with. You can use this feature if your device runs Android 8.0 or above. Use the Google Home app to complete the process.
Unfortunately, this feature is not supported on iOS devices, only Android users can benefit from it.
Play music (Spotify, Amazon Music, etc.)
If you want to play music on your TV, which obviously has better speakers compared to your smartphone or tablet, you can use Chromecast. Connect your device to the same network with Chromecast, open the music streaming app on your smartphone, and set the audio option to Chromecast. It is just like switching between your phone's speakers and headphones. This time, you will choose Chromecast instead of your headphones.
See Google Photos
Slideshows aren't the most modern thing, but it is still an option, and many people use it to show pictures of their beloved ones, nature, etc. Chromecast lets you mirror your Google Photos on your TV. You can use the service on iOS, Android, or PC. Use your Google Photos app and hit the "Cast" button to start your slideshow on your TV.
Google Slides
This is also not the most-used feature, but if you need to make a presentation, Chromecast helps you with that too. Google Slides has a built-in option that lets you present your work on another screen, which in this case, is your Chromecast.
Do not track
If you don't want Chromecast to track your moves, you can turn it off on the settings. Unfortunately, you can't get rid of all the tracking, but you can still ask it to stop sending some to Google. Go to your device settings and Recognition & Sharing. You will see an option named "Send device usage data and crash reports to Google," turn that off.
Use headphones
Chromecast supports Bluetooth connection, which allows you to connect your headphones too. Let's say you want to watch something but don't want to disturb others with the TV's noise, connect your wireless headphones to your device, and people around you will see what you are watching but won't be able to hear sound. This is also beneficial for those who like to watch and listen to stuff with headphones.
Nest Cam/Doorbell compatibility
If you are using a Google Nest Cam or a Nest Doorbell, you can track all the action through your Chromecast. Moreover, you only have to "say" the command, and it will get it done for you. You can say, "Show me the front door camera," It will start streaming what is happening in your front yard.
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Thanks for the tip Martin.
It is for these kinds of posts that I follow GHacks.
What’s up with the generic comment, are you a bot?
2G?
Where on the planet is that still in use? I was forced to give up using my RAZRV3 years ago because 2G was phased out by AT&T.
Everywhere 3G has been turned off and you don’t have LTE coverage, and believe me there are many developed countries where this is the case and if it weren’t for 2G you wouldn’t even be able to make a phone call.
Maybe I missed it, but I don’t believe tha term “2G” is in the article. Perhaps you are referring to “AGM G2”??
@Martin
Your website has gone insane.
When I the post button I then saw my comment posted on a different article page. When I opened this article again, it is here.
@Tachy @Martin Brinkmann
” Your website has gone insane. ”
Same here. Has happened several times.
@Tachy,
@Martin P.,
For over two weeks now,
I’ve been seeing “Comments” posted by subscribers appearing in different, unrelated articles.
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572991
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572951
For the time being,
it would be better to specify the “article name and URL” at the beginning of the post.
@tachy a lot of non-phone devices with a sim in them rely on 2G, at least here in europe.
Usually things reporting usage or errors/alarms on something remote that does not get day to day inspection in person. They are out there in vast numbers doing important work. Reliable, good range. The low datarate is no problem at all in those cases.
3G is gone or on its last legs everywhere, but this stuff still has too much use to cancel.
Anyhow, interesting that they would put that in. I can see the point if you suspect a hostile 2G environment (amateur eavesdroppers with laptop, ranging up to professional grade MITM fake towers while “strangely” not getting the stronger crypto voip 4G because it is being jammed, and back down to something as old ‘stingray’ devices fallen into the wrong hands).
But does this also mean that they have handled and rolled out a fix for that nasty 4G ‘pwn by broadcast’ problem you reported earlier this year? I had 4G disabled due to that, on the off chance that some of the local criminals would buy some cheap chinese gear, download a working exploit and probe every phone in range all over town in the hope of getting into phones of the police.
>”While most may never be attacked in stingrays, it is still recommended to disable 2G cellular connections, especially since it does not have any downsides.”
The downside would be losing connectivity. I spend a lot of time way out in the countryside where there’s often no service or almost none. My network allows 2G, and I need it sometimes. I have an option on the phone to disable 2G, I may do that when I’m in the city and I have good 5G connectivity, but not out in the country.
I would imagine that the stingray exploits, like most of the bad things in this world, are probably things you will run into in the crowded big cities.
I stopped using it in a mobile (Wi-Fi line) environment, so I’m almost ignorant of the actual situation,
But the recent reality in Japan makes me realize that “the infrastructure of the web is nothing more than a papier-mâché fiction”.
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/17/google-chrome-to-enable-https-first-by-default-for-all-users/#comment-4572402
It is already beyond the scope of what an individual can do.
What we should be aware of is the reality that “governments and those in power want to control the world through the Web”, and efforts to counter (resist and prevent) such ambitions are necessary.
Why do you want people to disable the privacy features? Hmmmmm?
Now You: do you plan to keep the Ads privacy features enabled?
I’d like to tell you, but apparently if you make a post critical of Google, you get censored. * [Editor: removed, just try to bring your opinion across without attacking anyone]
@Martin
You website is still psychotic. Comments attach to random stories.
@Martin please do fix the comments, it’s completely insane commenting here! :[
@Martin
The comments are seriously messed up on gHacks now. These comments are mixed with the article at the below URL.
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/18/android-how-to-disable-2g-cellular-connections-to-improve-security/
And comments on other articles are from as far back as 2010.
What does this article has anything to do with all the comments on this article? LOL I think this Websuite is ran by ChatGPT. every article is messed up. Some older comments from 2015 shown up in recant articles, LOL
The picture captioned “Clearing the Android Auto’s cache might resolve the issue” is from Apple Carplay ;)
How about other things that matter:
Drop survival?
Screen toughness?
Degree of water and dust protection?