Chromecast

How To: Speed Test Your Chromecast or Android TV

The Google Cast feature that serves as the primary interface for the Chromecast and comes bundled with Android TV devices like the Nexus Player is a marvel of modern technology. But as these things go, troubleshooting issues can be difficult with something so groundbreaking, especially when you consider that there are two parts to the equation—the casting device (your phone, tablet, or computer) and the receiver.

How To: The Easiest Way to Cast from Chrome

Previously, you'd need to install the Google Cast extension to cast webpages from your Chrome web browser to your Chromecast-connected TV, but as of March 24th, you don't need it anymore. Casting now works natively in Google Chrome (which had been available in the Beta version for a few months), and you can activate the hidden feature right now.

How To: Unblock American Hulu, Netflix, & More on Chromecast in Other Countries

If you're a U.S. expat living, traveling, or studying abroad, or just someone who typically uses virtual private networks (VPNs) in order to access the North American video libraries of services like Hulu or Netflix, you were probably surprised to see that these video streaming services don't work on your Chromecast or Chromecast 2.

How To: Cast Torrents, Magnet Links, Local Files, & Web Videos from Your Windows PC

Google's Chromecast has been out for almost two years, and I can safely say it has changed the way I use my TV. At first it was a hassle to even get local media to play on it, but now casting has branched out to torrent streaming, which was a real game changer. Unfortunately, most apps only let you stream one video or song at a time, or you can't add magnet links or torrents to a playlist of local content.

How To: Take Your Party to a New Level with These Chromecast Apps

Google's Chromecast is quite literally one of my favorite inventions of the past five years, allowing me to kick back, relax, and enjoy the various forms of streaming entertainment it has up for grabs.

How To: Use Your Chromecast Without WiFi

It's no secret that we love the Chromecast. From watching movies to playing games to giving presentations, this little $35 dongle definitely packs a punch. But unless you have a strong, solid Wi-Fi connection in the 2.4 GHz range, this little device has been out of reach to you. Well, until now.

How To: Use Your Chromecast to Make PowerPoint Presentations from Your Android

Chromecast is so small and portable that it would seem to be a perfect device for making PowerPoint presentations. But even now that you can mirror your Android device's display, there are still a few issues.

How To: Use Your Android Device as a Wiimote-Style Controller to Play Tennis on Your Chromecast

If you were around when the Nintendo Wii first launched, you remember how revolutionary the device was at the time. When I first encountered one, I was amazed at the simplicity of its controls, namely the fact that the Wii Remote (aka Wiimote) just felt like such a natural way to play a game.

How To: Test Your Chromecast's Network Connection

At its core, the Chromecast is essentially a web browser on a stick. When you cast content from your computer or smartphone, all you're really doing is telling the Chromecast which website to load.

How To: Cast Web Videos from iPad or iPhone to Chromecast

This tutorial is for everyone who has been waiting for a solution to stream web videos to a Chromecast by using an iPhone or iPad. It is easy as a cakewalk.

How To: Stop Handing Out Your Wi-Fi Password by Enabling "Guest Mode" on Your Chromecast

Chromecasts can make for some fun nights. Whether you're setting up a collaborative YouTube watch list, letting everyone add to a giant party playlist, or playing games like Cardcast and Big Web Quiz, Google's streaming media stick is a hit by all accounts.

How To: Use Your Command Line to Cast Almost Any Music or Video File Type

Using a combination of my phone, laptop, and an arsenal of apps and plugins, I can send pretty much anything to my Chromecast. However, nothing is ever perfect, and the file type that was still giving me headaches were torrent and magnet files.

How To: Enjoy Some Politically Incorrect Laughs with CardCast for Android & iOS

The future of game night is digital. Your Chromecast is great for watching Netflix or YouTube, but get more use out of it by making it the centerpiece for your next fun get-together.

How To: Personalize Your TV Experience with Chromecast's New Backdrop Feature

It's been a long-awaited feature since being announced at Google I/O in June, but Backdrop for Chromecast has finally started rolling out. With an update to the Chromecast app for Android and iOS, users will be able to personalize the background images that appear when Chromecast is idle.

How To: Root Your Chromecast

When the Chromecast first came out about a year ago, developers were quick to find a way to root the streaming device. Google was almost as fast, however, in updating the Chromecast's firmware to close the loophole that this method used.

How To: Multitask in Chrome While Casting Web Videos to Your TV

Despite being one of the largest and most feature driven companies on the planet, Google can sometimes come up short. I have my Chromecast running 24/7, and while I use my phone to cast most of my content, I sometimes find a video while browsing Reddit or LiveLeak on my laptop and I'd rather just cast it from there.

How To: Cast Videos from Your Favorite Subreddit to Your TV with Chromecast

I spend an ungodly amount of time on Reddit, and while I do enjoy scrolling through memes and scandalous confessions, I must admit that I spend the majority of my time watching an endless stream of YouTube videos.

How To: Cast Reddit GIFs & Images from Your Android Phone to Your TV

Reddit is home to tons of fun and unique content. A starting point for the various memes and videos that eventually make it into your Facebook feed, you could seriously spend all day just browsing different subreddits and not get bored.

How To: Save Battery by Mirroring Your Android Screen to Chromecast with the Display Off

Screen mirroring was a long-awaited feature for the Chromecast, now available for select devices (and even more with root). While great news for those who couldn't wait to play games, watch movies, and browse pictures on a big screen, it did mean that you had to keep your device's screen on the entire time it was being mirrored.

How To: Add Widgets to Your Chromecast's Home Screen

The idle screen for the Chromecast is certainly beautiful. Full of many high-definition pictures taken of various parts of the world, it's almost a shame that we have to dismiss this screen in order to cast content.

How To: Cast Podcasts with Podcast Addict for Android

Podcasts have been around and popular for close to a decade now. For the uninitiated, podcasts are like radio shows that can be downloaded directly from the web and listened to on any device. Up until now, only paid apps allowed podcasts to be casted via Chromecast, but with the latest update to Xavier Guillemane's Podcast Addict, you can now do the same thing for free!

How To: Turn Your Chromecast into a Jukebox with Collaborative Party Playlists

When it comes to playing music at parties, the whole process can be a bit like a dictatorship. One person, usually the host, chooses all of the music and controls playback, essentially forcing everyone else to listen to the songs that they like.

How To: Enable Chromecast's Screen Mirroring on Any Rooted Android Device Running KitKat

Arguably Chromecast's biggest feature since its launch, screen mirroring functionality started rolling out to select devices earlier this week, and in a word, it's awesome.

How To: Enable the Chromecast Screen Mirroring Feature

At last month's I/O event, Google demonstrated a set of cool new features that were said to be coming to the Chromecast soon. While we may not be able to set custom backgrounds or cast content without being on the same WiFi network just yet, the biggest feature of them all has started rolling out to devices today: Screen mirroring.

How To: Use Your Chromecast as a Karaoke Machine

You suck at karaoke. Most of us do, but that doesn't stop any of us from hitting up the karaoke bar. It's not about who sounds best; there's American Idol for that. It's about having a great time without incurring negative judgement; the worse you are the better time I'm having.

How To: Cast Facebook & Twitter Feeds to Your HDTV with Chromecast

Is social media ready to make the jump to the big screen? The developers behind the Android app Stevie think so.

How To: Stream Your Favorite SoundCloud Tracks to Your Chromecast

With its growing popularity, it's clear that the Chromecast isn't going away anytime soon, with options for casting games, cloud files, music, and much more. But not all content providers are in a hurry to add support for the device, and SoundCloud is one of them. While My Cloud Player is by no means an official SoundCloud app, it comes pretty darn close.

How To: Cast Amazon Instant Video to Your HDTV

Amazon just signed a deal with HBO to host the cable channel's original content on its Instant Video service. For those of us with Amazon Prime accounts, this is great news—but there aren't any readily apparent options for playing it on Chromecast.

Nostalgia Warning: Must-Have Classic Games for Chromecast (Android & iOS)

Video games have come a long way over the last 30 years. In the late-'80s, Atari, Nintendo, and Sega were taking gaming from arcades to living rooms. Back in 1994, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis were in bedrooms everywhere, and over the next couple of years, were slowly being replaced by Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, and the first ever Sony PlayStation.

How To: Cast Endless Streams of Videos You'll Definitely Like

The folks behind StumbleUpon have created a video service that is just as awesome at introducing you to new content as their website service is.

How To: Cast Videos from Google Drive to Your TV with Chromecast

You can't always have your media on the same network as your Chromecast. Say you're at a friend's house or even out of town—it sure would be nice to cast your videos when you're out and about, wouldn't it?

How To: Stream Music from the Official Spotify App to Chromcast

Up until now, the closest thing we've had to Spotify casting is Projectify, which streams music videos from YouTube and other video sites to Chromecast using music from your Spotify playlists.

How To: Play the Insanely Addictive 2048 Game for Android on Your TV

Just like some of its popular puzzle predecessors, 2048 is an extremely simple yet insanely addicting game that pits you against a slew of blocks, to be configured into increasing sums with fervid, high-paced moves. If you have yet to play it, check out either the iOS (by Ketchapp) or Android (by Estoty) versions of the game. Due to its overwhelming popularity, dev TalkLittle has ported the puzzle game as 2048 for Chromecast (available for Android only), which lets you play the game solo or b...

How To: Watch the Coachella Music Festival on Your HDTV All Weekend

One of the world's largest music festivals in kicking off this weekend in southern California, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. With a diverse lineup ranging from AFI to Empire of the Sun to HAIM to Muse, the music world is on display this weekend and the next.

How To: Send Just About Anything from Your Phone to Your TV via Chromecast

As the Chromecast becomes more and more popular (it's even available overseas now), the market has seen an avalanche of Chromecast-compatible apps. We can play games, cast TV stations, and even mirror our screens, but today I'm going to show you a multifaceted tool that'll do everything from broadcasting your camera to displaying your documents.

How To: Find the Latest & Greatest Chromecast Apps

Now that the Chromecast development kit has been out for over a month, more and more Android apps are being released or updated to work with the Chromecast.

How To: (Updated) The Extremely Vulgar (& Hilarious) "Cards Against Humanity" Game Has Been Cloned for Chromecast & Android

If you've never played Cards Against Humanity, it's time to get initiated. Originally funded through Kickstarter, the free to download card game is basically an obscene version of Apples to Apples.

How To: Stream Rdio & Spotify to Chromecast as Music Videos

While both Rdio and Beats Music look to be developing support for Chromecast, Spotify has kept their distance from the Google dongle, focusing instead on "several prevailing priorities."

How To: Turn Your Chromecast into a Portable Gaming Console

With the emergence of rumors that Amazon, Google, and Samsung are all making their foray into the gaming console market, it's a possibility that our Android-powered mobile devices might become tools that play a central role.

How To: Stream Any Video from Your Android or iOS Device to Chromecast

Recently, Google unleashed the Chromecast development kit, which lets developers add Chromecast streaming functionality to their own apps. However, there aren't many apps with Chromecast capabilities yet, and big companies and devs are still working on polishing their final products.