Small screens are intimidating when it comes to watching movies; at least, I don’t want to watch videos on a smartphone unless it’s the last device on this planet. If you think the same, Chromecast is your best companion in this need of the hour.

Chromecast lets you stream media files to your TV. It’s a life-saving device for movie and TV shows enthusiasts. I compiled these Chromecast hacks to help you take advantage of this valuable device.

Before we start, ensure that your Chromecast is set up with your TV and that the device you’ll use to control it (smartphone/tablet) and Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network. Also, download the Google Home app for Android and iOS to set up and control Google Chromecast. Here are some important steps before you can proceed with the hacks and tips for Chromecast.

• Make sure your router is optimized for Chromecast streaming.
• Download the Google Home app to easily access your Chromecast’s settings.
• Use a power supply with a higher amperage to ensure better streaming performance.
• Take advantage of the Guest Mode when you have friends or family over to watch something on your Chromecast.
• Use a VPN to access blocked content.
• Take advantage of the “Cast Screen” feature to easily share your laptop or smartphone screen with your Chromecast.
• Set up a special Chromecast profile for kids for parental control.
• Pair your Chromecast with a Bluetooth speaker for better sound quality.
• Set up Chromecast audio groups to play music in multiple rooms.
• Take advantage of the Chromecast’s ability to mirror your laptop’s display to quickly share presentations or other content.

Here are some Chromecast hacks that you can try:

1. Control Chromecast with your Voice

With Google Assistant, you can summon videos to your TV screen using the powers of Google Chromecast. First, you must say the magic phrase and Google Assistant will follow the commands. For example, with the “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” voice command, you can ask Google Assistant to play movies, songs, or News on your TV.

Just say, “Play Stranger Things on TV,” and the next thing you’ll see is Stranger Things playing on your TV. Of course, you have to connect your Netflix account with Chromecast first. You can do it within the Google Home app, which controls Chromecast and other home devices.

Google Assistant can also play songs from Spotify, SoundCloud, and other streaming services with voice commands; you must connect these services to the Google Home app.

2. Cast Facebook videos

The Facebook app also lets you cast videos on Chromecast. With this Chromecast hack, you can watch Facebook videos on a large screen just a click away. Find the cast button and select your device to start streaming.

3. Cast from YouTube

Watching videos from YouTube on a big screen brings relief. You can cast popular videos of your crowned YouTubers with just a button. Open the YouTube app and play a video, press the cast button that appears on top of the video, and then select your device.

You can also create a YouTube video queue and watch it on the big screen with Chromecast.

4. Cast from Netflix

Movies and TV shows from Netflix can also be played on your TV with the help of Chromecast. Just play the movie or TV show on your phone or tablet that you want to play on the big screen, look for the cast icon, click on it, and select the Chromecast device you want to stream to; the movie will start streaming on the large screen.

As explained earlier, connecting the Netflix account with Google Assistant will enable you to stream movies and TV shows using voice commands. Ask Google Assistant to play, and it’ll play that video on your big screen.

5. Cast from VLC

VLC supports Chromecast streaming, and you can watch movies straight from your PC or Mac by following our guide to cast a video from VLC to Chromecast. Then, play any video on VLC and follow the instructions in the link to start streaming movies to your big screen.

6. Cast from a local Media Server

Chromecast lets you stream movies directly to your TV screen. You can try different media servers and other ways to stream your favorite shows on the big screen. Another tip is to configure Kodi to play videos on your Chromecast.

Here are some apps to enjoy video content on the big screen.

7. Cast from Plex

Plex media server serves movie geeks the right way with the ability to cast photos, movies, and songs that are present on your local server to the large screen. The premium version (Plex Pass) has more perks, but the free version works fine with casting movies to Chromecast.

After installing the Plex Media Server on your PC, organize your media files to stream videos to other devices and Chromecast. You can follow the official website to set up Plex and cast movies on Chromecast-enabled TV.

8. Stream Music

With Chromecast, you can stream songs on your TV speakers or the Home theatre system. But first, you must connect your favorite music streaming service, and it’ll play music from your playlists on your Chromecast-enabled device.

Music streaming services like SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube Music can be connected with Chromecast for Music streaming. Chromecast lets you stream music to your TV speakers or the home theatre system.

9. Cast from Google Photos

You can feast your eyes with memories of vacations that you enjoyed with the family. Cast photos to the big screen using the Google Photos app and Chromecast. Google Photos supports Chromecast and lets you watch pictures and videos on the supported device.

10. Cast from Google Chrome

With the Cast option built-in, Chrome lets you enjoy the web browser’s content on the big screen. You can cast tabs from the Chrome browser or videos you’re playing online (on supported websites like YouTube) to the Chromecast. Here’s how this Chromecast tip will work:

1. Press the three-dot menu on the upper right corner of Chrome
2. Navigate to Cast and click it
3. Select your device from the pop-up
4. Start streaming the content or the tab of the Chrome browser

11. Backdrop in Chromecast

When you connect and set up your Chromecast, you’ll see a backdrop, a Chromecast home screen. It shows weather, news headlines, and selected photos from your favorite service or Google Photos as wallpapers. You can configure the latest news headlines and weather information on the Google Home app.

12. Guest Mode

If you want guests to stop interrupting your movies on Chromecast, you can enable guest mode in Chromecast. Only you can cast to the device when the guest mode is enabled; others will have to ask permission to get limited access. You can grant or deny access from the Google Home app.

This Chromecast tip will save you the pain of asking everyone to stop messing with the video you’re watching on the big screen.

13. Cast Presentations

Play presentations on your TV using Google Slide for the web. You can cast the tab from Google Chrome and show your slides on a big screen without wires and projectors.

These tips for your Chromecast that you can try to improve the streaming experience. If you’ve something more to add, you can share your favorite Chromecast hacks and uses in the comments section below.

Frequently asked questions