The Basic Steps to Cast From Your Phone

To cast from your phone to a Chromecast-enabled TV, open the app you want to watch — YouTube, Netflix, Google Photos, or another supported app — and tap the cast icon (it looks like a rectangle with curved lines in the corner). Select your TV from the list that appears, and the content will play on your screen instead of your phone. Your phone then acts as a remote; you can pause, skip, or adjust volume from it while the TV plays the video.

The cast icon appears in the top right or bottom of the app you are using. Not every app has it — only apps that support Chromecast will show the icon. If you do not see it, the app either does not support casting or you need to update it.

Your phone and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network for casting to work. If they are not, you will not see your TV in the cast list. Once you cast, your phone can lock or switch to another app without stopping playback on the TV.

Key Takeaways

  • Open a supported app on your phone, tap the cast icon, and select your TV from the list to begin casting.
  • Your phone and TV must connect to the same Wi-Fi network before the TV will appear in the cast menu.
  • Once casting starts, your phone can lock, switch apps, or leave the room without interrupting the TV playback.
  • If the cast icon does not appear in an app, that app does not support Chromecast or needs to be updated.
  • You can cast video, music, photos, and web tabs from Chrome browser on Android or iOS phones.

Which Apps Work With Chromecast

YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Spotify, Google Photos, and Google Maps all have built-in cast buttons. So do Plex, Pandora, Tidal, and most major streaming services. The full list changes as developers add support, but if an app is popular for video or music, it likely works.

To check whether an app supports casting, look for the cast icon when you open it. If the icon is not there, try updating the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store — older versions sometimes lack the feature. If updating does not add the icon, that app does not support Chromecast.

You can also cast your entire phone screen or a Chrome browser tab to your TV, even if the app does not have a cast button. This method is slower and uses more battery, but it works for any app or website.

Casting Your Phone Screen or Browser Tab

To cast your whole phone screen, open Settings, go to Connected devices or Display, and look for Cast or Screen cast. Tap it, select your TV, and your phone screen will appear on the TV. This works for any app, but the video quality is lower and your phone battery drains faster than when casting from an app directly.

To cast a Chrome browser tab from an Android phone, open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, and select Cast. Choose your TV. Only that tab will appear on your screen, not your entire phone. On iPhone, you cannot cast individual Chrome tabs — you can only cast your whole screen through AirPlay, which requires an Apple TV, not a Chromecast.

Screen casting is useful when an app does not have a cast button or when you want to show your phone screen to others. For everyday streaming, casting directly from the app is faster and uses less power.

Troubleshooting When Your TV Does Not Appear

If your TV is not showing up in the cast list, first check that your phone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi network. Open your phone's Wi-Fi settings and confirm the network name. Then check your TV's Wi-Fi settings — on most Chromecast devices, go to Settings, Network, and look at the connected network name. They must match.

Restart both your phone and TV. Turn off the TV or unplug it for 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Restart your phone as well. Wait 30 seconds after the TV powers on before trying to cast again.

If the TV still does not appear, check that your Chromecast device is plugged in and powered on. Look for a light on the device itself — it should be lit or blinking. If there is no light, try a different power outlet or USB cable. If the device is new, make sure you have set it up using the Google Home app on your phone first.

Setting Up Chromecast for the First Time

Before you can cast to a TV, the Chromecast device must be set up. Plug the Chromecast into an HDMI port on your TV and into a power outlet. Turn on the TV and switch to the HDMI input where you plugged in the Chromecast. You should see a setup screen on your TV.

On your phone, read the Google Home app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Open it, tap the plus icon to add a device, and select Set up device. Choose Set up a new device, then follow the on-screen steps. The app will ask you to connect to your Wi-Fi network and sign in with a Google account. Once setup is complete, your TV will be ready to receive casts from any phone on that Wi-Fi network.

If you do not see the setup screen on your TV, make sure the Chromecast is plugged into power and the TV is on the correct HDMI input. You can also restart the Chromecast by unplugging it for 10 seconds.

Why Casting Stops or Lags

Casting stops when your phone loses connection to Wi-Fi or when the TV loses power. If you are casting and the video suddenly stops, check that your phone is still connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If your phone switched networks, reconnect it to the original one and cast again.

Lag or buffering usually means your Wi-Fi signal is weak. Move your phone or TV closer to your router, or restart your router by unplugging it for 10 seconds. If many devices are using the Wi-Fi at once, the connection may slow down. Pause other downloads or streaming on other devices while you cast.

If the video keeps stopping, try casting from the app instead of casting your whole screen — app casting is more stable. You can also try restarting the app, closing other apps on your phone, or restarting your TV.

Casting From iPhone to Chromecast

iPhone users can cast to Chromecast from most apps the same way Android users do: open the app, tap the cast icon, and select the TV. YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, Google Photos, and other major apps all have cast buttons on iPhone.

The main difference is that iPhone cannot cast individual Chrome browser tabs to Chromecast — only Android can. iPhone users can cast their entire screen using AirPlay, but that requires an Apple TV, not a Chromecast. If you want to cast a website from iPhone to a Chromecast TV, you will need to use screen mirroring through an Android device or a computer instead.

All other casting features work the same on iPhone and Android: app casting, music casting, and photo casting all function identically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cast if my phone is not on the same Wi-Fi as my TV?

No. Your phone and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network to cast. If your TV is on your home Wi-Fi and your phone is on a mobile hotspot or a different network, casting will not work. Switch your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as your TV.

Does my phone battery drain while casting?

Casting from an app uses very little battery — your phone is just sending a signal to the TV, not playing the video itself. Your phone can lock and the video will keep playing. Screen casting drains more battery because your phone is actively mirroring its display, so use app casting when possible.

Can multiple people cast to the same TV at the same time?

No. Only one phone can cast to a Chromecast at a time. If someone else tries to cast while you are casting, their cast will take over and yours will stop. You can pass control by stopping your cast and letting the other person start theirs.

What if I want to cast from my computer instead of my phone?

You can cast from a Windows or Mac computer using Google Chrome. Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu, select Cast, choose your TV, and then select Cast tab or Cast desktop. This works the same way as casting from a phone, though desktop casting is slower.

Why does the cast icon not appear in my app?

The app either does not support Chromecast or needs to be updated. Open the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, search for the app, and tap Update if an update is available. If there is no update available and the icon still does not appear, that app does not support casting to Chromecast.