The basic steps to cast from Chrome
Casting from Chrome means sending video, audio, or your entire screen from your computer to a Chromecast device connected to your TV. You do this through Chrome's built-in cast feature, which takes about 30 seconds to set up the first time. The Chromecast device and your computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Open Chrome and look for the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Click them, then select Cast from the menu. A small window will appear showing available Chromecast devices on your network. Click the device you want to use, and your content will begin playing on your TV within a few seconds.
You can cast a single tab, an entire window, or your whole screen. The option you choose depends on what you're doing — if you want to keep working on your computer while something plays on the TV, cast a single tab. If you want everything on your screen to appear on the TV, cast your entire screen.
Key Takeaways
- Your computer and Chromecast device must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network before casting will work.
- The Cast button is in Chrome's menu (three dots in the top right), and you select your device from the list that appears.
- You can cast a single tab, a window, or your entire screen depending on whether you want to keep working on your computer.
- Casting a tab uses less bandwidth than casting your whole screen and keeps your computer's other activity private.
Casting a single tab versus your entire screen
When you cast a single tab, only that one browser window appears on your TV. Everything else on your computer — your email, your other open tabs, your desktop — stays private and visible only to you. This is the best choice if you're watching a video, looking at photos, or streaming music while you work on something else.
Casting your entire screen sends everything on your monitor to the TV, including notifications, cursor movement, and any window you click on. Use this when you want to show someone a presentation, walk through a document, or play a game that isn't optimized for casting. Be aware that anything you do on your computer will be visible on the TV.
Casting a window (available on Windows computers) falls between the two — it sends one specific process window to the TV while keeping your other windows hidden. This is useful if you have multiple programs open and want to share only one of them.
What to do if your Chromecast device doesn't appear
If you open the Cast menu and don't see your device listed, the most common reason is that your computer and Chromecast are on different Wi-Fi networks. Check that both are connected to the same network name. Some networks separate devices into "guest" and "main" bands — make sure both are on the same one.
Restart your Chromecast device by unplugging it for 10 seconds, then plugging it back in. While it's restarting, close the Cast menu in Chrome and reopen it. If the device still doesn't appear, restart your computer's Wi-Fi by turning it off and back on in your system settings.
If you've recently changed your Wi-Fi password, your Chromecast may still be trying to connect with the old one. You'll need to set it up again using the Google Home app on your phone or tablet — this is the only way to update the Wi-Fi credentials on the device itself.
Controlling playback while casting
Once you've started casting, a small cast icon appears in the Chrome address bar. Click it to open the cast control panel, which shows you what's playing and lets you pause, play, or stop the cast. You can also adjust the volume using your TV remote or your computer's volume controls.
If you're casting a video from a streaming service like YouTube or Netflix, the playback controls usually appear on the TV screen itself — you can use your TV remote to pause or skip. For other content, use the controls in the Chrome cast panel or the keyboard shortcuts on your computer (spacebar to pause, arrow keys to skip).
You can minimize the cast control panel and keep working on your computer. The cast will continue running in the background. To stop casting, click the cast icon again and select Stop casting.
Casting audio only from music and podcast apps
Many music and podcast apps built into Chrome support casting audio to a Chromecast device. When you're playing something in one of these apps, look for a cast icon (usually a small rectangle with curved lines in the corner) within the app itself. Click it and select your Chromecast device.
This is different from casting a tab — the audio streams directly from the app to your Chromecast, which means you can close the browser tab or even close Chrome entirely and the music keeps playing. This also uses less bandwidth than casting video.
Not all audio apps support casting. If you don't see a cast icon in the app, you can still cast the tab itself, but the audio will stop if you close the tab or turn off your computer.
Troubleshooting casting problems during playback
If the video or audio starts and then stops, or if it keeps buffering, your Wi-Fi connection may not be strong enough. Move your computer closer to your router, or move the Chromecast device closer to the router. If you're casting video, try casting a single tab instead of your entire screen — it uses less bandwidth.
If the picture is choppy or the audio is out of sync, restart the cast by clicking the cast icon and selecting Stop casting, then casting again. Close any other apps or browser tabs that might be using your Wi-Fi, like downloads or video calls.
If casting stops unexpectedly, your computer may have gone to sleep or your Wi-Fi connection dropped. Wake your computer and reconnect to Wi-Fi, then start casting again. Some computers have power settings that put the Wi-Fi to sleep — check your system settings if this happens repeatedly.
Casting from different devices and browsers
You can cast from any computer running Chrome — Windows, Mac, or Linux. The steps are the same on all of them. You cannot cast from other browsers like Firefox or Safari; casting is a Chrome feature only.
If you want to cast from your phone or tablet, you'll use a different method. Android phones and tablets can cast through the system settings or through individual apps. iPhones and iPads can use AirPlay to Apple TV, but not to Chromecast — Google makes a separate app called Google Home that allows limited casting from iOS devices.
If multiple people in your home want to cast to the same TV, each person can use their own computer or device. Only one cast session can run at a time — if someone else starts casting while you're already casting, your session will stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cast if my computer is on a different Wi-Fi network than the Chromecast?
No. Your computer and Chromecast must be on the same Wi-Fi network. If you're on a guest network and the Chromecast is on the main network, they won't see each other. Connect both to the same network and try again.
What happens to my computer when I'm casting?
If you're casting a single tab, your computer continues to work normally — you can use other programs, check email, or browse other tabs. If you're casting your entire screen, everything you do on your computer appears on the TV. You can still use your computer, but others watching the TV will see it.
Does casting use a lot of internet bandwidth?
Casting a single tab or audio uses moderate bandwidth. Casting your entire screen uses more because it's sending the image of everything on your monitor. If your internet is slow, casting video may buffer. Casting within your home network (not over the internet) uses your local Wi-Fi and doesn't count against your internet plan.
Can I cast to multiple TVs at the same time?
No. One computer can only cast to one Chromecast device at a time. If you want to cast to multiple TVs, you would need multiple computers or devices, each casting to its own Chromecast.
What if I want to cast but don't see the Cast option in Chrome's menu?
Make sure you're using a recent version of Chrome. Open Chrome's menu, click Help, then About Google Chrome — it will update automatically if a newer version is available. After updating, restart Chrome and the Cast option should appear.