Casting from your phone to a TV using Chrome
To cast from Chrome on your Android or iPhone, open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, and select Cast. Your phone will search for nearby Chromecast devices. Tap the device you want to cast to, and your screen will begin mirroring to the TV within a few seconds. The entire process takes less than a minute once you have a Chromecast set up and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone.
The Cast button works differently depending on what you are doing in Chrome. If you are watching a video on YouTube or another streaming service, tapping Cast will send just that video to your TV, leaving your phone free to do other things. If you are browsing the web or want to show your entire phone screen, you can cast your whole display instead — this mirrors everything on your phone, including notifications and any app you open.
Key Takeaways
- Your phone and Chromecast device must be on the same Wi-Fi network before you can cast anything.
- The Cast button appears in the Chrome menu on Android phones and in the Control Center on iPhones running iOS 16 or later.
- Casting a video from YouTube or Netflix sends only that video to your TV, while casting your entire screen mirrors everything your phone displays.
- If the Cast button does not appear, restart Chrome, restart your Chromecast device, and check that both are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Finding and tapping the Cast button on Android
On an Android phone, open Chrome and navigate to the content you want to cast — a YouTube video, a webpage, or anything else. Tap the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the Chrome window. Scroll down the menu that appears and tap Cast. Your phone will begin searching for Chromecast devices on your network.
A list of available devices will appear within a few seconds. Tap the name of the Chromecast device connected to your TV. The video or content will start playing on your TV almost when ready, and you will see a blue Cast icon appear in the Chrome menu, indicating an active connection. You can now use your phone for other tasks while the content plays on the TV.
Casting from an iPhone
iPhone users need iOS 16 or later to cast directly from Chrome. Open Chrome and find the content you want to cast. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open Control Center. Look for the Screen Mirroring option (it looks like a rectangle with a triangle in the corner). Tap it and select your Chromecast device from the list.
Your entire iPhone screen will mirror to the TV. This is different from Android, where you can cast individual videos without mirroring your whole display. If you only want to cast a video from YouTube or another app, you may find a Cast button within that app itself — check the app's menu before using Screen Mirroring.
Casting your entire phone screen instead of just a video
Screen mirroring sends everything on your phone to the TV — your home screen, any app you open, notifications, and anything else that appears. This is useful when you want to show someone a photo album, browse the web together, or use your phone as a remote control for a presentation.
On Android, tap the three-dot menu in Chrome, select Cast, choose your device, then look for a Cast screen or Mirror screen option (the exact wording varies by device). On iPhone, use Screen Mirroring from Control Center as described above. Keep in mind that mirroring uses more battery power than casting a single video, and your phone screen will stay on the entire time.
Troubleshooting when Cast does not appear or work
If the Cast button is missing from your Chrome menu, first check that your phone and Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network. They must be connected to the same network — if your phone is on a guest network or a different band (2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz), casting will not work. Log into the same network on both devices and try again.
If they are on the same network and Cast still does not appear, close Chrome completely and reopen it. If that does not work, restart your Chromecast device by unplugging it for 10 seconds and plugging it back in. On your phone, go to Settings and restart Chrome from the app settings menu. After restarting both devices, open Chrome again and check the menu for the Cast option.
If your Chromecast device appears in the Cast list but the connection fails or drops, move your phone closer to the Chromecast device and your Wi-Fi router. Walls, distance, and interference from other electronics can weaken the connection. If the problem continues, restart your Wi-Fi router by unplugging it for 30 seconds.
What to do while casting
Once you have cast a video to your TV, your phone becomes a remote control. You can pause, play, skip forward or backward, and adjust the volume using your phone's screen. The video will continue playing on the TV even if you lock your phone or open another app — the cast connection stays active in the background.
If you are casting your entire screen, opening other apps or notifications will show on the TV as well. To stop casting without closing the video, tap the Cast icon in Chrome (or Screen Mirroring in Control Center on iPhone) and select Stop casting. The video will stop playing on the TV, and your phone will no longer be mirrored.
Casting from Chrome tabs and web pages
You can cast any open Chrome tab to your TV, not just videos. Open the webpage or content you want to cast, tap the three-dot menu, select Cast, choose your device, and then tap Cast screen or Mirror screen. The entire tab will appear on your TV, and you can scroll, click, and interact with it using your phone.
This works well for presentations, photo galleries, articles, or any website you want to view on a larger screen. Keep in mind that casting a tab uses more data and battery than casting a video, since your phone is constantly sending updates to the TV as you interact with the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my phone and Chromecast have to be on the same Wi-Fi network?
Yes. Your phone and Chromecast must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to cast. If your phone is on a guest network or a different frequency band (2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz), casting will not work. Check your phone's Wi-Fi settings and connect to the same network as your Chromecast.
Can I cast if my phone screen is locked?
Yes. Once casting has started, you can lock your phone and the video will continue playing on the TV. The cast connection stays active even when your phone is asleep. Unlock your phone whenever you need to pause, skip, or adjust volume.
Why does casting keep dropping or disconnecting?
Casting drops when your phone moves too far from the Wi-Fi router or Chromecast device, or when other devices are using a lot of bandwidth. Move closer to the router, reduce interference from other electronics, and check that no one else is downloading large files. If the problem continues, restart your Wi-Fi router and Chromecast device.
Can I cast from Chrome on a computer instead of a phone?
Yes. The process is the same on a computer — open Chrome, click the three-dot menu, select Cast, choose your device, and cast a tab or your entire screen. You can also cast from other browsers and apps that support Chromecast, though the menu location may differ.
What is the difference between casting a video and casting my screen?
Casting a video from YouTube or Netflix sends only that video to your TV, and your phone stays responsive for other tasks. Casting your screen mirrors everything on your phone, including notifications and any app you open. Screen mirroring uses more battery and data.